2025 World Press Photo of the Year Revealed Alongside Two Finalists
World Press Photo Montreal Exhibition
at Bonsecours Market from August 27 to October 13, 2025
Montreal, April 17, 2025 – The World Press Photo Foundation unveiled the 2025 Photo of the Year and the two finalists for the World Press Photo 2025 contest, showcasing a selection of the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of World Press Photo, World Press Photo Foundation’s Executive Director, Joumana El Zein Khoury, will travel to Montreal, host of one of the most popular exhibitions in the world. The 18th edition of the World Press Photo Montreal Exhibition will be presented from August 27 to October 13 2025, at Bonsecours Market in Old Montreal.
The Photo of the Year winner for 2025 is a photo by Doha based Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, taken for The New York Times, of a young boy – Mahmoud Ajjour – mutilated in Gaza.
Samar Abu Elouf was evacuated from Gaza in December 2023. She now lives in the same apartment complex as Mahmoud in Doha, where she has documented the few badly wounded Gazans who, like Mahmoud, have made it out for treatment. Mahmoud Ajjour was severely injured while fleeing an Israeli attack in Gaza City in March 2024. After he turned back to urge his family onward, an explosion severed one of his arms and mutilated the other. The family were evacuated to Qatar where, after medical treatment, Mahmoud is learning to play games on his phone, write, and open doors with his feet.
“This is a quiet photo that speaks loudly. It tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations. Looking at our archive, in the 70th year of World Press Photo, I am confronted by too many images like this one.
I remain endlessly grateful for the photographers who, despite the personal risks and emotional costs, record these stories to give all of us the opportunity to understand, empathise, and be inspired to action.
As we look ahead to the next 70 years, World Press Photo remains dedicated to supporting the photographers who risk everything to bring us the truth.” said Executive Director World Press Photo, Joumana El Zein Khoury
Two finalists alongside all the winners coming from 30 countries
Jury members saw 3 distinct topics emerge that define this 2025 edition: conflict, migration and climate change. Stories of resilience, family and community. The global jury was chaired by Lucy Conticello, Director of Photography at M, le magazine du Monde, and Quebec documentary photographer Charles-Frédérick Ouellet was a member of the jury for the North and Central America region, from which the 2 finalists are coming from.
This year, the 42 winning photographers are from30 countries. The 2 finalists, taken by photographers Musuk Nolte (Peru/Mexico) for Panos Pictures and the Bertha Foundation and John Moore (USA) for Getty Images, respectively show a young man bringing food to his mother who lives in the village of Manacapuru. The village was once accessible by boat, but because of the drought, he must walk two kilometers along a dry riverbed in the Amazon, while Chinese migrants warm themselves during a cold rain after crossing the US-Mexico border.
About the World Press Photo Foundation
World Press Photo is an independent non-profit organization that champions the power of photojournalism and documentary photography to deepen understanding, promote dialog, and inspire action. Founded in the Netherlands in 1955, our annual and thematic exhibitions reach millions of people in over 80 locations world-wide each year, and our online work reaches millions more. We create space for reflection in times of urgency, while upholding standards of accuracy, authenticity, visual excellence, and diverse perspectives. Our education programs help photographers reach these standards, and members of the public recognize them.
The Foundation is thankful for the support of its funders, particularly its strategic partners the Dutch Postcode Lottery, PwC, and FUJIFILM Corporation.
About World Press Photo Montréal Expo
The World Press Photo Montreal Exhibition is a major cultural event held each year at the Bonsecours Market in Old Montreal. In addition to World Press Photo’s winning images, several related exhibitions produced by the Montreal team highlight the diversity and creativity of local talent. Radio-Canada, La Presse and SDC Vieux-Montréal support the success of this exhibition.
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