Travel Photographer of the Year Inspires Wanderlust

Jan 28, 2026

Matt Growcoot

A group of people in white robes and tall, pointed hoods participate in a nighttime procession, holding candles or torches. The image is blurred, giving a sense of movement and solemn atmosphere. — A lone penitent walks barefoot across Zamora’s Plaza de la Catedral, moments before the brotherhood’s final gathering. Behind him, the procession slowly comes to rest, their candles swaying in the night air. Soon, the silence will give way to the haunting chant of the Miserere, closing the “Yacente” procession with a moment of collective sorrow and reflection, well past midnight. Overall winner. | Athanasios Maloukos/tpoty.com

The winning images from the 2025 Travel Photographer of the Year awards (TPOTY) have been revealed. Athanasios Maloukos’ atmospheric photos of the Sema ceremony in Turkey and the Holy Week in Zamora, Spain, impressed the judges enough to see him crowned overall winner.

“Shot in low light, these images require immense skill to get right,” says TPOTY founder Chris Coe. “Shooting on the edge like this requires very careful use of shutter speed to selectively freeze and blur the movements in these two ceremonies. Here the hints of movement alongside the frozen elements enhance the atmosphere and drama in Athanasios’s photographs. This is all achieved in camera without over-processing, and conveys the depth and intensity of each moment.”

Maloukos’ prize includes a £1,000 ($1,374) cash bursary from TPOTY, a seven-day trip to Sri Lanka, courtesy of the Sri Lankan Tourist Board and Jetwing Hotels, Radiant Photo imaging software, and a portfolio review from top New York agent Frank Meo.

11 Other Winners

A young boy rests his chin on his hand and looks out of a window with a thoughtful expression. He is partially visible behind the window frame, and someone wearing a striped shirt is next to him. — Jaffna bus station, Sri Lanka. As the bus prepared to pull away from the bustling Jaffna bus station, a young boy leaned toward the window, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the crowds. I wondered what hopes or questions were stirring in his mind. The bus itself seemed worn by time – its chipped paint and dented panels telling their own stories – yet the boy’s expression carried a quiet energy, as if he couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead on the road. Winner, People’s Choice Vote | Mark Julian Edwards/tpoty.com

A wild puma leaps onto and grasps a guanaco's back in a grassy, mountainous landscape, capturing a dramatic predator-prey interaction. Snowy peaks are blurred in the distant background. — Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator – the puma. These majestic creatures primarily feed on guanacos. However, the hunting success rate for pumas is not very high, especially for female pumas. They primarily rely on the abundance of guanacos for their survival. It’s a rare treat to see a puma hunting right in front of you. We followed a female puma for a few days, and she had two adorable cubs who depended on her to bring them food. In this particular early morning, she had been keeping a guanaco close by for a while, and finally, she had the chance to get close enough to jump on it. She tried to pull down the guanaco a few times, and she was really close to biting into the neck and suffocating the guanaco .. But guess what? The guanaco was a tough cookie, and it managed to escape! Best Single Image in Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife Portfolio | Kevin Yu Shi/tpoty.com

Two foxes are seen in silhouette against a dark background with bright, colorful bokeh lights in yellow, orange, and blue tones, creating a vibrant and dreamy atmosphere. — Framed by streetlights reflecting off the sea in Kuwait City, two Arabian red fox kits explore the night outside their den. The colorful glow comes from car and street lights along Doha’s shoreline, while the rim light is created by two small continuous flashlights I placed near the spot where their mother hides food. For more than two months, I visited the den four nights a week, staying hours after sunset. At first I kept a 20-meter distance, but slowly the kits grew comfortable—two even licked my camera and feet. With five kits and their mother living so close to houses, I felt responsible for them. In Kuwait, foxes are often hunted, so my presence was as much protection as photography. Winner – Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife Portfolio | Mohammad Murad/tpoty.com

A young girl with braided hair holds a wooden board, looking upward with her mouth open, possibly reciting or singing, in a classroom setting with other children in the background. — A young girl recites her verses with focus, her voice rising among her classmates. In many Mauritanian mahadaras, boys and girls study together in early stages before continuing advanced recitation and commentary. Winner – Cultures, Heritage, and Beliefs Portfolio. | Mitchell Kanashkevich/tpoty.com

A person holding a yellow umbrella with a floral pattern crosses an empty intersection with wide, white crosswalk lines, viewed from above on a rainy day. — A lone corporate worker hurries across a large junction in Tokyo, the only human being in the frame. This series depicts the overwhelming loneliness and the hectic pace of living in a large city. Winner – One Shot – Slow Travel | Teo Chin Leong/tpoty.com

Lily pads and pink flowers float on water, reflecting a blue sky and the image of an ancient Buddha statue and temple ruins, creating a surreal, upside-down scene. — I captured this image shortly after sunrise in a quiet region of Thailand, whose name fittingly translates to “Dawn of Happiness.” I noticed how perfectly the Buddha’s figure reflected in the still water. To convey the spirit of the moment, I inverted the photograph, turning the reflection into an illusion where the sky above the Buddha becomes a tapestry of floating flowers and drifting plants. My intention was to create an image that mirrors the peaceful, dreamlike feeling of this sacred location, where the green textures and beautiful flowers of our world can be transformed into a new and unexpected reality. Winner – One Shot – Green Planet | John Edwards/tpoty.com

A black and white photo of an elephant raising its trunk, blowing a cloud of dust into the air, partially obscuring its face. The background is blurred, focusing attention on the elephant’s powerful presence. — Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. A massive bull elephant showers himself in dust. Winner – One Shot – Travel in Monochrome | Dana Allen/tpoty.com

Minimalist view of a calm, misty body of water under a pale blue sky. Two small birds float in the distance, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere. The horizon and water blend softly together. — In a week of touring North Iceland there had been no quality light for landscape photography at all. The day started as all the others had, with a bland blue sky and sunshine. However within 10 miles we drove into a bank of sea fog and a session with such beautiful light filtering through the fog onto the calm sea. The fog thinning and thickening to reveal and then hide elements of the landscape. Winner – Landscape, Weather, and Climate Portfolio | Paul Sansome/tpoty.com

A vintage airplane flies near a dark tornado under stormy clouds, with the funnel extending from the sky toward the ground. — I took this photo during an air show in France, at La Ferté-Alais. A funnel cloud formed during the show; some planes continued to fly, although there was still some distance between the planes and the funnel. Shortly afterwards, the weather cleared up. Best Single Image in Landscape, Weather, and Climate Portfolio. | Laetitia Guichard/tpoty.com

Underwater view of a surfer duck diving beneath a powerful ocean wave, with sunlight filtering through the clear blue water and the rocky seabed visible below. — Cloudbreak Reef, Tavarua Island, Fiji.Every time a surfer dodges a wave, an unique new world is created, this image brings this world to live, showing what is happening down there. Best Single Image in Adventures and Experiences Portfolio. | Frederico Figueiredo Cerdeira/tpoty.com

An elderly man sits at a table with his head resting on his hand, looking thoughtful, while two men play table tennis in the background in a worn, dimly lit room. — Photo of a man sitting at the foreground, lost in thought, while retired colonel’s play table tennis behind him. Winner – One Shot – Travel Portraits | Rahsan Firtina/tpoty.com

Amateur and professional photographers from 160 countries submitted more than 20,000 images in TPOTY 2025. The winning and placed entries combine to form a truly outstanding collection of contemporary travel photography. The winning shots – which can all be viewed in the Winners’ Gallery on tpoty.com – will go on exhibition, with dates and details of the venues to be confirmed soon.