The World Press Photo 2026 competition has announced its winners, with 42 photographs selected from over 57,000 entries submitted by photographers across 141 countries. The winning images span continents and themes, but several standout photographs from Africa have drawn particular attention for their stark portrayal of conflict, environmental crisis, and human resilience.
Among the African winners is Luis Tato of AFP, who received recognition in the single photograph category for his image capturing Madagascar’s Generation Z protests. The photo shows a student holding a flag emblazoned with the Gen Z symbol, which originates from the Japanese manga One Piece, where pirates oppose corrupt rulers. The image was taken in Antananarivo on October 9, 2025, and reflects youth-led demonstrations against governmental corruption on the island nation.
Another notable African winner comes from Ihsaan Haffeje of GroundUp in South Africa. His photograph depicts a ballerina waiting in the wings of the Soweto Theatre during a final performance on December 7, 2025. The image speaks to the transformation of ballet in South Africa, which during apartheid was exclusively part of white culture. Today, the Joburg Ballet School offers subsidized classes to children from historically disadvantaged communities in Soweto, Alexandra, and Braamfontein.
The series also includes a powerful image by Halden Krog of the Daily Mail, which won in the single photograph category. Taken on October 23, 2025, in Zimbabwe’s Savé Valley, the photo shows professional hunters who had just killed a family of elephants. Zimbabwean authorities authorized the culling of 50 elephants in the reserve last year as part of population regulation efforts, following a previous cull of 200 elephants the year before. Officials state the region can no longer support the growing elephant population, which exacerbates human-wildlife conflict, though conservation organizations dispute this claim.
Completing the African selection is a photograph by Kiana Hayeri of The New York Times, highlighting the plight of Kenyan women seeking work in Saudi Arabia. The image documents how tens of thousands of Kenyan women migrate to Saudi Arabia for domestic work, many facing severe conditions including passport confiscation and wage withholding. One woman featured, Edith Magomere Ingasiani, had to hide her pregnancy to avoid arrest as an unmarried pregnant woman risking detention under Saudi authorities.
The World Press Photo 2026 competition saw participation from 3,747 photographers who submitted a total of 57,376 images. An independent jury selected the 42 winners, continuing a format adopted since 2021 where winners are announced by continent before the global winners are revealed on April 23. The competition maintains three entry categories: single photograph, story of the year, and long-term project.
While the African winners focus on social protest, conservation challenges, cultural transformation, and migration struggles, other continental winners highlighted different global themes. European winners included images of teenagers battling severe anorexia and robot companions providing social support. North American winners featured photographs related to immigration enforcement tensions and climate change activism. South American winners captured scenes ranging from weddings in flooded churches to stories of older mothers giving birth at age 60. Asia-Pacific winners documented everything from flooded churches to the lives of elderly parents.
The full collection of World Press Photo 2026 winners will be available for public viewing following the global winner announcement on April 23. These images serve as a visual record of 2025’s most significant events, capturing both the hardships and hopes shaping communities worldwide.
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