AWARDS 2025 Oct 2025

Title: Buzkashi Battle

Location: Tajikistan

''Buzkashi, meaning “goat pulling” in Persian, is the wild, brutal sport of Tajikistan and its neighboring countries. Think polo - but with a headless, eviscerated goat instead of a ball, hundreds of riders, and no formal teams. Rooted in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia and played for hundreds of years, riders, or chapandaz, battle for control of the goat while dodging rivals (and the occasional whip or elbow) in scenes reminiscent of a Napoleonic battle painting. The rule book is less of a book and closer to a couple of sentences, with the match often overflowing into the fleeing crowd (something I can testify to first hand) games can last for hours until one rider hauls the goat across a hay-marked goal line in the dirt. Once a pastime of the steppes, Buzkashi is now a beloved spectacle at festivals and major gatherings such as weddings.''

Title: Winged Muse

"Part fantasy, part rebellion, Winged Muse is an ode to the makeup artist as visionary. This piece captures the moment where beauty transcends cosmetics and steps into the realm of storytelling.

With wings delicately painted across the face, the work blurs the line between human and myth, daring the viewer to see makeup not as surface decoration but as a language of transformation. At its core, Winged Muse is a celebration of artistic courage. The wings are more than ornament; they are symbols of freedom, defiance, and creative flight. They whisper to every makeup artist: take risks, push boundaries, and step beyond the predictable.

In this piece, the face becomes both canvas and stage, a space where imagination can unfold without apology. Makeup artistry has always existed at the intersection of beauty and identity, but Winged Muse invites us to consider it as rebellion too. It reminds us that makeup can challenge conventions, shift perceptions, and carry powerful narratives. To paint wings across a face is to declare that there are no limits, only possibilities."

Title: The Tooth Fairy

Location: OMS Photo Cincinnati, Ohio  

"This photograph depicts a close-up of the subject, Joey, holding a black Marvis toothbrush between her teeth. Both her upper teeth and the toothbrush are decorated with colorful rhinestones and star-shaped gems for a playful effect. Shot in studio with a beauty dish, the lighting is glowy and even, highlighting the sparkle of the gems as well as the metallic Marvis logo across the toothbrush handle.

The final image is colorful, fun, and a little surreal - taking something as ordinary as a toothbrush and transforming it into something whimsical.

Joey brought the tooth gems with her to the shoot, and I was instantly inspired by the idea that her teeth were so clean they sparkled like gems. We took turns applying them to her teeth and the toothbrush, which made the process highly collaborative. Much of the shoot was filled with laughter - especially since Joey had to keep her mouth open for long stretches or the gems would slip off. What I love about this image is how it mirrors what I admire in Marvis as a brand: taking something standard and elevating it into something unexpected and joyful."

Delaney McQuown is represented by OMS Photo.

Title: Station

"The photo shows the entrance to the Oriente Station in the Portuguese capital, designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

This avant-garde building, whose façade appears in the photo, was designed by Calatrava and inaugurated in 1998 for the World's Fair held in Lisbon that year."

Title: Don't Look Up

Location: Shoaei Studio, Hamburg

“Don’t Look Up highlights what I love about beauty photography: real skin, strong expression, and the artistry of makeup without losing natural texture. The upward gaze feels unconventional, it avoids direct eye contact yet pulls the viewer in with force. The focus is on authenticity rather than heavy perfection, celebrating beauty that feels powerful, modern and human. For me, this portrait is about confidence and presence in simplicity. 

I’m very grateful for this recognition and would like to thank the jury and my team for making this possible.''

Location: Spain

''The title image was created as a teaser visual for the global campaign of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, produced in collaboration with the creatives Amadeus Weineck and Matthew Page from the advertising agency The Game.

It served as the teaser for the entire campaign, which included more than 120 assets from out-of-home visuals and social media content to press shots - all produced in collaboration with Sterntag Berlin under an all-in-one production approach.

The winning image was shot on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain, at a beautiful, rounded house located in the hills. We developed the idea of positioning the car behind movable structures to create intriguing teaser visuals that would introduce the upcoming campaign.''

Title: Geothermal Engineer

''It was a freezing cold morning which amplified the steam at the geothermal vents we were shooting. I grabbed hundred images of our engineer as she worked in the swirling mist, backlit by the winter sun.

Sometimes you have to go to the ends of the earth to capture the best imagery; intrepid journeys to remote work sites in harsh conditions. Sometimes you do. Sometimes you don't... It was 7:30 am on a cold, clear morning in sunny Lake Taupo, New Zealand. I had just been handed a flat white and a delicious looking almond croissant by our shoot producer, when Gabby, our geo-engineer appeared heroically through the swirling mist. She was beautifully backlit by the low sun, with clouds of steam aglow against the darkened backdrop. A perfect image revealed before me. This was to be one of life’s hard choices: grab the photo... or grab the croissant? As any true professional would, I grabbed both.''

