#1. Photographer of the Year – Professional: “MahaKumbh – World’s Largest Gathering” by Savadmon Avalachamveettil

“A once-in-144 years phenomenon. Ash-smeared Hindu holy men (Naga Sadhus) charged into India’s most sacred river Ganges at dawn on the first most significant bathing day of the Kumbh Mela festival. An extraordinary display of human unity, spiritual energy, and collective consciousness.”

 

#2. Photographer of the Year – Amateur: “Newborn Moon” by Allan Andersen

““Newborn Moon” captures the rare transition of a lunar eclipse, where the moon emerges as if being born from the clouds below. The glowing mist reflects light like a cradle, while a rising wisp of haze reaches upward, suggesting a moment of creation. It is this fragile illusion – that the moon has just entered the night sky – which inspired the title. I wanted the photograph to carry both the drama of an eclipse and the calm of minimalism.”

 

#3. Editorial Photography – Photojournalism – Winner: “Svartsengi” by Marco Di Marco

“In December 2023, a new sequence of eruptions began on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland. Svartsengi, a volcanic system dormant for 783 years, returned to activity on December 18, 2023 with a short-lived but powerful effusive eruption. That event marked the start of multiple episodes that threatened nearby infrastructure: the Svartsengi geothermal power plant, the Blue Lagoon spa and resort, and the town of Grindavík.”

 

#4. Nature Photography – Ice and Glacier – Winner: “Ring of Ice and Fire” by Liam Man

“A “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse reaches annularity as two intrepid ice climbers summit the mighty Glacier Leones in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field of Chile. A drone equiped with a powerful lighting rig illuminates the ice’s textures and colours, battling fierce winds that whip up plumes of snow that burn in the sun’s rays. In the foreground, the ice is strewn with rocky debris, remnants of a landslide triggered upstream. As the glacier receded, its retreat destabilised the valley walls, making them prone to collapse. “

 

#5. People Photography – Culture – Winner: “Mundari Culture” by Roberto Pazzi

“This images are a part of a photographic reportage about the small ethnic group of Mundari. The Mundari are cattle herders of South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, who dedicate their lives to the care of their Ankole Watusi cattle, characterized by their large horns. They live in symbiosis with their cattle and nothing is more important for them than their bovines. In a cattle camp, everyone plays their role. Kids are doing most of the daily work collecting the fresh cow dung and putting it into piles which are then set on fire to repel the (extremely) numerous and voracious mosquitoes of the area. The men lead the cows into the fields during the day.”

 

#6. Architecture Photography – Abstract – Winner: “Icon” by Rintaro Ukon

“This image symbolically frames Tokyo Skytree through bold red architectural forms, inspired by the historical meaning of “icon” as a sacred window. In ancient Greek, eikon (εἰκών) referred not merely to an image, but to a window connecting the earthly to the divine. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, icons were believed to serve as portals between the viewer and the sacred realm. In this photograph, the red foreground represents our structured, immediate world. Through this aperture, we encounter the Skytree not as a landmark, but as a symbolic presence—a dimension just beyond the everyday.”

 

#7. Architecture Photography – Building – Winner: “The Vessel” by Rodrigo Izquierdo

“View of the Vessel from the inside, as access was closed due to unfortunate human loss. A reminder of how delicate human mental health can be.”

 

#8. International Photography – Switzerland Photography: “The Resting Moon” by Ariane Totzke

“Just days before this year’s blood full moon, I witnessed a rare sight in the Toggenburg region of Switzerland: the moon appearing to rest upon the majestic Churfirsten mountains. This natural spectacle lasted only a few fleeting minutes, and I was incredibly fortunate to capture it. Nature’s wonders often reveal themselves suddenly and unexpectedly — this is why I love photography, which allows me to transform such moments into art.”

 

#9. Editorial Photography – Contemporary Issues: “Why?” by João Coelho

“They are still children, but in fact they all have to be adults and play the role of mothers and fathers, taking care of their younger siblings so that their parents can work from sunup to sundown. From a very early age they had to give up the moments when they could freely play and have fun without having a sense of time passing.”

#10. Fine Art Photography – Pets: “In the Heart of Splash” by Lucie Nermutova

“In this split second, I saw not just a dog, but pure spirit breaking through water and time.”

 

#11. International Photography – Iceland Photography: “Volcanic cones” by Marco Di Marco

“Twin cones erupt along the Sundhnúkagígar crater row, Iceland, throwing lava fountains and gas plumes.”

 

#12. Editorial Photography – Feature Story: “Always children, always friends” by João Coelho

“The dump where they were born and live is the only world they know. Since sunrise, they work with their parents, scavenging through garbage heaps for food, clothing, and iron to sell. Though forced to become adults at an early age, they have never stopped being children.”

 

#13. Fine Art Photography – People: “Burning Melody” by Shirley Wung

“The flames fluttered like a wild phoenix flapping its wings, creating a thrilling feast of light and shadow. The rolling fire wheel blooms like a red lotus, blooming in the air and then falling lightly, bringing an ultimate visual shock. The figure of the fire dancer blends with the flames, as if dancing with the flames, performing a fiery dreamy performance. With every throw, the roller was like a burning storm, drawing brilliant lines of fire in the dark night.”

