These amazing images showcase contemporary photography at its finest – and just won big at BIFA 2025

The winners of the Budapest International Foto Awards 2025 (BIFA) have just been announced, and this year's selection is as visually striking as it is emotionally powerful.

From abstract visual poetry and explorations of identity, to photographs that bring us face-to-face with intimate human stories, the BIFA 2025 proves – yet again – the transformative power of contemporary photography.

IBIFA continues to grow as one of Europe's most respected photo competitions, spotlighting emerging and established talent, and building a bridge between Budapest's vibrant art scene and the global photography community. The competition honors those who use the camera as a tool for storytelling, advocacy, and artistic exploration.

This year's top honor, Photographer of the Year, went to Chrissie Hall for her project Layers of the Kaleidoscope Qween, earning $3,000 prize and the prestigious BIFA trophy. The title Discovery of the Year in the Student/ Amateur division was awarded to Ágnes Dudás for Graphite Pencil Drawing Drafts, along with a $2,000 prize and trophy.

The 1st and 2nd place Category Winners, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in each of the competition’s categories, and Honorable Mentions from across both professional and amateur entries are now live on the BIFA website. You'll find an incredible variety of casual voices, inspiration, and maybe even your next favorite photographer.

POTY / DOTY

Photographer of the Year

Professional Photography
Category: Book
Layers of the Kaleidoscope Qween by Chrissie Hall

Kaleidoscope Qween. A celebration of transformation and self-expression, the 242-page book is the culmination of a 15-year creative collaboration between Hall and her muse, Charly. Through a fusion of film, paint, mixed media, and character-driven storytelling, Layers of the Kaleidoscope Qween captures the spirit of every Qween who has refused to conform.

Discovery of the Year

Amateur/ Student Photography
Category: Fine Art
Graphite Pencil Drawing Drafts by Ágnes Dudás

Dudás explores the connection between painting, drawing, and photography, using crumpled foil and light to create the illusion of a graphite sketch. "By this picture, I tried to bring these two forms of art closer to each other,” she explains. "The girl’s figure standing behind the foil appears almost drawn, shaped by light and shadow."

CATEGORY WINNERS

Nature

Professional Photography
Moravian Tuscany by Peter Cech

"Moravian Tuscany is a photogenic landscape west and southwest of the Moravian town of Kyjov of Czech republic. The agriculturally managed, undulating area of the Kyjov Hills offers photographically interesting views of the open landscape of fields and solitary trees."

Analog / Film

Professional Photography
Intimate Portrait by Stefano Bernardoni

"Intimate Portraits contemplates human presence not as an identity to be defined, but as an emotional trace that lingers in the air. Predominantly female, the figures are rarely, if ever, fully unveiled; they withhold their personal narratives, offering instead a resonance that feels both universal and deeply human."

Special

Amateur/ Student Photography
A Spring Snow Night in Tokyo by Hideyuki Iwata

"In central Tokyo, early cherry blossoms bloom under rare spring snow. On this weekday night, office workers passed quickly, unaware of the fleeting beauty. I used no flash—so as not to draw attention from those in the frame—relying instead on city lights and a 1/400 sec shutter to preserve the shape of falling snow."

Editorial

Amateur/ Student Photography
Always Children, Always Friends by João Coelho

"The dump where they were born and live is the only world they know. Since sunrise, they work with their parents, scavenging through garbage heaps for food, clothing, and iron to sell. Though forced to become adults at an early age, they have never stopped being children. They have learned to have fun with simple things."

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