World Press Photo announces the Photo of the Year and two finalists of the Contest 2026
World Press Photo Montreal exhibition at
Bonsecours Market August 26 to October 12, 2026
Montreal, April 23, 2026 – The World Press Photo Foundation announced the Photo of the year this morning and two finalists of the 2026 World Press Photo Contest, awarding the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography. The 19th Montreal World Press Photo Expo will take place from August 26 to October 12, 2026, at Bonsecours Market in Old Montreal.
The Photo of the Year 2026 winner was taken inside one of the few US federal buildings where photographers were granted access – a single hallway where photographer Carol Guzy and others showed up, day after day, to document what was happening. It captures a harrowing moment: a family separated by the state.
Luis was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following an immigration court hearing at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, in New York City, New York, United States, on 26 August 2025. Luis, an Ecuadorian migrant whom his family says has no criminal record, served as the household’s sole provider. His wife Cocha and their three children (aged seven, 13, and 15) were left inconsolable, facing immediate financial hardship and profound emotional trauma.
What Carol Guzy has documented is not an isolated instance, but a policy indiscriminately applied to people who arrive for hearings in good faith. It is evidence and documentation of a government policy being applied systematically to people who followed the rules they were given. This image was selected from a larger body of work by Guzy, ICE Arrests at New York Court, awarded in the Stories category of the North and Central America region.
“This image shows the inconsolable grief of children losing their father in a place built for justice. It is a stark and necessary record of family separation following the US reform policies. In a democracy, the camera’s presence in that hallway serves as a witness to a policy that has turned courthouses into sites of shattered lives – it is a powerful example of why independent photojournalism matters.” points out Joumana El Zein Khoury, Executive Director World Press Photo.
Two Finalists and Photos Selected Among Entries From 141 Countries
This year’s winners represent the best of the 57,376 photographs submitted by 3,747 photographers from 141 countries. These projects address conflicts on a global scale, demonstrate the magnitude of the climate crisis, highlight civic action and struggles for rights, reveal the fragility of human life, illness and isolation, offer perspectives from younger generations, and present families affected by migration policies in the United States.
Saber Nuraldin’s photo Aid Emergency in Gaza (Gaza, Palestine) for EPA Images, shows Palestinians climbing onto an aid truck as it enters the Gaza Strip. In March 2025, Israeli authorities imposed a complete aid blockade in March, a tactic described by humanitarian organizations as the weaponization of starvation. The UN reports that, between late May and early October, at least 2,435 Palestinians seeking food were killed at or near aid distribution sites. Despite a ceasefire agreement in October, more than 75% of the population still face hunger and malnutrition. The photographer was born in Gaza and has documented life there since 1997.
The jury commented that this image renders visible the scale and urgency of famine in the second year of this war in Gaza. The jury felt that the photograph confronts the viewer with the reality of the situation while also pointing to its collective impacts and global implications.
The Trials of the Achi Women by Victor J. Blue (Guatemala/USA) for The New York Times Magazine is a portrait of Doña Paulina Ixpatá Alvarado, a plaintiff who was held captive and assaulted for 25 days in 1983, standing with fellow Achi women outside a Guatemala City court. The photo was taken on the day when three former civil defense patrollers were sentenced to 40 years in prison for rape and crimes against humanity. In 2011, 36 women broke their silence, launching a 14-year legal battle against their abusers who used sexual violence as a systematic weapon to subjugate the Maya Achi communities during Guatemala’s civil war.
The jury commented that this photograph’s classical, restrained approach that deliberately counters historical visual narratives that frame survivors of sexual violence as powerless subjects. Instead, the portrait documents a moment of collective strength at the conclusion of their long struggle for justice.
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, and FUJIFILM Corporation.
About World Press Photo Montréal Expo
The Montreal World Press Photo 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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