Selected from more than 61,000 entries, the
award-winning works document some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, from devastating conflicts and political upheaval to the climate crisis and the safe passage of migrants. In bringing together such important stories, the selection encourages greater understanding and awareness of current events, as well as serves as a reminder of the need for press freedom in all corners of the world.
“These final selected works are a tapestry of our world today, centered on images we believe were made with respect and integrity, that can speak universally and resonate far beyond their origins.
This is an opportunity to applaud the work of press and documentary photographers everywhere - made with courage, intelligence, and ingenuity - and to amplify the importance of the stories they are telling, often in unimaginable circumstances.” – Global jury chair, Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at The Guardian.
The global winners–the World Press Photo of the Year, the World Press Photo Story of the Year, the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award, and the World Press Photo Open Format Award–will be announced on 18 April at 11.00 AM CEST (Amsterdam time). Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news.
Jury commentary on the selected works
Africa
“Among the criteria that influenced us were: shifting away from stereotypes of violence and war; shifting away from historical media-driven stereotypes of Black bodies in conflicts, dead bodies, or women and children in vulnerable, violent situations; moving towards nuanced visual narratives; revealing stories about hidden regional conflicts and their impact; seeking more empathetic, authentic visual narratives of the continent's growing youth population; seeking stories that expressed universal human themes, and, finally, photography that helps us reach a better understanding of the lives of our people and the current affairs and other events that shape our lives.” – Nii Obodai, photographer, Africa jury chair. Read more.
The awarded works for Africa are:
SinglesReturning Home From War, Vincent Haiges, Germany, Real 21
Stories
Valim-babena, Lee-Ann Olwage, South Africa, for GEO
Long-Term Projects
The Escape, Zied Ben Romdhane, Tunisia, Magnum Photos, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, AIM LAB
Open Format
Adrift, Felipe Dana and Renata Brito, Brazil, Associated Press
Honorable Mention
Asia
“For this year’s World Press Photo Contest, our choices have been driven by a commitment to stand behind strong projects that tell stories about the importance of love, family, dignity, and human value. Now is the time to suggest ways that photographers may offer solutions, rather than digging further into the abyss by looking at the world through a lens that drives polarization based on fixed opinions and interpretations, or immediate emotional responses.” – Elyor Nemat, photographer, film director, and graphic artist, Asia acting jury chair. Read more.
The awarded works for Asia are:
Singles
A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece, Mohammed Salem, Palestine, Reuters
Stories
Afghanistan on the Edge, Ebrahim Noroozi, Iran, Associated Press
Long-Term Projects
I Am Still With You, Wang Naigong, China
Open Format
Heartstrings, Kazuhiko Matsumura, Japan, for The Kyoto Shimbun
Honorable Mention
The Edge, Zishaan A Latif, India
Discover all the winners from the Asia region.
Europe
“These five entries have overwhelmingly been photographed with tenderness, and with love. Each is journalistically informative, while the storyteller’s heart is ever-present in the images. The work of photographers is frequently difficult, at times very dangerous, and often creatively lonely, and it is an honor to present the winning works here in admiration of and in solidarity with the people who created them.” – Anastasia Taylor-Lind, photojournalist, Europe jury chair.
Read more.
The awarded works for Europe are:
Singles
A Father’s Pain, Adem Altan, Turkey, Agence France-Presse
Stories
Kakhovka Dam: Flood in a War Zone, Johanna Maria Fritz, Germany, Ostkreuz, for Die Zeit
Long-Term Projects
No Man’s Land, Daniel Chatard, Germany/France
Open Format
War Is Personal, Julia Kochetova, Ukraine
Honorable Mention
Looking for Satyrus, Rena Effendi, Azerbaijan, VII Photo, National Geographic Society
Discover all the winners from the Europe region.
North and Central America
“
We sought to provide a selection that complemented, rather than competed with, the year’s news. This led to a collection that feels dynamic and globally relevant. The jury’s diversity revealed the limits of our individual knowledge. After all, how can we know what we don’t know? This diversity transformed judging into a journey of discovery and empathy, and in my opinion, joy.” – John Minchillo, staff photojournalist, the Associated Press, North and Central America jury chair.
Read more. The awarded works for North and Central America are:
Singles
A Day in the Life of a Quebec Fire Crew, Charles-Frédérick Ouellet, Canada, for The Globe and Mail, Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec
Stories
Saving the Monarchs, Jaime Rojo, Spain, for National Geographic
Long-Term Projects
The Two Walls, Alejandro Cegarra, Venezuela, The New York Times/Bloomberg
Open Format
The Gay Space Agency, Mackenzie Calle, United States
Honorable Mention
South America
“
What we would like is that when people get to see these pictures, they learn about the region, but also how these photographs can make us all think about these situations in a different way. The photographers are very close to what is happening, to the people they're portraying and working with. This results in a deep and collaborative way of approaching these stories.” – Julieta Escardó, photographer, editor and educator.
Read more.
The awarded works for South America are:
Singles
Drought in the Amazon, Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, for Folha de São Paulo
Stories
Red Skies, Green Waters, Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, Venezuela, for The New York Times
Long-Term Projects
Mapuche: The Return of the Ancient Voices, Pablo E. Piovano, Argentina, Greenpeace Award, GEO, National Geographic Society
Open Format
Silenced Crimes, Marco Garro, Peru, Pulitzer Center
Honorable Mention
Insurrection, Gabriela Biló, Brazil, for Folha de São Paulo
Discover all the winners from the South America region.
Southeast Asia and Oceania
“
The stories we ultimately selected covered aspects of life that may not have otherwise had the chance to reach global audiences.” – Veejay Villafranca, photographer and lecturer.
Read more.
The awarded works for Southeast Asia and Oceania are:
Singles
Fighting, Not Sinking, Eddie Jim, Australia, The Age/Sydney Morning Herald
Stories
Battle for Sovereignty, Michael Varcas, Philippines, for The Philippine Star
Long-Term Projects
Revolution in Myanmar, Ta Mwe, Myanmar, Sacca Photo, VII Foundation, Frontline Club, W. Eugene Smith Grant
Open Format
A Lost Place, Aletheia Casey, Australia
Honorable Mention
Putting this year’s contest into perspective
World Press Photo was founded in 1955, next year is our 70th anniversary. There have been numerous conflicts, wars and other major events documented by press photographers throughout these years.
“This is the third year where the contest followed a regional model to better live up to the “World” in World Press Photo. The awarded photographs were selected from 61,062 entries by 3,851 photographers from 130 countries. They were judged first by six regional juries, and the winners were then chosen by a global jury consisting of the regional jury chairs plus the global jury chair.” – Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian.
While the courage, skill, and dedication of the winning photographers has not changed, much about the world they operate in has. As the judging process was underway, World Press Photo executive director Joumana El Zein Khoury
wrote about the challenges of a press and documentary photography contest and exhibition in a world where many people come with perspectives that are far apart.
Knowing that every year there are stories of war and conflict, and each jury takes their own approach, we also asked
past jurors to share how they selected stories of war and conflict in past contests.
In our archive, you can see how winning photographers over the years have used different approaches to faithfully document our shared world.
