The image is split: on the left, a car is surrounded by a dense crowd of people; on the right, two translucent fish swim gracefully against a black background.

The International Photography Awards (IPA) announced the main category winners of its 2025 competition, honoring talented amateur and professional photographers across 11 categories.

One of the 11 professional category winners below will be named the “International Photographer of the Year” at the IPA Gala in Athens in October, along with a $10,000 cash prize. The non-professional winner will earn the title “Discovery of the Year” and $5,000. For the International Photography Awards, a professional is someone who earns, or has earned, “the majority of their. income from photographer, or who sell or publish their work regularly, or belong to professional photography organizations.”

The 2025 IPA jury noted a few of the awarded projects. For example, Savadmon Avalachamveettil’s photo, MahaKumbh — World’s Largest Gathering, which won the Event photography category, shows a once-in-144 years ritual at the sacred Kumbh Mela festival in India. During the ritual, Naga Sadhus covered in ash swim in the Ganges at dawn.

Photographer Abdelrahman Alkahlout’s series, Echoes of Genocide, won the Editorial/Press category and shows the devastating effects of the war in Gaza.

“When judging news photography , the first consideration is not the magnitude of the news event itself, but the essential elements of a visual work: what the image wants to say, how it says it, and whether it says it well. The conflict between Israel and Palestine was one of the
most significant global issues last year, and both sides have their supporters,” says Alex NG, PhotoNews.hk publisher and IPA Jury member. “As a competition judge, one must view these photographs with detachment — judging the image as an image. The success of this entry lies in its ability to break the viewer’ s heart.”

Non-professional photographer Sebastian Piorek’s photo project, The Overflowing Earth, explores Poland’s growing landfills and their impact on the environment.

“What once seemed like isolated dumps now spread endless, forming landscapes where refuse dominates,” the photographer says.

