The 2026 World Food Photography Awards, sponsored by Bimi®, have officially revealed this year’s winners.
This year’s global judging panel, tasked with assessing nearly 9,000 entries submitted from over 50 countries around the world, was chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus, and included: Claire Reichenbach (CEO, James Beard Foundation), Tom Athron (CEO, Fortnum & Mason), Rein Skullerud (Senior Photographer & Photo Editor, World Food Programme), Jamie Oliver (Chef, Restaurateur) and Olia Hercules (Food Campaigner, Activist, Author and Chef).
A tender image, A Woman Eats in the Canteen of the Soviet-era Sanatorium, by British photographer Jo Kearney, is the Overall Winner of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®, the world’s greatest celebration of food photography.
Scroll down to discover this year’s winners and explore the stories behind the awarded photographs.
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#1 Cake Award: A Mid-Century Man And His Cake By Claudia Anton, Australia
This image creates a cinematic mid-century mood with high contrast, warm tones and textures. The cake is the centrepiece with symmetrical lines and buttercream swirls glowing in firelight. The scene is filled with hidden vintage surprises, family heirlooms and trinkets. A nod to the era and a moment in time.
Image source: Claudia Anton/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#2 Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award: Stacked Morning By Sarah Ghijselinck, Belgium
A towering stack of pancakes becomes a study in balance and excess. Suspended toppings and syrup emphasise height, gravity and indulgence. The image transforms a familiar breakfast into a playful yet precise exploration of structure and anticipation.
Image source: Sarah Ghijselinck/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#3 Food In The Field: Dust Journey By Serkan Dogus, United Kingdom
Every morning, hundreds of sheep arrive in the village from the high pastures of Mount Nemrut for milking. After the milking is completed, at sunset, the sheep set out once again toward Mount Nemrut, and their dusty journey begins.
Image source: Serkan Dogus/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#4 Food Portraiture: Jelly With A Cherry By Danielle Marie Schriever, Australia
I wanted to capture this image in a minimal and moody style, showing the quiet drama of this classic dessert. I was inspired by the way the light filters through the jelly like a jewel, and used a shadowed and geometric background to show beauty in the ordinary.
Image source: Danielle Marie Schriever,/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#5 M&s Food Rising Star: Ladling Lentil Stew By Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Switzerland
This image captures food in a traditional context. It speaks of family dinners, the quiet ritual of serving. A reminder that comfort is often found not in extravagance, but in the simple rustic things like a warm lentil stew.
Image source: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#6 M&s Food Rising Star: Flour Splash By Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Switzerland
An image taken during a personal just-for-fun photography project. Experimenting with light and motion, capturing a single burst of flour, revealing the unseen labour of baking. Flour, usually passive and powdery, becomes dynamic.
Image source: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#7 Production Paradise Previously Published: Poaching By Erik Lafontaine, Belgium
A poached mackerel emerging from a deep, shadowed broth. Controlled lighting sculpts texture and surface tension. The image plays with darkness and stillness, turning humble preparation into a study of depth, contrast and restrained drama.
Image source: Erik Lafontaine/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#8 The Philip Harben Award For Food In Action: Proven Recipe By Balázs Lehóczki, Hungary
I had planned this image for six to seven years but kept postponing it, feeling unworthy of capturing them. Now, because of their age, I couldn’t wait. Grandma went to the hairdresser, Grandpa shaved, and I filled their kitchen with studio gear. When she saw the photograph, my grandmother called me an artist.
Image source: Balázs Lehóczki/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#9 Mpb Award For Innovation: Family Portrait By Hussam Sleiby, Jordan
In this whimsical family portrait, a white eggplant and a deep purple eggplant pose as mother and father behind an ornate gilded antique frame. Three striped offspring stand proudly before them. Bathed in dramatic warm lighting, the scene rests on a rustic wooden table against a weathered, peeling wall, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Image source: Hussam Sleiby/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#10 Street Food: Kyoto Street Vendor By Kara Baird, Australia
Shot in Kyoto, Japan in September 2025, this image was taken in a split second as I moved through the packed, sweaty crowd at Nishiki Market. With barely any space to stop, I raised the camera and captured a brief, unfiltered moment of the energy and intensity of the market at its busiest.
Image source: Kara Baird/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#11 On The Phone: The Chip ‘N’ Ladies Day Out By Maggie Jary, United Kingdom
I feel this image portrays the power of friendship. Four women (unknown to me) having a fun day out, enjoying a sneaky bag of chips. The image was not constructed, just a spontaneous capture of a joyous moment, which they were happy to share. Taken at Beamish open-air museum, County Durham.
Image source: Maggie Jary/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#12 World Of Drinks: Campari Barmen By Marie-Louise Moutafchieva, Canada
I happened by chance to turn my attention to the local bar on the corner of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Camparino. The expression of the barman and the waiter dressed in white tuxedos instantly created a story I had to capture. It was one of those moments where I found myself in the right place at the right time.
