The Black and White Photo Awards 2025 has once again confirmed its status as a premier global stage for monochrome photography, proudly unveiling the winners of its fourth edition. In a world saturated with color, the competition celebrates the timeless, evocative power of black and white imagery. This year, the contest set a new standard for artistic depth, drawing entries from over 90 countries and showcasing profound human stories, cultural traditions, and innovative ways of interpreting light and shadow.
The esteemed jury—comprising Joel Tjintelaar, Julia Anna Gospodarou, Charles Paul Azzopardi, Kazutoshi Kawakami, and Néstor Rodan—praised the diversity and technical mastery on display. “The 2025 awards have given us images that don’t just demonstrate technical mastery, but reveal profound human stories… and new ways of seeing light itself,” the jury noted. From a raw depiction of survival to fleeting moments of beauty carved from shadow, these are the images that earned top honors.
Absolute Winner: “The Kingdom of Flies” by João Coelho
The competition’s highest honor, the title of Absolute Winner of the Black and White Photo Awards 2025, was awarded to Portuguese photographer João Coelho for his haunting and deeply resonant work, “The Kingdom of Flies.” The photograph is a masterclass in social commentary and visual storytelling, earning Coelho a €1,000 cash prize and the ThyPoch Simera 35mm lens.
The image portrays a man in a visceral battle for survival, contending with swarms of flies over discarded food scraps. At first glance, the scene feels post-apocalyptic, a gritty vision of a dystopian world. Yet, it is a stark depiction of a hidden reality for many who live on the margins. Coelho’s photograph transcends mere aesthetics; it is a raw, unflinching look at human dignity under siege. The high-contrast monochrome enhances the gritty texture of the scene, making the viewer feel the oppressive heat and the relentless swarm. It is a photograph that is impossible to forget.
Revisit Last Year’s Champions
Curious to see what it took to win in the previous edition? The 2024 awards featured a breathtaking collection of monochrome mastery. Explore our full analysis and gallery of the Black and White Photo Awards 2024 winners here.
Runner-Up and Special Awards: A Showcase of Vision
For the first time, the competition introduced a Runner-up Award, claimed by Mark Seawell for his piece, “Where the Shadows Lie.” Captured in the canyons of Arizona, the image is an abstract study of light and texture, revealing fleeting moments of beauty as light dances across ancient stone.
The Special Award for Creativity was awarded to Adebayo Rotilu for “Electric Silhouette.” This daring portrait pushes the boundaries of the genre, using laser beams as the exclusive light source to create a futuristic interplay of light and form that redefines creative portraiture.
The newly inaugurated Special Award Master of Light went to Roberto Corinaldesi for “No Words.” This devastatingly simple portrait of a woman in India, isolated against a pure black background, gains its immense force from its minimalism. It is a silent cry, amplified and made resonant by a masterful use of light.
Category Highlights: The Best in Monochrome Art
Each of the five categories in the Black and White Photo Awards 2025 showcased powerful and unique interpretations of the monochrome aesthetic. Here we explore the first-place winners in each category.
Architecture: “Brilliant Design” by Remuna Beca
Captured in Prague, this image transforms a functional staircase into a brilliant piece of conceptual art. Spiraling upwards in the shape of a lightbulb, the structure becomes a symbol of inspiration and ideas. Beca masterfully blurs the line between architecture and concept, using the stark contrast of black and white to emphasize the clean, graphic lines of the design.
Fauna and Flora: “Leopard jump mono” by Willem Kruger
This is a heart-stopping moment of wild drama, perfectly frozen in time. Captured in South Africa’s Londolozi reserve, the image shows a male leopard leaping away to avoid the female’s claws immediately after mating. Kruger’s photograph is a masterclass in timing and composition, capturing the raw, explosive energy of a moment where survival is measured in milliseconds.
Landscape: “The Wedded Rocks” by Robert Bolton
An evocative and serene study of the famous Meoto Iwa rocks in Japan. Bound by a heavy rope, these sacred rocks symbolize the union of heaven and earth. Bolton’s long-exposure technique smooths the surrounding sea into a misty, ethereal plain, creating a minimalist composition that is both peaceful and spiritually profound.
Portrait: “Proud Artisan” by Nur Tucker
This moving portrait offers an intimate glimpse into the world of Anatolia’s terracotta pottery tradition. Tucker uses a soft, directional light to illuminate the artisan in his dimly lit workshop, creating a timeless scene where craft, heritage, and human dignity converge.
Street: “Trapped in a Frame” by Yanitsa Genova
Yanitsa Genova’s winning photograph is a powerful and tender tribute to the resilience and boundless imagination of childhood. It captures a universal truth: that joy and play can be found in any circumstance, created from the simplest discarded objects. The composition tells a beautiful and complex story of a day at the beach. In the foreground, a small child seems momentarily exhausted while the scene continues to come alive behind him.
Beyond the Winners: The Depth of Talent
The extraordinary depth of the Black and White Photo Awards 2025 was not limited to the main winners. The judges also recognized a wealth of outstanding talent through Second Place awards and Golden, Silver, and Bronze Mentions in each category. These honored works are a testament to the incredible quality and diversity of monochrome photography submitted from around the globe, ensuring that many powerful and deserving images received international recognition.
This depth was evident across all genres, from the surreal urban puzzle of Martin Wacker’s Cubist Cityscape (Architecture) to the profound human connection captured in Neil Buchan Grant’s portrait Forever (Portrait). To celebrate this incredible talent, the Deartline team has curated a special gallery below, showcasing some of our personal favorites from among the runners-up and mentioned photographs. This collection offers a glimpse into the remarkable quality that defined this year’s competition.
A Growing Platform for Monochrome Art
Founded in 2022, the Black and White Photo Awards has rapidly grown into a leading international platform dedicated to celebrating artistry, vision, and storytelling in monochrome.
For photographers feeling inspired by these incredible works and eager to find a platform for their own unique vision, the world of photo competitions offers a fantastic opportunity. If you’re looking to elevate your work, gain recognition, and join a global community of artists, exploring our comprehensive list of the world’s best photography contests is the perfect resource to find your next challenge.
Our heartfelt congratulations go out to João Coelho and all the talented winners and mentioned artists of the Black & White Photo Awards 2025. Their work reminds us that monochrome has a unique capacity to illuminate not only form and light, but also the most urgent and profound human stories.
To see the complete gallery of all winning and finalist photographs, visit the official awards website at: https://bwphotoawards.com/en/2025-award-winning-photos/. Preparations for the 2026 edition are already underway, with submissions opening on January 1, 2026.