Professional Category Winners





Red paint drips down on a white background, forming the shape of vampire fangs. Above the paint, it reads "Dracula, Bram Stoker." Below is a Dulux Heritage logo with the words: "Let the feelings of your favourite books become the colour of your favourite rooms.Advertising Photographer of the Year — Colour Has a New Chapter by Jonathan Knowles | 2025 International Photography Awards Abstract image with dark blue, white, and gold textured areas; overlaid text reads "SOLID MAZE" in large font and "OF ALL THAT'S LEFT UNTOLD" below in smaller font.Analog/Film Photographer of the Year — Solid Maze of All That’s Left Untold by Piotr Zbierski | 2025 International Photography Awards An old, abandoned piano sits among overgrown ferns and plants inside a decaying room with large, broken windows letting in sunlight. The space is filled with greenery reclaiming the neglected interior.Architecture Photographer of the Year — Requiem pour Pianos by Romain Thiery | 2025 International Photography Awards Two copies of the book "BRASILE: Fragili equilibri" are shown, one lying flat and one standing upright. The cover features a boy looking up against a blue background with a small green object above him.Book Photographer of the Year — Fragili Equilibri by Autori Multipli, Percorso Perbellini | 2025 International Photography Awards A man carries an injured child through a crowded emergency area as people, including press and photographers, look on. The scene is tense, with many expressions of concern and urgency.Editorial/Press Photographer of the Year — Echoes of Genocide: Gaza’s Civilian Suffering by Abdelrahman Alkahlout | 2025 International Photography Awards
A large crowd of people, many with their bodies covered in ash, surrounds a white vehicle topped with individuals, forming a dense gathering at what appears to be a religious or cultural event.Event Photographer of the Year — MahaKumbh — World’s Largest Gathering by Savadmon Avalachamveettil | 2025 International Photography Awards A woman in a red patterned dress and yellow flower crown sits on wooden crates in a dilapidated, grand room with peeling walls and a faded mural of a landscape in the background. Light streams in from above.Fine Art Photographer of the Year — Frida — A Singular Vision of Beauty and Pain by Julia Fullerton-Batten | 2025 International Photography Awards Two delicate, translucent juvenile fish with flowing fins and pinkish bodies swim against a black background, their fins creating graceful, ribbon-like shapes in the water.Nature Photographer of the Year — The Beauty of Floating Babies by Sho Otani | 2025 International Photography Awards Two women stand wrapped in beige fabric, one visibly pregnant, while a small child with braided hair sits on the floor facing away. The background features draped beige cloth.People Photographer of the Year — Family In Vitro by Natasha Pszenicki | 2025 International Photography Awards Close-up macro image of a blue damselfly’s face covered in water droplets, with large compound eyes against a pink background.Special Photographer of the Year — Damselfies from Another Planet by Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz | 2025 International Photography Awards Three riders on galloping horses, photographed from a low angle. The horses' heads are raised and their mouths open, with two riders partially visible against a clear sky in black and white.Sports Photographer of the Year — Buzkashi by Todd Antony | 2025 International Photography Awards Non-Professional Category Winners A person with braided hair poses with arms raised, showing their back covered in blue floral porcelain patterns and gold cracks, resembling kintsugi on a dark blue background.Advertising Photographer of the Year — Porcelain Petals by Natalie Vorontsoff | 2025 International Photography Awards
Three children wearing helmets sit on motorbikes and mopeds on a path with houses and trees in the background. They look directly at the camera with serious expressions. The image is in black and white.Analog/Film Photographer of the Year — Misplaced Childhood by Yehor Lemzyakoff | 2025 International Photography Awards A modern building with smooth, curving lines and a wave-like roof, featuring large glass windows. A solitary person walks in front, highlighting the structure’s impressive, futuristic design against a gray sky.Architecture Photographer of the Year — Icon of Architectural by Mohammad Awadh | 2025 International Photography Awards A black book cover titled "A Surrender" by Markus Naarttijärvi, featuring a photograph of a snowy, partially frozen landscape with dark water and ice.Book Photographer of the Year — A Surrender by Markus Naarttijärvi | 2025 International Photography Awards Aerial view of a dense pile of colorful, crushed cars stacked closely together in a junkyard, forming a chaotic, textured pattern.Editorial/Press Photographer of the Year — The Overflowing Earth by Sebastian Piorek | 2025 International Photography Awards A vibrant parade features people in ornate traditional costumes, colorful headdresses, and masks. They walk through a lush outdoor setting, surrounded by greenery and onlookers, some of whom wear casual clothes and hats.Event Photographer of the Year — South Island Group Wedding by Yu Ling Ho | 2025 International Photography Awards A negative image of a woman with long hair, split down the center; the left half of her face is replaced with a textured, leaf-like structure against a dark background.Fine Art Photographer of the Year — Murmures de l’âme by Marie Sueur | 2025 International Photography Awards A dramatic supercell thunderstorm with swirling dark clouds hovers over a flat, empty field at sunset, with golden light illuminating the horizon.Nature Photographer of the Year — Iowa Storm Cell by Ilene Meyers | 2025 International Photography Awards
An elderly woman in traditional clothing sits near a window in a dimly lit, ornately decorated room with religious icons, embroidered textiles, and a table set with food and candles.People Photographer of the Year — Inside Romania by Ilona Schong | 2025 International Photography Awards Three children in swimsuits hold volleyballs above their heads, preparing to throw, against a pastel sky with scattered clouds. The scene suggests a playful, sunny beach or outdoor setting.Special Photographer of the Year — Emotive Snapshots by Monia Marchionni | 2025 International Photography Awards A motorcycle racer in green gear speeds through a track, creating colorful motion blur streaks in blue, red, and yellow tones, emphasizing the sense of rapid movement and vibrant energy.Sports Photographer of the Year — Piercing the Rainbow by Kohej Kawashima | 2025 International Photography Awards

Image credits: International Photography Awards. The individual photographers are credited in the captions.