A warehouse on Bermondsey Street has become a window into some of the world’s biggest stories, seen through the eyes of photojournalists.
Held annually since 1955, the World Press Photo Contest recognises the best photojournalism and documentary photography produced over the previous year.
Each year, the recognised photographs are part of a global tour, with London’s exhibition being held at the MPB Gallery at 42-44 Bermondsey Street.
MPB Gallery, 42 – 44 Bermondsey Street
The Bermondsey Street exhibition offers a rare chance to see the work of 42 winners, whose stories are told through their cameras.
The photos are chosen by an independent jury of 31 professionals from the media industry, who then choose one overall winner and two runners ups.
The World Press Photo of the Year was awarded to Carol Guzy for a poignant image titled Separated by ICE. The photograph was taken inside one of the few US federal buildings where photographers were granted access.
Title: ICE Arrests at New York Court. Credit: © Carol Guzy, ZUMA Press, iWitness, for Miami Herald
The image, produced for the Miami Herald, captures a moment when a family is separated following the detention of Luis, an Ecuadorian migrant, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after a court hearing. Leaving his wife, Cocha, and their three children, aged seven, 13 and 15 months, without the household’s main provider.
Upon winning World Press Photo of the Year Guzy said: “This award highlights the critical importance of the story worldwide. We bear witness to the suffering of countless families, but also to their grace and resilience that transcends adversity that has been quite humbling.
“The courage to open up their lives to our cameras allowed us to tell their stories. And certainly this award belongs to them, not me.”
One of the two finalist places was awarded to Saber Nuraldin for a photo titled Aid Emergency in Gaza, depicting Palestinians climbing onto an aid truck as it enters the Gaza Strip in July 2025.
Title: Aid Emergency in Gaza. Credit: © Saber Nuraldin, EPA Images
The jury commented that the image displays the ‘scale and urgency of famine’ in the second year of the war in Gaza.
The other finalist was The Trials of the Achi Women by Victor J. Blue, telling the story of a group of Indigenous Maya Achi women in Rabinal, Guatemala.
The photo is framed around Doña Paulina Ixpatá Alvarado, a plaintiff who was held captive and assaulted for 25 days in 1983 during Guatemala’s civil war. In the photo, she stands with fellow Achi women outside a Guatemala City court, on 30 May 2025. That afternoon, three former civil defense patrollers were sentenced to 40 years in prison for rape and crimes against humanity. The panel commended the photo for its portrayal of ‘collective strength’, which they said gave the female subjects ‘dignity and authority’.
Title: The Trials of the Achi Women. Credit: © Victor J. Blue, for The New York Times Magazine
Winner Carol Guzy (portrait by Andrea Pritchard)
Finalist Saber Nuraldin
Finalist Victor J Blue
The World Press Photo is a non-profit organisation committed to press freedom. It was started by a group of Dutch photographers with the aim of introducing their work to a global audience.
71 years on, the 2026 contest received over 57,000 entries from 3,747 photographers, spanning 141 countries.
Tickets cost £17.50 on the weekend and £13.50 Monday – Friday.
The exhibition is currently open daily.
Visit worldpressphoto.org for more details
MPB Gallery, 42-44 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD