From a polar bear on a dead whale to socializing with a robot, these World Press Photo award winners create “urgent portrait of our world today”

A female polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard. 82° North, International Waters, 8 July 2025 — In this winning photo by Roie Galitz, a polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass amid ice drifts (Image credit: © Roie Galitz / World Press Photo)

Photographs tell stories that cross language barriers – and the 2026 World Press Photo Contest winners tell the stories of conflict and crisis as well as resistance and resilience.

World Press Photo has announced the winners for the 2026 competition, which recognizes some of the most striking photographs across photojournalism and documentary photography. The contest recognizes photographers across single images, multi-photo stories, and long-term projects across six regions.

The resulting gallery is a collection of more than 100 winning images that create, as the contest organizers describe it, “an urgent portrait of our world today.” World Press Photo will select one Photo of the Year and two finalists from among the award winners on April 23.

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“This is a critical moment – for democracy, for truth, for the question of what we as a society are willing to see and call out what we are willing to ignore,” said the contest’s global jury chair for 2026 and Harvard Shorenstein Center fellow Kira Pollack. “The photographers recognized here have done their part. They have made their record. Now it is our turn to look.”

Nearly 3,750 photographers from 141 countries submitted entries to the contests, totalling more than 57,000 photographs.

As a photographer, I’m always awed at the power of photographs to tell stories without words. But the winning images from the 2026 contest tell not just the stories of the world, but the stories of the photographers who persevered through challenging environments.

One photographer watched a polar bear atop a dead sperm whale for two days from a boat. Another has been documenting how war, extremism, and displacement have been denying children the right to education across multiple countries since 2011.

These are some of the most striking images – and stories – from the World Press Photo Contest 2026…

Africa

**Sundan's War: A Nation Trapped, Abdulmonam Eassa, Stories:** A soldier descends from a building as fighting continues. Frontline images like this are rare, due to heavily restricted access for journalists. Omdurman, Sudan, 1 November 2024 (Image credit: © Abdulmonam Eassa, for Le Monde / World Press Photo)

Awady, who was born with asthma, raises pigeons as a hobby. &ldquo;Every day, I am afraid I won&rsquo;t be able to play football again,&rdquo; he says. Alexandria, Egypt, 14 February 2018. — **Moon Dust, Mohamed Mahdy, Long-Term Project:** "Awady, who was born with asthma, raises pigeons as a hobby. 'Every day, I am afraid I won’t be able to play football again,' he says. Alexandria, Egypt, 14 February 2018." The long-term project follows a community facing toxic dust from a cement factory. (Image credit: © Mohamed Mahdy, Arab Documentary Photography Program / World Press Photo)

**Children Who Do Not Exsist, Kiana Hayeri, Singles:** "Edith Magomere Ingasiani and her daughter Blessings Iminza (9), at their home. Blessings was born in Saudi Arabia without a birth certificate." (Image credit: © Kiana Hayeri, for The New York Times / World Press Photo)

**Joburg Ballet School, Ihsaan Haffejee, Singles: "**Young dancers from the Joburg Ballet School backstage at the Soweto Theatre during their year-end performance. Soweto, South Africa, 7 December 2025." (Image credit: © Ihsaan Haffejee, for GroundUp / World Press Photo)

Asia-Pacific and Oceania

**Mountain Resident of Wangland by Rob G. Green, Singles: "**A wild giant panda is captured by a camera trap in the Wanglang National Nature Reserve. Sichuan, China, 11 November 2025." (Image credit: © Rob G. Green, National Geographic Society, Henry Luce Foundation / World Press Photo)

Mr Wong cries out in anguish as fire engulfs the Tai Po housing complex he calls home. Moments earlier, he phoned his wife, who was trapped in the building, and they exchanged their final words — **A Desperate Plea by Tyrone Siu, Singles:** "Mr Wong cries out in anguish as fire engulfs the Tai Po housing complex he calls home. Moments earlier, he phoned his wife, who was trapped in the building, and they exchanged what would be their final words. Hong Kong, 26 November 2025." (Image credit: © Tyrone Siu, Reuters / World Press Photo)

Zhizhi and Huihui carry their father&rsquo;s portrait during his funeral procession. Wu Jingzhou passed away in late 2022, leaving the 72-year-old Sheng Hailin to raise their teenage daughters alone — **Motherhood at 60, Wu Fang, Long-Term Project:** "Zhizhi and Huihui carry their father’s portrait during his funeral procession. Wu Jingzhou passed away in late 2022, leaving the 72-year-old Sheng Hailin to raise their teenage daughters alone. Hefei, Anhui Province, China, 8 December 2022." The long-term project follows a family over 15 years, telling the story of a woman who chose to become a mother again at age 60 through IVF after her only child died (Image credit: © Wu Fang / World Press Photo)

The newlyweds share a kiss as guests cheer. The couple have been together for ten years. According to Verdillo, &ldquo;This is just one of the struggles that we&rsquo;ve overcome.&rdquo; — **Wedding in the Flood, Aaron Favila, Stories:** "When Typhoon Wipha hit the Philippines and flooded Barasoain Church, Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar faced a difficult decision: should they cancel their wedding or proceed with the marriage? The couple carried on despite high waters, a testament to love and resilience in the face of severe weather. Located on a delta, Bulacan province is vulnerable to more frequent and extreme floods caused by aging drainage systems, dredging projects, overextraction of groundwater, and climate change." (Image credit: © Aaron Favila, Associated Press / World Press Photo)

Europe

**Russian Attack on Kyiv, Evgeniy Maloletka, Singles:** "Valeria Syniuk (65) sits near her badly damaged home. She was asleep when a Russian missile destroyed the building opposite hers. Kyiv, Ukraine, 24 April 2025." (Image credit: © Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press / World Press Photo)