Image source: Marie-Louise Moutafchieva/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#13 M&s Food Rising Star: Preparing Porridge – Slow Morning By Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Switzerland
Showcasing a quiet morning ritual, pouring oats into a bowl bathed in the soft light of a foggy morning. The contrasting blues and browns, together with the gentle action, evoke comfort, stillness, and the essence of a slow, intentional morning.
Image source: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#14 Overall Winner: A Woman Eats In The Canteen Of The Soviet-Era Sanatorium By Jo Kearney, United Kingdom
The Khoja Obi Garm sanatorium (health hotel), Tajikistan, is a brutalist concrete monstrosity built on hot radon gas-infused springs in the mountains. During Soviet times, communist workers were given two weeks annual holiday here. Today its low price – $28 per day including full board and treatments – attracts ordinary Tajiks plus tourists from the neighbouring ‘Stans’ and the odd backpacker. Treatments include hot pools and steam rooms, wax wraps and tanning barrels, plus hearty healthy meals.
Image source: Jo Kearney/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#15 Champagne Taittinger Food For Celebration: The Festival Of Food Enthusiasts By Pingyao Song, China
At the Gourmet Festival organised by China’s ‘Zouchuan Hotpot’ brand, hundreds of food enthusiasts gather around a communal banquet. The rich aroma of red broth – simmered with chilli peppers, fermented bean paste, beef tallow, Sichuan peppercorn, ginger, sugar, salt, soy sauce and spices – fills the air. Participants savour fresh ingredients like beef, beef aorta, tripe, luncheon meat and tofu, or lift their lights and phones to livestream, focusing on the bubbling pot. Through tasting, sharing, and interaction, they convey the authentic flavours and lively atmosphere of Sichuan hotpot to food lovers across China and around the world.
Image source: Pingyao Song/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#16 Food Influencer: Noodles By Maja Lewicz, Netherland
Dark, moody noodles with texture that you can almost feel. Mysterious, bold and irresistible.
Image source: Maja Lewicz/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#17 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer Of The Year – People: In The Depths Of The Deposit By Juan Miguel Ortuño Martinez, Spain
During the cleaning of the underground tanks, Pedro goes down and cleans the walls and floor of the remains of the previous wine with pressurised water. Once clean, his partner lowers a small bucket with a sponge inside to collect the remains that are left in the lower corner.
Image source: Juan Miguel Ortuño Martinez/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#18 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer Of The Year – Places: The Hidden Vineyard By Chris Elfes, Australia
This vineyard is just beside a main road but you can’t see it unless you stop. It is sort of hidden. This image was taken while Mount Pleasant Wines picked their Semillon grapes. I stopped to shoot the ground action but the drone gave me a great perspective and nature did its best to help me.
Image source: Chris Elfes/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#19 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer Of The Year – Produce: In The Eye Of The Kvevri By Luke Carver, France
Point-of-view shot from inside a traditional kvevri during the 2025 grape harvest in Georgia.
Image source: Luke Carver/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#20 The James Beard Foundation Photography Award: At The Register By Daniel Kwak, United States
A moment of respite from the line at Hadja Marley, an authentic Senegalese eatery in Brooklyn. This portrait captures the daily rhythm of life on Fulton Street, focusing on the steady presence of the staff and the traditional West African flavours that bring the local community together. A study of neighbourhood service.
Image source: Daniel Kwak/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#21 Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award: Raw Pairing No.1 By Sarah Ghijselinck, Belgium
Wine pairing is usually shown through prepared plates. This image approaches it differently: by composing the raw ingredients that define the pairing. Spice, earthiness and freshness are balanced visually to reflect how flavour combinations determine which wine works with a dish.
Image source: Sarah Ghijselinck/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#22 Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award: Raw Pairing No.3 By Sarah Ghijselinck, Belgium
Wine and food pairing is traditionally presented as finished dishes. In this series we explore pairing through raw ingredients instead. Each composition balances flavours – acidity, freshness and texture – showing how a wine pairing begins with the fundamental taste relationships between ingredients.
Image source: Sarah Ghijselinck/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#23 Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 13 – 17: Chhath Puja Offerings By Indigo Larmour, Italy
Little Asilbek touching the hot bread, straight out of the family tandoor. In Samarkand (Uzbekistan) the ‘non’ is unlike any other: round, dense, with a thick, chewy crust, and always marked in its centre with black sesame seeds.
Image source: Indigo Larmour/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#24 Politics Of Food: Irebero Miller By Glenn Vanderbeke, Belgium
Portrait of a female miller after processing grains into cornmeal. At Vocational Training Center Irebero, single women are trained as millers.
Image source: Glenn Vanderbeke/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#25 M&s Food Rising Star: Dipping Bread Into Stew By Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Switzerland
I wanted to capture the simple act of dipping bread into a bowl of fresh, warm lentil stew, a moment of comfort and indulgence. The composition highlights the warmth, cosiness, and soulfulness of the scene, as well as the intimacy of a shared, home-cooked moment.
