Female In Focus x Nikon 2025 Winners Tell Stories Photography World Has Been Missing

The winners of Female In Focus x Nikon 2025 have been announced, proving why dedicated platforms for women and non-binary photographers are so important. Organised by the British Journal of Photography in partnership with Nikon, Female in Focus was created to challenge gender inequality in the photography industry. In a field still heavily dominated by men, this award creates real visibility, recognition, and opportunity.

[Related Reading: This free web tool lets you explore bias in AI-generated images]

Selected from thousands of submissions worldwide, this year’s winners explore moments of transition across personal, cultural, environmental, and technological themes. Their photographic task was to respond to this year’s theme On the Cusp and capture the lives and landscapes on the edge of change.

Two series projects received top honors: Giya Makondo-Wills for New Scramble and Laetitia Vançon for The Other Battlefields. In her project, Giya explores the rapid expansion of data centres in South Africa, questioning whether digital infrastructure represents a new form of resource extraction. Through portraits and personal reflections, she examines ownership, communication, and who controls cultural narratives in the digital age.

Laetitia Vançon’s The Other Battlefields documents Ukrainian youth living through war, focusing on their everyday resilience rather than the frontlines. Her images capture young people navigating education, friendship, and adulthood under the shadow of conflict. Since yesterday marked four years since the war began, this series hits particularly hard.

In addition, 21 photographers were recognized in the single image category, including Ada Marino, Jip Schalkx, Karen Paz Gonzalez, and Kseniya Halubovich, to name just a few.

Together, the selected photos reflect powerful storytelling, emotional depth, and exceptional technical craft. Across portraiture, documentary, and conceptual photography, the contest winners demonstrate how strong and diverse contemporary photography is when space is intentionally made for different perspectives. I love that contests like this exist, allowing women in photography to be more visible and to have more opportunities in this industry that can so often be harsh.

In an environment where recognition often shapes careers, awards like this help rebalance the photography industry. Well, at least tip the scales a bit to our side. And bit by bit, I hope that talented female and non-binary photographers will get into the spotlight that they absolutely deserve.

The winning work will be exhibited at 1014 Gallery in London from April 24 to May 29, 2026, and then at PhotoIreland in Dublin between September 10 and October 25. If you find yourself in any of these cities, do pay a visit! And if not, here’s a “consolation prize” – the winning images in digital form. :)

You can check out the entire gallery and learn more on the contest website and you can also pick your favorite image here.

Giya Makondo-Wills: New Scramble

Laetitia Vançon: The Other Battlefields

Single Image Winners

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