A female polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard. 82&deg; North, International Waters, 8 July 2025 — **Polar Bear on Sperm Whale, Roie Galitz, Singles:** "A female polar bear feeds on a sperm whale carcass in the polar pack ice north of the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard. 82° North, International Waters, 8 July 2025" (Image credit: © Roie Galitz / World Press Photo)

**Emma the Social Robot, Paula Hornickel, Singles:** "Waltraud talks with Emma, a social robot that recognizes faces and remembers past conversations. Though skeptical at first, Waltraud says she felt connected to Emma over time." (Image credit: © Paula Hornickel / World Press Photo)

A man fights a wildfire with a branch in Cualedro, Spain. When resources are stretched, residents use whatever is available to extinguish flames, including branches, farming tools, and water hoses — **Burned Land, Brais Lorenzo, Stories:** "A man fights a wildfire with a branch in Cualedro. When resources are stretched, residents use whatever is available to extinguish flames, including branches, farming tools, and water hoses." (Image credit: © Brais Lorenzo, EFE, Revista 5W, El País / World Press Photo)

North and Central America

A woman is led in shackles through the Jacob Javits building&rsquo;s 10th floor. A 2025 injunction required ICE to improve &ldquo;deplorable&rdquo; conditions at this facility — **Ice Arrests at New York Court, Carol Guzy, Stories:** "A woman is led in shackles through the Jacob Javits building’s 10th floor. A 2025 injunction required ICE to improve 'deplorable' conditions at this facility." (Image credit: © Carol Guzy, ZUMA Press, iWitness, for Miami Herald / World Press Photo)

Officers from the DHS and other agencies clash with demonstrators outside an ICE processing center. The intense summer protests centered on opposing the administration&rsquo;s escalating mass deportation — **Portland Protests ICE, Jan Sonnenmair, Singles:** "Officers from the DHS and other agencies clash with demonstrators outside an ICE processing center. The intense summer protests centered on opposing the administration’s escalating mass deportation" (Image credit: © Jan Sonnenmair / World Press Photo)

Barnard College alumna Jesse Pearce is arrested outside Columbia University&rsquo;s commencement ceremony. Along with current students, alumni protested the institution&rsquo;s ongoing financial ties to Israel. — **Columbia University Pro-Palestine Protests, Alex Kent, Singles:** "Barnard College alumna Jesse Pearce is arrested outside Columbia University’s commencement ceremony. Along with current students, alumni protested the institution’s ongoing financial ties to Israel." (Image credit: © Alex Kent, for The New York Times / World Press Photo)

**Los Angeles on Fire,** **Ethan Swope, Stories:** "A man walks past a business ruined by fire. The Eaton Fire heavily impacted working-class neighborhoods, where many underinsured homeowners now face gentrification and displacement." (Image credit: © Ethan Swope, for Associated Press / World Press Photo)

South America

Police detain Father Jorge &ldquo;Chueco&rdquo; Romero during a pensioners&rsquo; protest. Members of the &ldquo;Opci&oacute;n por los Pobres&rdquo; (Option for the Poor) clergy have joined weekly demonstrations against pension freezes — **Milei’s Argentina, Tadeo Bourbon, Singles:** "Police detain Father Jorge 'Chueco' Romero during a pensioners’ protest. Members of the 'Opción por los Pobres' (Option for the Poor) clergy have joined weekly demonstrations against pension freezes." (Image credit: © Tadeo Bourbon, for Revista Mu / World Press Photo)

Valeria (5) plays behind a curtain at her aunt&rsquo;s house. She is raised solely by her mother. In her region, 30% of households are headed exclusively by women — **Name the Absence, Ferley A. Ospina, Stories:** "Valeria (5) plays behind a curtain at her aunt’s house. She is raised solely by her mother. In her region, 30% of households are headed exclusively by women." (Image credit: World Press Photo)

Maribella Alexandra Duarte (centre) was born with congenital malformations. Her family lives 30 meters from soybean fields. Entre R&iacute;os, Argentina, 22 November 2014. — **The Human Cost of Agrotoxins, Pablo E. Piovano, Long-Term Project:** "Maribella Alexandra Duarte (centre) was born with congenital malformations. Her family lives 30 meters from soybean fields. Entre Ríos, Argentina, 22 November 2014." (Image credit: © Pablo E. Piovano, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation, Philip Jones Griffiths Foundation, Lawen.doc / World Press Photo)

West, Central, and South Asia

**Hijacked Education,** **Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Long-Term Project:** "Girls attend an informal open-air school in Chaparhar District. The ban on girls attending school continues to undermine the right to education, affecting nearly 2.2 million students." The photographer has been telling this story with his photos since 2012. (Image credit: © Diego Ibarra Sánchez / World Press Photo)

**Nepal’s Gen Z Uprising, Narendra Shrestha, Singles:** "Fire and smoke engulf Singha Durbar after protesters stormed and set the government complex alight during violent demonstrations. Kathmandu, Nepal, 9 September 2025" (Image credit: © Narendra Shrestha, EPA Images /World Press Photo)

Palestinians climb onto an aid truck as it enters the Gaza Strip via the Zikim Crossing in an attempt to get flour, during what the Israeli military called a &ldquo;tactical suspension&rdquo; in operations — **Aid Emergency in Gaza, Saber Nuraldin, Singles:** "Palestinians climb onto an aid truck as it enters the Gaza Strip via the Zikim Crossing in an attempt to get flour, during what the Israeli military called a 'tactical suspension' in operations." (Image credit: © Saber Nuraldin, EPA Images / World Press Photo)

Find the full gallery of winning images at World Press Photo.