Image source: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#26 M&s Food Rising Star: The Making Of Granola Bars By Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Switzerland
This image captures the process of making granola bars, highlighting the warm afternoon light spilling across a rustic setting dominated by browns and blues. The human element grounds the quiet mood of the scene. Sometimes a story isn’t told in the finished dish, but in the act of making it.
Image source: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#27 Unearthed® Food For Sale: Cabbage Market By Kazi Mohammad Golam Quddus, Bangladesh
In Mahasthangarh, Bogra, a large vegetable market comes alive each morning. Farmers bring in their freshly harvested cabbages, usually transported by rickshaw vans, and gather for the daily cabbage market. Traders buy the produce here and supply it to Dhaka and other major cities.
Image source: Kazi Mohammad Golam Quddus/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#28 UK For Unhcr Food As Home: A Moment In The Kitchen By Sadia Sikandar, Scotland
While living in the UK, away from home for seven years, “home” no longer represents a geographical space for me. It is a place I go to where I feel welcome, valued, and able to make good memories. This is a place I pass by whenever I have time; I sit with the restaurant owner, and we gossip and laugh a lot. The place and the people make me feel at home.
Image source: Sadia Sikandar/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#29 Rps Student Food Photographer Of The Year: Red Cocktail By Lara Zeh, Germany
A sophisticated, monochromatic study of heat and elegance. This deep crimson composition uses a precise spotlight to highlight the glass’s silhouette and create depth. Featuring a hand-crafted chilli-sugar rim, the image focuses on geometric symmetry and rich textures, translating the cocktail’s spicy character into a bold, artistic statement.
Image source: Lara Zeh/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#30 World Food Programme Food For Life: The Open Air Hotel By Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, Bangladesh
An open-air restaurant owner serves food to her customers. She sells at a low price so that daily labourers who work at Gabtoli coal station can afford it. The photograph was taken in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Image source: Mithail Afrige Chowdhury/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#31 The Bimi® Prize: Candied Pear By Anne Mason-Hoerter, Germany
I wanted to create a unique image of candied fruit, and I have always been fascinated by the transparency of colours revealed through the process. I began by slicing a pear very thinly and boiling the slices in a mixture of sugar and water. Once the slices became transparent, I laid them out to dry on paper. The image was created using sugar water and a pear slice placed on a glass sheet, along with coloured plastic in front of a table lamp. I photographed the setup multiple times from different angles, and finally, I used Photoshop to combine the various images.
Image source: Anne Mason-Hoerter/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#32 Cream Of The Crop: Ine Fishing Village, Kyoto, Japan By Albert Gonzalez, Spain
Squids drying in the sun using the traditional Japanese technique of Himono in the fishing village of Ine, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
Image source: Albert Gonzalez/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#33 Bring Home The Harvest: Early Morning Catch, Hooghly River By Marco Rutten, Netherlands
At sunrise beneath Howrah Bridge, a small crew hauls in their nets on the Hooghly River. River fish remain everyday food and income here: catches from boats like this are sold in nearby markets and prepared that very morning in Bengali kitchens. A quiet, collective harvest beneath the city’s busiest crossing.
Image source: Marco Rutten/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#34 Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer: Twin Bridesmaids Enjoy Canapes Devon UK By Emma Stoner, United Kingdom
May 2025. Twin bridesmaids enjoy canapés of ‘Proper Crisps’ at Jess & Tom’s wedding. They are pictured in the gardens at The Grain Store in Devon, UK.
Image source: Emma Stoner/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#35 Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award: Raw Pairing No.2 By Sarah Ghijselinck, Belgium
Instead of presenting a finished dish, this image focuses on the ingredients behind the pairing. Salt, fat and vegetal bitterness are arranged in balance, illustrating how wine pairing originates in the interaction of fundamental flavours rather than the final recipe.
Image source: Sarah Ghijselinck/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#36 Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award: Constructed Lunch By Sarah Ghijselinck, Belgium
A precise cross-section of a constructed sandwich reveals layers of texture, colour and repetition. Styled as a graphic portrait, the image elevates a familiar food into a study of structure and balance, where each ingredient plays a defined visual and culinary role.
Image source: Sarah Ghijselinck/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#37 Claire Aho Award For Women Photographers: Granny’s Welcoming Gift Of Love By Kellie Carter, United States
This home affirms the true meaning of family. Where home is sustained by generosity, where love is expressed through making, sharing and showing up again and again. Where Granny’s smile, fresh baked cookies and a cold glass of milk can make even the bleakest of days bright again.
Image source: Kellie Carter/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#38 Food For The Family: The Final Touch By Michela Balboni, Italy
Little Asilbek touching the hot bread, straight out of the family tandoor. In Samarkand (Uzbekistan) the ‘non’ is unlike any other: round, dense, with a thick, chewy crust, and always marked in its centre with black sesame seeds.
Image source: Michela Balboni/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
#39 Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 12 And Under: Romanesco At Panzers By Ariel Owliaei, United Kingdom
We go to visit Panzer’s deli in St. John’s Wood on Fridays after school. I’ve never tried romanesco! The shape is something from another world.
Image source: Ariel Owliaei/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
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