The fortieth AOP Pictures Award winners have been introduced, marking 4 many years of recognising the perfect in images.
This yr’s ceremony, held in London on 9 October 2025, showcased a various mixture of nonetheless and shifting imagery, highlighting each technical expertise and inventive storytelling throughout commissioned, private, and rising work.
In a contemporary world the place AI-generated photographs are more and more frequent, the AOP’s deal with “unique human-authored images” is extra related than ever. As Isabelle Doran, CEO of the Affiliation of Photographers, explains, “Their choice has introduced collectively an electrifying and provocative mixture of nonetheless and shifting imagery that illustrates such a uniquely private perspective and the way our photographers see the world round them. It’s much more poignant within the digital age of AI we discover ourselves in. I’m thrilled to see that such sturdy visible storytelling lives on.”
The awards replicate the complete spectrum {of professional} images, from documentary and vogue to portraiture, sport, and experimental initiatives. This yr additionally marked the introduction of two new business awards: the AOP Manufacturing Award, celebrating excellence in manufacturing, and the AOP Inexperienced Award, recognising environmentally accountable follow.
The class winners are as follows:
Documentary
Gold: Jack Margerison
Silver: Todd Antony
Atmosphere
Gold: Sean Breithaupt
Silver: Greg Funnell
Trend + Magnificence
Gold: Hugh Fox
Silver: Jack Eames
Meals + Drink
Gold: Henrik Knudsen
Silver: Martin Poole
Life-style
Gold: Owen Harvey
Silver: Simon Winnall
Portrait
Gold: Todd Antony
Silver: Hugh Fox
Areas
Gold: Yuki Sugiura
Silver: Dan Burn-Forti
Sport
Gold: David Clerihew
Silver: Tom Parker
Nonetheless Life + Object
Gold: James Day
Silver: Jonathan Knowles
Undertaking
Gold: David Clerihew
Silver: Sebastian Nevols
Finest in Present – Private / Non-commissioned
Winner – Tom Parker
Finest in Present – Commissioned
Winner – James Day
Finest in Transferring Picture
Winner – Lewis Khan
AOP Discovery Award
Winner – Ruben Davies
AOP Open Award
Gold: Owen Harvey
Silver: Jerome Mass
AOP Rising Expertise Award
Gold: Jack Currie
Joint Silver: Ruben Davies
Joint Silver: Safa Malik
Martin Night Excellence in Digital Retouching Award
Winner – Kai Bastard – Unhealthy Begin Studios / now Rock Paper Scissors
For photographers, profitable an AOP Award is about greater than accolades; it’s additionally about visibility, credibility, and recognition from friends. Julia Fullerton-Batten, a number of AOP Awards winner, displays on the importance, “I’ve been getting into the AOP Awards yearly since I used to be an assistant, and I can say with 100% certainty that it’s had an enormous impact on my profession. In a world the place we’re all bombarded with imagery and there appear to be 1000’s of recent photograph competitions, it’s by no means been extra vital to face out and to know which competitions are value getting into. For me, it’s at all times going to be the AOP Awards; it’s the true deal, it’s judged by my friends, and it will get my work seen by the those who rely.”
The awards program continues to champion creativity throughout each side of images. From documentary photographers capturing the realities of our world, to stylists, portraitists, and business creatives shaping up to date visible tradition, the AOP Awards rejoice the human creativeness at its finest.
Forty years on, the AOP Awards stay a benchmark for skilled excellence, proving that regardless of technological shifts, images is, and can at all times be, in regards to the folks behind the digital camera. See the complete winners gallery on the official AOP Awards web site.
