World Press Photo 2026 Winners Show Conflict, Resilience, and the Fragility of Life
The 2026 World Press Photo Contest winners have been revealed, showing the very best of photojournalism and documentary work. They illuminate stories of conflict and climate crisis across the world, but they also show us something deeper: resilience, human connection, and the intimate moments that define our world.
Selected from a staggering 57,376 photographs submitted by 3,747 photographers from 141 countries, the 2026 World Press Photo Contest winners reflect a world in transition. The selection spans six regions. Three winners per region in both the Singles and Stories categories, plus one Long-Term Project winner per region.
This year’s winners document the stories that are all around us, closer than we think, and that feel never-ending. Conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza, Palestine, and Nepal. Climate crisis from Los Angeles to the Philippines, Mexico, and Norway. Protests in the United States, Guatemala, and Kenya. Civic action and the fight for rights that are taking shape across continents.
But the winners also tell smaller, more intimate stories, like a social robot and the humans who build connections with her. Ballet dancers in South Africa. Families navigating immigration. A daughter’s grief in Kashmir.
All of these photos and projects witness the world that’s changing deeply and rapidly, but also some things that remain unchanged and universal wherever we are: joy and grief; play and fight; the need for connection, contact, and relationships.
Kira Pollack, the global jury chair, commented:
“This is a critical moment – for democracy, for truth, for the question of what we as a society are willing to see and call out and what we are willing to ignore. The photographers recognized here have done their part. They have made the record. Now it is our turn to look.”
A Model That Works
The regional contest model, launched in 2021, continues to expand participation and diversity. This year, 31 out of the 42 winners are local to the region they have photographed. Compared to 2025, there were 11% more entrants from South America and 14% more entrants from Asia-Pacific and Oceania. Women and non-binary photographers made up 22% of all contest entries, reflecting steady growth since the regional model began.
The winners were judged first by six independent regional juries. Then a global jury, consisting of the regional jury chairs plus global jury chair Kira Pollack, selected the final winners.
Authenticity Remains Sacred
World Press Photo continues to ban AI-generated images. All contest images must be real, verified through digital analysis, and story verification. In the era filled with AI slop, this commitment to authenticity is a glimmer of hope that we’ll still get to see true stories and real news from across the world, told through the lenses of exceptional photojournalists.
The Exhibition
These stories will be shown to millions of people worldwide. The annual World Press Photo traveling exhibition visits over 60 locations around the world. The flagship exhibition opens at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam on April 24.
On April 23, the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year will be announced, along with two finalists. This award comes with 10,000 euros plus Fujifilm gear worth over 14,000 euros.
Since there are plenty of winning images in this round, we’ll share Single winners for you to enjoy. To explore all winning images and series, visit World Press Photo’s website.
Note that some photos are not for the faint-hearted.
Waltraud talks with Emma, a social robot that recognizes faces and remembers past conversations. Though skeptical at first, Waltraud says she felt connected to Emma over time.
Albershausen, Germany, 3 July 2025.
Valeria Syniuk (65) sits near her badly damaged home. She was asleep when a Russian missile destroyed the building opposite hers. Kyiv, Ukraine, 24 April 2025.
Mr Wong cries out in anguish as fire engulfs the Tai Po housing complex he calls home. Moments earlier, he phoned his wife, who was trapped in the building, and they exchanged what would be their final words. Hong Kong, 26 November 2025.
A wild giant panda is captured by a camera trap in the Wanglang National Nature Reserve. Sichuan, China, 11 November 2025.
An overwhelmed police officer leans over near the bodies of Boris (69) and Sofia (61) Gurman. During the Bondi Beach Terror Attack, the couple were killed while attempting to disarm one of the shooters. Sydney, Australia, 14 December 2025.
Edith Magomere Ingasiani and her daughter Blessings Iminza (9), at their home. Blessings was born in Saudi Arabia without a birth certificate. Vihiga County, Kenya, 30 August 2025.
Young dancers from the Joburg Ballet School backstage at the Soweto Theatre during their year-end performance. Soweto, South Africa, 7 December 2025.
Professional hunters shoot a family of elephants identified for culling. Sango Wildlife Conservancy, Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe, 23 October 2025.
Sanam Bashir (21) collapses with grief at her mother’s funeral. Nargis Begum (45) died from shrapnel wounds after a mortar shell struck while the two were fleeing their home. Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, India, 9 May 2025.
Fire and smoke engulf Singha Durbar after protesters stormed and set the government complex alight during violent demonstrations. Kathmandu, Nepal, 9 September 2025.
Palestinians climb onto an aid truck as it enters the Gaza Strip via the Zikim Crossing in an attempt to get flour, during what the Israeli military called a “tactical suspension” in operations to allow humanitarian aid through. 27 July 2025.
Police detain Father Jorge “Chueco” Romero during a pensioners’ protest. Police detain Father Jorge “Chueco” Romero during a pensioners’ protest. Members of the “Opción por los Pobres” (Option for the Poor) clergy have joined weekly demonstrations against pension freezes and cuts to essential medical coverage. Buenos Aires, Argentina, 14 May 2025.
Teammates mourn Ismael Arroyo (15) who was tortured and murdered by Air Force personnel. Families, neighbors, and residents of Las Malvinas accompanied the coffins from their homes to the cemetery, turning the funeral into a massive public act of grief and protest. Guayaquil, Ecuador, 1 January 2025
Sandra Mara Siqueira rests with her grandchildren, Micael, Davi, Ana Flávia, and Vitória. Living in the Parque dos Lagos occupation since 2013, the family seeks land regularization to guarantee access to basic infrastructure. Colombo, Paraná, Brazil, 15 November 2025
Doña Paulina Ixpatá Alvarado stands with other Achi women outside a Guatemala City court. That afternoon, three ex-civil defense patrollers were found guilty of rape and crimes against humanity and sentenced to 40 years in prison each. Guatemala City, Guatemala, 30 May 2025.
Officers from the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies clash with demonstrators outside an ICE processing center. The intense summer protests centered on opposing the administration’s escalating mass-deportation agenda. Portland, Oregon, United States, 24 June 2025.
Barnard College alumna Jesse Pearce is arrested outside Columbia University’s commencement ceremony. Along with current students, alumni protested the institution’s ongoing financial ties to Israel. New York City, New York, United States, 21 May 2025.
A female polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard. 82° North, International Waters, 8 July 2025.