Title: Luminous Solitude                          

Location: Atlantis Dunes, Western Cape, SA

''Amidst a surreal white desert, a visual narrative of contrasts unfolds: "Divas of Africa" is a black-and-white photography series that captures the strength and grace of Black women in a minimalistic, almost otherworldly setting. Stefan Gröpper’sphotographs merge fashion, physicality, and the raw beauty of nature into a poetic visual language.  

The sun carves sharply defined silhouettes, transforming bodies into living sculptures. Flowing fabrics, feathers, and sculptural shapes are not mere embellishments but visual manifestations of power and vulnerability. Fashion becomes both armor and liberation – a delicate interplay between revealing and concealing.  

With this series, Stefan Gröpper creates a sensual, timeless interpretation of aesthetics and expression – an encounter between fashion, art, and the pure force of nature. Minimalist yet opulent, raw yet refined. The desert becomes the stage for a new kind of elegance – an elegance that is not only seen but felt.  

"Divas of Africa" is more than an aesthetic study. It is a visual ode to femininity, self-determination, and cultural heritage.''

Title: Martini Sunset

Location: RGB Digital Ltd Studios, London, UK

''Martini Sunset reimagines the classic Martini through the warmth and romance of a setting sun. The aim was to highlight the drink’s iconic elegance while bringing an unexpected sense of movement and drama. By freezing liquid in mid-air, the image reveals sculptural shapes that the human eye would never normally perceive, organic, fleeting forms suspended in time.''

Title: British Summer Time

Location: United Kingdom

''This image for me sums up for me, how much we can learn from children. A moment of pure joy, from the simplicity of a hot day and a sprinkler. ''

Title: Suspended In Youth

Location : Tulbagh, Western Cape, South Africa

''As most caught moments in life, that are generally unplanned, this was one of those. My partner and I took a trip to South Africa. My Motherland. This was New Year’s Day. We woke up early and went for a hike into the Mountains. We were alone for a good few hours swimming in these rock pools before about 10 local kids made their way there. 

I had my camera, they had their joy for life. We all swam and hung out together, talking about the new year ahead. We froze their joyful moments forever. Fearless and content.

Always grateful for these moments in life. To connect with people and nature in ways you least expect.

This was a beautiful reminder to never forget to connect with the inner child. They're always ready to play.''

Title: Helena Norowicz - Life starts many times

Location: Warsaw, Poland, Karol Tchorek’s sculpture studio

''I met Helena Norowicz - a theatre actress almost 10 years ago. I was just starting my career in fashion photography industry and so was she… I was 22 years old photographer and Helena was 82 years old fashion model. For both of us it was an exciting project. Helena supported me along the way, came to my exhibition later and we started an extraordinary friendship. This year I reconnected with her. She didn’t change at all. I feel blessed to meet someone like her.''

Title: Pink Tubes 


Location: Basement Studios 


''In this picture I saw an hourglass created by the two tubes. Keeping it simple and letting the product speak for itself. With the help of the light I wanted to create a roughness in the metal to make it a juxtaposition with the smooth calmness of the slow drip créme.  


Huge thanks to Ria Del Rosario at Holly Corbett for styling and Parsley Studio for retouching.''

Title: Sharjah

Location: Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates

"This photograph was taken on a warm May morning in 2025, just after sunrise on the coast of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates. Earlier, we had been photographing a group of teenage boys riding their Arabian horses at full speed along the beach, rearing, racing, and showing off their wild energy. Once the saddles came off, the boys led their horses into the sea to cool down.

In this frame, I captured a fleeting moment of play, one boy balancing on the back of his horse in the shallows, silhouetted against the rising sun. 

Just after this shot, he front-flipped into the water. The combination of golden light, movement, and raw spontaneity gives the photograph a sense of freedom and timelessness, one of those rare moments I knew would be special the instant I pressed the shutter."

Connor Langford is represented by NM Productions.

Title: The Caravaggio Girl  

Location: Paris  

''Dressed in a knitted Balmain couture piece, she stands at the edge of light, echoing the dramatic chiaroscuro of Caravaggio, where shadow holds as much weight as illumination. Though simple, this portrait became a cornerstone in shaping my photographic style.    Elizabeth Wood was the very first model I photographed, and in this image, she entrusted me with embodying her as a modern-day samurai.''