Highlights of the 2025 Winning Images
In this article, we will review the most prominent winning photos of 2025.
1. Most prominent press photo: "Maher Al-Ahjur"
This photo of Mahmoud Ajjour, a Palestinian child who lost his arms in a bombing in Gaza, won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year title. Taken by photographer Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times, it powerfully captures the pain, hope, and resilience of childhood amidst conflict.
2. “The Anthropocene Illusion” – Zed Nelson
Documentary photographer Zed Nelson has been named Photographer of the Year at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards for his series The Anthropocene Illusion. These photographs explore the impact of humans on nature and the tumultuous interaction between them across four continents over six years.
3. “Celestial Stream” Shot – Night Sky Photography
Xingyang Cai's image "Starlit Ocean" has been selected as the winner of the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition. It captures the celestial composition in the skies over Big Sur, California, with a stunning view of the galaxy and a comet passing over McWay Falls.
4. The Beauty and Wildness of Nature – Maruša Puhek
The winning image in the World Nature Photographer of the Year competition is a sweet shot of a reindeer in a winter landscape, captured by photographer Maruša Puhek as part of his daily Run project, capturing an immersive race in snowy white.
5. Shot from the Sea War – Submerged Designs
In the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 competition, Jean Baptiste Cazajous captured a scene of sunken ships and warplanes from World War II, capturing the mysterious majesty of the deep sea.
