The Finalists of the AOP Photography Awards 2025

Aug 29, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A boy holding a large bunch of colorful character balloons stands on a city street near a building entrance, with a woman and stroller to the left and a dog on a leash to the right; tall tower in the background. — Simon Hill, Blackpool, Central Pier, Balloon Seller © Simon Hill. Courtesy AOP

The UK-based Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced the finalists for its 40th Photography Awards.

The AOP is a professional trade association based in London that advocates and acts as a directory for photographers.

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the AOP Photography Awards, celebrating excellence in the creative photography and image-making industry.

Greg Funnell, Ratcliffe on Soar © Greg Funnell. Courtesy AOP

Shadow of a carousel with two horses is cast on a yellow metal wall, creating a silhouette effect with strong outlines of the horses and carousel roof. — Dan Burn-Forti, A Western Wonder 2. © Dan Burn-Forti. Courtesy AOP

A young man wearing a cap and sports clothes rides a gray horse with a turquoise saddle and pink bridle along a beach, with waves and blue sky in the background. — Nick David, El Jadida – City of the Horse. © Nick David. Courtesy AOP

A broken floral-patterned plate holding fish fingers, crinkle-cut fries, and baked beans is on an orange surface. Ketchup is being poured onto the meal, with food and beans scattered around the plate. — Richard Pullar, Fish fingers, crinkle chips and beans on a broken plate © Richard Pullar. Courtesy AOP

A person with long hair, seen from behind, looks up at tall trees reaching toward a partly cloudy sky, surrounded by branches and leaves in a forest. — Simon Winnall, Six Senses © Simon Winnall. Courtesy AOP

A person in a black-and-white striped bodysuit does an extreme leg stretch on a diner table, holding a burger and drink. A menu, condiments, and a plate are on the table; a person stands in the kitchen behind a window. — Tom Parker, Shape Shifting the Steppes © Tom Parker. Courtesy AOP

Sponsored by MPB, this year’s headline sponsor, the awards focus on human creativity and professional practice. The Gold and Silver winners will be announced live at the AOP Annual Showcase event in London on October 9, 2025, where, alongside selected finalists, the winning entries will also be exhibited.

“Given the plethora of photography awards across our industry today, it’s even more special that the AOP Photography Awards has stood the test of time, celebrating 40 years of professional practice, in which we have seen many photographic styles and trends come and go over four decades,” says Isabelle Doran, CEO of the Association of Photographers.

“It’s both positive and rewarding to see the continuation of visual rigour from this year’s finalists’ entries, from profound realism to highly conceptual imagery, each sharing a multitude of facets spanning the lives humans lead, whether captured in the format of stills or moving images.”

A close-up of a spotted dog with a skeptical expression in the foreground, while a person in a hooded jacket and sunglasses sits on a motorcycle in the blurred background. — Simon Hill, Horden, Co Durham, Giving the Side Eye © Simon Hill. Courtesy AOP

Black and white photo of a person standing against a plain wall, holding a large, textured, circular object in front of their body, partially covering their torso and upper legs. Their stance creates a dynamic, artistic pose. — Wendy Carrig, Ghost Gear © Wendy Carrig. Courtesy AOP

A lone surfer carrying a yellow surfboard walks along a foggy, deserted shoreline, with soft waves and muted colors creating a tranquil, dreamlike atmosphere. — Henrik Knudsen, Surfer, Venice Beach © Henrik Knudsen. Courtesy AOP

A person in red pants stands in an art studio, holding a painting of a woman's face in front of their head. Colorful, stylized portraits and animal paintings are displayed and stacked around them. — Alun Callender, Margo McDaid – Margo In Margate – Photographed by Alun Callender at her Margate Gallery and Ramsgate Studio. © Alun Callender. Courtesy AOP

A child with light hair in a patterned shirt stands in front of a wooden wall, eyes closed. Dappled sunlight and leaf shadows fall across the wall and the child's face, creating an artistic, serene scene. — Hugh Fox, In Her Own Time © Hugh Fox. Courtesy AOP

A gold ring with a large green stone rests on a pink bar of soap with bubbles, next to a teal bar of soap and a yellow bar, all surrounded by white foam. — James Day, Au (Z79) © James Day. Courtesy AOP

The 40th AOP Photography Awards comprises ten individual subject categories, plus additional awards for Best Commissioned, Best Personal, and Best Moving work which are considered by key industry figures from all the selected finalists.

These professional Awards are open to all AOP accredited photographer and assisting photographer members. As in previous years, stills, moving image, and innovation can be entered into each category. All still and moving images have been created by a human creative or published as new from January 2024, with the exception of the Project category, which has no date limitation but must be a proven ongoing project.

The award categories are: Documentary, Environment, Fashion and Beauty, Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Portrait, Spaces, Still Life and Object, and Project.

The full gallery is on the AOP website.

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