 

#14. Fine Art Photography – Photojournalism: “Contrasts” by Marco Di Marco

“Lava consumes the roadway leading to the Blue Lagoon and advances over snow during the third eruptive episode of the 2023–2024 Svartsengi volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland.”

 

#15. Architecture Photography – Cityscapes: “Once on the Edge” by Yuanfeng Mao

“At 8:17 PM on October 19th, 2024, an almost full waxing moon rose behind The Edge Observation Deck—a cantilevered sky platform 1,100 feet above Manhattan. Planned to the second, this rare alignment—visible for only minutes—revealed the platform glowing with light, silhouetting visitors suspended between city and sky. Two”

 

#16. Special Category – Night Photography: “The Teeth of Time” by Liam Man

“Rock-dominated topographies appear timeless, yet they are relentlessly being reshaped by the forces of geology. These three natural wonders, defined by their towering pinnacles, are visually similar, yet each has its own erosional story. In Scotland, the wintery Old Man of Storr was revealed in a moment of dramatic geological upheaval.”

 

#17. Fine Art Photography – Wildlife: “Prince of Blue” by Rintaro Ukon

“”Prince of Blue” captures the exact moment when a young humpback whale emerged from the depths of the Pacific, circling around me in a graceful dance. Shot while free diving in the pristine waters of Tonga on August 10, 2023, this image reflects the silent, sacred encounter between human and whale. “

 

#18. Nature Photography – Trees: “The Beautiful larch forest” by Ho Wei-Chin

“Beautiful circular bald cypress forest captured by aerial photography.”

 

#19. Fine Art Photography – Seascape: “Curvy” by Natalya Pyrogova

“Big waves surfing. Nazaré, Portugal”

 

#20. Fine Art Photography – Landscape: “Fantasy Northern Lights” by Shirley Wung

“Under the vast northern night sky, a glimmer of light emerges in the distant horizon, the color changes from light green to dark blue, and then turns into purple and gold, flowing across the sky, like a mysterious dancer, spinning lightly and gracefully. The dance of the goddess Aurora.”

 

#21. Fine Art Photography – Night: “Church of Aurora Borealis” by Radoslaw Ziegert

“Búðakirkja Church with Aurora Borealis in Iceland”

 

#22. Fine Art Photography – Abstract: “Flight of the pink flamingoes” by David Beavis

“Pink flamingoes flying over lake Magadi in Kenya shot from helicopter.”

 

#23. Nature Photography – Natural Art: “Echoes of a Living Landscape: Between Stillness and Motion” by James Malikey

“This series is a visual journey through the layers of nature, from vast, moody horizons to the smallest details of life. It moves from strong expressions – like the pelican’s dramatic motion – to hidden elements, where the wind leaves traces in the delicate petals and seeds and where the light reveals its own artistry, shaping shadows, igniting colors, and setting a spider’s thread aflame with iridescence.”

 

#24. Nature Photography – Landscapes: “A Healing Journey Through Banff” by Shaoyu Ba

“After an emotional low point, I set out alone on a self-redemption journey to Banff, Canada, facing -40°C. I celebrated my 21st birthday on the frozen Abraham Lake. Along the way, I endured extreme cold, got stuck in snow, yet witnessed rare moose, KP9 aurora, and icy pillars under the night sky. I realized life, like travel, is full of uncertainties, but every hardship shapes the scenery ahead. Because of passion, Photography has always been the light guiding me through darkness.”

 

#25. Nature Photography – Wildlife: “Yellow-bellied Prinia Breeding” by Ho Wei Chin

“Every spring is the time for animals to reproduce and raise their young.”

 

#26. Special Category – Long Exposure Photography: “The art of fireworks” by Shirley Wung

“Fireworks bloom across the night sky like a dance of light. Trails intertwine, colors explode in brilliance, and fleeting moments transform the sky into a dynamic canvas of art, evoking awe and delight in every observer.”

 

#27. Fine Art Photography – Portrait: “Supper at Emmaus” by Gio Tarantini

“Light and shadows dance on the stage of my mind as, inspired by the genius of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, I decided to pay homage to one of his most celebrated masterpieces: The Supper at Emmaus. This work, which depicts a pivotal moment when the disciples recognize the risen Jesus, is imbued with emotion and unparalleled visual power, characteristics I sought to capture in my photograph.”

 

#28. Fine Art Photography – Wildlife: “The angels are coming” by Hiroto Fukuda

“The japanese crane is divine and beautiful.Their noble form dancing in the snowfield is like an angel or a god.I devote my life to photographing them in order to enhance their beauty even more beautifully.”

 

#29. Nature Photography – Forest: “Midsummer Night Firefly” by Shirley Wung

“Although the light of fireflies in the forest on summer nights is weak, they dance among the trees and dot the darkness. However, such beautiful scenes are gradually disappearing from our lives. Due to forest destruction and environmental pollution, fireflies’ habitats are shrinking, causing their numbers to decrease significantly.”

 

#30. Nature Photography – Wildlife: “Wishpers Of The Night-The Silent Sovereign” by Krishna Mohan Aluri

“This photographic project is an intimate journey into the nocturnal world of the tiger — a creature that embodies both grace and raw power. Captured under the cloak of darkness, each frame reveals the tiger as it moves silently through its domain, its presence illuminated by carefully controlled light. The interplay of light and shadow transforms the tiger into a mystical figure — part guardian, part phantom of the jungle.”