The World Photo Annual awards our most prestigious honor of Photographer of the Year to outstanding, distinctive photographers.

World Photo Annual

International Photographer of the Year

North Korea is shaped by strict design and order, but everyday life still appears in small gestures and quiet routines. This series captures the persistence of humanity within a controlled world built to guide movement and shape identity.

refocus-lukegram-northkorea_4-1763084613

refocus-lukegram-northkorea_1-1763084606

refocus-lukegram-northkorea_2-1763084608

refocus-lukegram-northkorea_3-1763084611

refocus-lukegram-northkorea_5-1763084616

Humanity Within the Architecture of Control

Luke Gram

Canada

refocus-lg-2-1763085405

Photographer of the Year

An abstract aerial photo of a mine in the goldfields region of Western Australia.

refocus-gray-mark_bonsai-1755430542

Bonsai

Mark Gray

Australia

refocus-127237116_202193048011985_4637986963442200293_n-1755431641

Silver

This abstract series is about the miniature landscapes of succulents. It's about compelling lines that highlight the delicate ridges and textured surfaces of these hearty plants, showcasing their beauty and resilience.

refocus-contour-iii_maria-marriott-1761950276

refocus-contour-ii_maria-marriott-1761950273

refocus-contour-i_maria-marriott-1761950282

refocus-quil-on-paper-marriott-1761950279

Intimate Succulents

Maria Marriott

United States of America

refocus-mz93304-1727210156

Bronze

A study in chiaroscuro, The Breath Between explores the instant between motion and stillness — where light unveils the quiet grace of form and the living pulse within it. It is the breath where power softens into harmony, and spirit becomes visible through shadow.

refocus-dsc1237-bw-1761677169

refocus-dsc1264-bw-1761677173

refocus-dsc1393-1761677176

refocus-dsc1478-1761677181

refocus-dsc1426-bw-2-1761677178

The Breath Between

Bill Pack

refocus-bill-1-sized-2-1764773545

This series explores the biggest waves in the Pacific Ocean during the most powerful swells to reach Hawaiʻi in decades. Venturing into the sky enabled me to capture the raw intensity of these historic phenomena, and the spiritual echoes they left behind from waves the size of five-story buildings.

refocus-sea-spirits-cody-roberts-1758649357

refocus-love-overflowing-cody-roberts-1758649349

refocus-divine-breath-cody-roberts-1758649338

refocus-whispers-of-the-deep-cody-roberts-1758649525

refocus-seraphim-cody-roberts-1758649364

Spirits of the Sea

Cody Roberts

refocus-cody-roberts-hawaii-fine-art-photographer-1683222783

People’s Vote Award

In this composition, form and shadow merge into a quiet dialogue. The clean geometry and delicate tonal gradients invite the viewer to pause, to hear the silence between shapes, and to sense the calm precision of space.

refocus-crown-of-silence-1755016382

Crown of Silence

Thomas de Franzoni

Italy

refocus-img_20250319_113613-copia-1744956229

This image was shot as part of the "Worth Every Scent" story for LCBO Food & Drink Magazine, Spring 2025.

Art Director: Cathy Cicchini 
Photographer: Maya Visnyei
Food Stylist: Christopher St. Onge
Prop Stylist: Andrea McCrindle

refocus-mv_2421_fdm_cardomomrhubarbsidecar-1762795776

Cardamom Rhubarb Sidecar

Maya Visnyei

refocus-img_8507_a-bw-1762795371

Marketing image for Sterling Oyster Company

refocus-urs-buhlman_punt-1758513371

Loaded Oyster Punt

Urs Buhlman

refocus-urs-buhlman-head-shot-1758515131

refocus-refocus-runade-1762784238

Blueberry Madness

Jorge Delgado

Ecuador

refocus-jdt_4429-refocus-1764167867

Norlan Whisky Glass, plunged into water, lit in a neon electric high tech fashion

refocus-norlan-plunge-1755486467

Norlan Plunge

Gary Stasiuk

refocus-dscf_13862_gary_1000-1755487160

This a collection of photos taken with aerial perspectives from Vietnam. Each photo captures the beauty and intricacy of landscapes and patterns, inviting viewers to experience the world through a fresh and elevated lens.

refocus-mjaziz-1-1758569280

refocus-mjaziz-2-1758569283

refocus-mjaziz-3-1758569284

refocus-mjaziz-4-1758569286

refocus-mjaziz-5-1758569288

Above the Horizon

Marie Juliette Aziz

Mexico

refocus-img_6990-1749011166

refocus-25nl-ericlee-02-1758626164

Golden Dragon of the River

Eric Lee Chin Chuan

Malaysia

refocus-erl07376-edit-edit-edit-1766015971

Aerial photo taken in New Mexico. A service drone approaches a wind power generator soaring above the clouds. The photo reminds me of the majesty in our ability to conquer great technological feats. From the wind turbine to the inspection drone, it sometimes feels like we live in another world.

refocus-newmex_2024_wesc_hi-res-1758666999

Giants amongst the clouds

Wesley Campbell

refocus-wesleycampbell_biopic-1764167054

Where silence ends and thunder begins.
A single moment frozen in flight.

refocus-sj-breach-2-1755650607

Breach

Jarrod Saw

refocus-profile-1-1766022972

A single curved frame opens onto a void, reducing architecture to its purest gesture. Light and shadow become equal players, and the empty center becomes the most powerful subject of all.

refocus-geometry-of-solitude-1755016517

Geometry of Solitude

Behind every closed door lies a secret story.

refocus-behind-closed-doors-1763277425

Behind Closed Doors

Maruša Puhek

Austria

refocus-img_1814-copy_edited-1765905027

An abstract glimpse into urban density — thousands of lives stacked within repeating patterns of glass and concrete. Between symmetry and suffocation, humanity disappears into architecture. A silent monument to modern isolation. (Twin Towers HONG KONG  2014)

refocus-groepper_refocus_2025_2000px-22-1761681086

“Symphony of Isolation”

Stefan Groepper

Germany

refocus-sg_portrait-1765991086