Overall Winners 2026

Growing up without role models can make it difficult to dream or recognise one’s ability to shape the future. This photographic series seeks to create a precedent through collaboration with activists and artists from various Indigenous communities in southern Mexico, particularly from Oaxaca state. Their stories offer a glimpse into the world we are living in, and how their roles and work are generating meaningful impact and change in their communities and beyond. This project is intended to be published as a children’s book, with digital illustrations made by the photographer.

On the ash plains of Mount Yasur, on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, Phillip, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcanologist, stands barefoot atop a volcanic rock bomb. Wearing a lava-protection suit gifted to him by some visiting researchers, the volcano smoulders behind him, sending a plume of gas and sulphur into the sky. Phillip grew up beneath the active volcano, and this portrait captures him in his element.

‘What is the city but the people?’ — William Shakespeare Jubair Ahmed Arnob returns in memory to Green Model Town, Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the rivers, canals, ponds, and fields that once held laughter are now buried under concrete. Over three years, he has photographed disappearing landscapes in a dreamy, surreal style, layering images with memory and emotion. Urbanisation can erase rivers, homes, and joy, yet communities persist. This work carries memory beyond fact, reflecting Dhaka’s transformation while resonating with cities worldwide facing similar losses.

When a fire broke out in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in central Stockholm firefighters worked hard to contain the fire and began transporting art pieces to safety.