International Photography Awards 2025: groundbreaking winners and powerful stories revealed

The International Photography Awards (IPA) proudly unveils the winners of its 2025 Category Awards, honoring remarkable talent across eleven genres of photography. Each category winner receives cash prizes, travel support, and international exposure through exhibitions, screenings, and publication. At the IPA Gala on October 5 at the Benaki Museum in Athens, two grand honors will be revealed: International Photographer of the Year (Professional), awarded a $10,000 prize, and Discovery of the Year (Non-Professional), awarded $5,000. This year’s competition drew thousands of submissions from across the globe, spanning categories from Fine Art to Editorial, Sports to Architecture, Nature to Advertising.

Among the many outstanding winners, several projects drew particular attention from the jury for their power and resonance. Savadmon Avalachamveettil (Event, Professional) captured a once-in-144 years ritual at India’s sacred Kumbh Mela festival, where ash-smeared Naga Sadhus plunged into the Ganges at dawn.

Abdelrahman Alkahlout (Editorial/Press, Professional) presented the series Echoes of Genocide, documenting the devastating toll of the conflict in Gaza. According Alex NG, PhotoNews.hk Publisher and IPA Jury member: “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. 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.”