The 2025 International Photography Awards has announced its winners, with photographers from around the world earning prestigious recognition for their exceptional work across eleven diverse photography categories. Among the standout winners is Savadmon Avalachamveettil, who captured a rare religious ceremony that occurs only once every 144 years, earning him the Event Photographer of the Year title in the professional category.
Avalachamveettil's winning photograph, titled "MahaKumbh - World's Largest Gathering," documents a sacred moment at India's Kumbh Mela festival, where ash-smeared Naga Sadhus plunged into the sacred Ganges River at dawn. This extraordinary ritual represents one of the most significant religious gatherings in the world, and Avalachamveettil's image captures the spiritual intensity and cultural importance of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
The International Photography Awards, recognized as one of the world's most respected annual photography competitions, welcomed submissions from professional photographers, non-professionals, and students globally. The 2025 winners showcase breathtaking work spanning multiple genres including Editorial, Sports, Architecture, Nature, and Event photography. While the overall International Photographer of the Year (Professional) and Discovery Photographer of the Year (Non-Professional) will be revealed at the upcoming IPA Gala on October 5 at Athens' Benaki Museum, the category winners demonstrate the exceptional talent participating in this year's competition.
Other notable winners include Todd Antony, who earned Sports Photographer of the Year for his dynamic image titled "Buzkashi." Antony's photograph captures the wild and intense traditional sport of Tajikistan and neighboring Central Asian countries. As Antony explained on Instagram, "Buzkashi, meaning 'goat pulling' in Persian, is the wild, mad as a bag of cats sport of Tajikistan and its neighboring 'Stans.' Think polo - but with a headless, eviscerated goat instead of a ball, hundreds of riders, and no formal teams."
In the Editorial/Press Photography category, Abdelrahman Alkahlout's powerful image "Echoes of Genocide: Gaza's Civilian Suffering" earned him the top honor. An IPA jury member commented on the significance of this work, stating: "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 success of this entry lies in its ability to break the viewer's heart."
The non-professional category also showcased remarkable talent. Ilene Meyers won Nature Photographer of the Year for her stunning image "Iowa Storm Cell," which captures the menacing beauty of a storm illuminated by a golden sunset, showcasing a striking contrast between dark and light. Sebastian Piorek earned Editorial/Press Photographer of the Year in the non-professional category for "The overflowing earth," a poignant image that symbolizes the changes human activity forces on the planet.
Mohammad Awadh's minimalist architectural photography earned him Architecture Photographer of the Year in the non-professional division. His image "Icon of Architectural" strips away most color to reveal pure geometric forms and clean lines, with a human figure artfully interrupting the composition to create visual interest and scale.
The International Photography Awards continues to serve as a platform for photographers worldwide to showcase their artistic vision and technical skill. The competition's global reach and prestigious reputation make it a coveted recognition in the photography community. The full collection of winning images is available for viewing on the IPA website, offering inspiration and insight into contemporary photography across multiple genres and skill levels.
