According to the award organizers, the first prize was awarded to Elise Blanchard for her photo series documenting the lives of girls and young women in Afghanistan.
The second prize went to Natalia Saperonova, whose work highlighted the impact of air pollution on children in Mongolia.
The third prize was awarded to Sourav Das for his photo project portraying childhood in Jharia, home to one of India’s largest coal mines.
In addition to the main winners, seven photo series from Afghanistan, Iran, Gaza, South Africa, Ukraine, and the UK received special commendations for their strong humanitarian and visual narratives.
Among those specially commended were two Iranian photographers. Hossein Beris was honored for his photo series titled “Return to Life,” while Araz Ghaderi received recognition for his series “What Children’s Faces Reveal,” both focusing on the lives of Afghan children.
An exhibition showcasing the award-winning and commended works will be held at the Federal Press Conference building in Berlin until the end of January 2026.
The exhibition will then move to the Willy Brandt House in Berlin, where it will run from January 30 to April 26, 2026.
