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2026 World Press Photo Contest
2026 World Press Photo Contest
April 10, 2026
A Desperate Plea
© Tyrone Siu, Reuters
Compiled from a total of 57,376 images entered by 3,747 photographers from 141 countries, the regional winners of this year’s World Press Photo Contest offer broad perspectives and intimate insights into the human impact of conflicts and crises around the world. Yet they also capture resistance, resilience, and hidden traditions – addressing both major global events and stories that may easily be overlooked.
The preliminary selection comprises winners from six global regions, chosen in the categories of Singles, Stories, and Long-Term Projects. Among them is US-American photographer Ethan Swope, whose series Los Angeles on Fire was selected in the Stories category (North and Central America region). Argentinian photographer Pablo E. Piovano, who often shoots with a Leica, was recognised for his long-term project, The Human Cost of Agrotoxins, focusing on the devastating impact of agricultural pesticides in his home country. The regional winner in the Africa/Singles category is Iranian-Canadian photographer Kiana Hayeri, who also frequently works with a Leica. She was chosen for her portrait Children Who Do Not Exist – highlighting the fate of Kenyan women who migrate to Saudi Arabia for domestic work. In the Singles category of the Asia-Pacific and Oceania region, Edwina Pickles was recognised for her image taken right after the terror attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025.
The World Press Photo of the Year – chosen from the pool of regional winners – will be announced on April 23, 2026. This is followed by the World Press Photo Exhibition 2026, showcased at the De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam until September 27, 2026. LFI will be present during the Award Days in Amsterdam, conducting portfolio reviews.
Katrin UllmannThe preliminary selection comprises winners from six global regions, chosen in the categories of Singles, Stories, and Long-Term Projects. Among them is US-American photographer Ethan Swope, whose series Los Angeles on Fire was selected in the Stories category (North and Central America region). Argentinian photographer Pablo E. Piovano, who often shoots with a Leica, was recognised for his long-term project, The Human Cost of Agrotoxins, focusing on the devastating impact of agricultural pesticides in his home country. The regional winner in the Africa/Singles category is Iranian-Canadian photographer Kiana Hayeri, who also frequently works with a Leica. She was chosen for her portrait Children Who Do Not Exist – highlighting the fate of Kenyan women who migrate to Saudi Arabia for domestic work. In the Singles category of the Asia-Pacific and Oceania region, Edwina Pickles was recognised for her image taken right after the terror attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025.
The World Press Photo of the Year – chosen from the pool of regional winners – will be announced on April 23, 2026. This is followed by the World Press Photo Exhibition 2026, showcased at the De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam until September 27, 2026. LFI will be present during the Award Days in Amsterdam, conducting portfolio reviews.
A Desperate Plea
© Tyrone Siu, Reuters
Children Who Do Not Exist
© Kiana Hayeri, for The New York Times
Bondi Beach Terror Attack
© Edwina Pickles, The Sydney Morning Herald
Los Angeles on Fire
© Ethan Swope, for Associated Press
The Human Cost of Agrotoxins
© Pablo E. Piovano, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, Philip Jones Griffiths Foundation, Lawen.doc