The 500px Global Photography Awards celebrate the photographers whose creativity, technical mastery, and storytelling defined the year. After reviewing thousands of powerful submissions from around the world, we are proud to present the winners of the 2025 Awards, a remarkable group of artists whose work stood out for impact, originality, and excellence.
This year’s Awards were judged across five categories: Architecture, Animal, Landscape, Portrait, and Real Stories with two winners recognized in each category: Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice. These winners represent the strongest individual images across the competition.
From within this extraordinary group, two creators earned the highest honors of the entire Awards: 500px Photographer of the Year and Popular Photographer of the Year, selected for overall excellence and for exceptional community resonance.
Read on to explore every winning image and discover who earned the top titles of 2025.
Judges’ Choice Category Winners
Architecture
Winner: Louis-Philippe Provost
Title: The Path
The unique architectural elements of the National Holocaust Monument of Canada, particularly its angled concrete walls, create a powerful space for reflection on one of the darkest chapters in human history. For me, the path leading up the stairs symbolizes the journey of grief, leading toward hope for understanding, remembrance, and a brighter future.
Judge: Branden May
Street and architecture photographer with a dramatic, contrast-driven style
“This image commands attention through sculptural geometry, masterful tonal control, and a perfectly balanced perspective that transforms raw concrete into a strikingly poetic architectural composition.”
Animal
Winner: Lukas Trixl
Title: Wild Fur Seal
This image was taken in Kaikoura, New Zealand where I found a fur seal colony near the beach. I decided to return at sunrise to capture this beautiful animal in golden light.
Judge: Ryo Utsunomiya
500px Ambassador blending wildlife and conceptual narrative
“This photograph demonstrates a keen understanding of light. Side lighting outlines the fur seal and the surrounding rocks beautifully. A calm, dignified moment captured with impressive balance and natural elegance.”
Landscape
Winner: Nathan Wirth
Title: Quiet
A small, solitary tree sits on a hill in Marin County, California– as if it is witnessing the silence of a bird flying through the light that is breaking through storm clouds.
Judge: Agnieszka Wieczorek
Travel photographer and mentor known for vibrant cultural storytelling
“Minimal in composition yet emotionally strong. The image relies on contrast, atmosphere, and restraint to convey tension and mood within the landscape.”
Portrait
Winner: GZ Miimaa
Title: Queen
This is how Mongolian women styled their hair until the early 19th century. Creating this hairstyle took considerable time, and they would often invite a close, trusted woman to their home to help style it.
Judge: Natascia Mercurio
Portrait photographer exploring emotional nuance and human expression
“A dominant, unforgettable portrait. Meticulously composed and rich in mood, whose quiet authority sets the benchmark for the entire series.”
Real Stories
Winner: Roberto Pazzi
Title: Kissing the Sun
Mundari child cleaning the horns of a bull with a mixture of mud and water (South Sudan). The Mundari are cattle herders who live in symbiosis with their Ankole Watusi cattle, characterized by their large horns. In a cattle camp, kids are doing most of the daily work. The children with few guardinas are sleeping on the ground with the cows.
Judge: Krid Karnsomdee
500px Ambassador known for minimalist, geometric imagery
“I love this photo because it depicts a lifestyle that is hard to come by today. Shot in South Sudan, the backlighting is excellent, the subject is clear enough to reveal the textures of the mud and dirt. The environment tells a deeper story about responsibility and resilience.”
Click here to view all finalists who reached the final round of judging.
People’s Choice Winners
Selected by our global community on PULSEpx, these images captured the hearts of photographers and viewers alike.
Architecture: lukasz_de_83
Title: “Sluishuis”
When I was in Amsterdam near the Sluishuis building, I noticed that the reflection of the building in the water created the illusion of a fish eating. I was lucky with the conditions and a spectacular sky during sunrise.
Animal: uggetheexplorer
Title: Guardian of the Canopy
A portrait of Sri Lanka’s endemic hump-nosed lizard in the Sinharaja Rainforest.Perfectly camouflaged and motionless, it survives through patience rather than power. An ancient species guarding the silence of the canopy.
Landscape: hannahmarlenephoto
Title: Alpine Mirror
I took this image during a beautiful hike in the French Alps last September. While I was waiting for the sunset at this pristine alpine lake, nature began to put on a show. The clouds and mountain peaks started to glow in warm orange hues and the lake reavealed this stunning reflection.
Portrait: zamira
Title: Gift
The portrait of South African boy from Johannesburg.
Real Stories: flavio_souza_cruz
Title: “INSEPARABLE BOND”
This photo was taken in the hinterland of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It records this enchanting moment in which two brothers watched me through a window of an old rural house.
Across all categories and thousands of votes, two photographers captured the highest recognition of the entire competition.
500px Photographer of the Year
GZ Miimaa
GZ Miimaa’s portfolio showcases an exceptional command of portraiture and cultural storytelling. His work highlights the quiet power of human connection, rendered with striking mood, clarity, and control. This refined, emotionally rich body of work earned him the title of 500px Photographer of the Year, a well-deserved recognition of his artistic excellence.
View GZ Miimaa profile on 500px
Popular Photographer of the Year
uggetheexplorer
Earning the highest number of votes across the entire competition, uggetheexplorer has been named Popular Photographer of the Year. Their wildlife imagery captivated the global community on PULSEpx, resonating with viewers for its atmosphere, emotion, and immersive storytelling. This title reflects the strong connection their work built with photographers and fans around the world.
View uggetheexplorer profile on PULSEpx
Awards & Prizes
This year’s winners received prizes sponsored by vivo, including the flagship vivo X300 Pro, the vivo Professional Photography Kit, and 500px Pro and Awesome Memberships.
Our two top titles were awarded additional cash prizes from 500px:
- $1,500 USD for the Judges’ Choice Photographer of the Year
- $1,000 USD for the People’s Choice Popular Photographer of the Year
These prizes are designed to support photographers as they continue to explore, create, and innovate.
A special thank you to vivo, the Exclusive Sponsor of the 2025 500px Global Photography Awards, for supporting photographers and powering this year’s celebration of creativity.
Thank You to the 500px Community
To everyone who participated by submitting, judging, or voting, thank you for making this year’s Awards extraordinary. Your creativity fuels this global community, and we are honored to celebrate your work.
Stay tuned for more creative opportunities and upcoming announcements on 500px.
