Winners of the 2026 World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
The winners of this year’s World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi have been announced, celebrating food storytelling across the world. The winners of the 27 categories were unveiled by chef and food writer Gennaro Contaldo at the Mall Galleries in London this evening.
“These Awards highlight the power of photography to tell food stories from around the world,” says Dave Samuels, Brand Director of Tenderstem Bimi Broccolini and headline sponsor of the Awards. “The remarkable images remind us of the essential role food plays in communities across the globe – through growing, harvesting, cooking, eating, celebrating and surviving. Whatever changes the world goes through, food remains central to our lives.”
This year’s edition of the contest saw nearly 9000 entries from over 50 countries. The judging panel was chaired by David Loftus, a legendary food photographer, and included Claire Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation; Tom Athron, CEO, Fortnum & Mason; Rein Skullerud, Senior Photographer & Photo Editor, World Food Program; Jamie Oliver, Chef, Restaurateur; and Olia Hercules, Food Campaigner, Activist, Author and Chef.
An exhibition of all 203 finalists will be on view at the Mall Galleries, London, from June 3 to June 7. We’ve included a selection of the category winners below, but you can see all of the 2026 finalists and category winners on the contest website.
Overall Winner and Fortnum & Mason Food at the Table
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Title: A Woman Eats in the Canteen of the Soviet-era Sanatorium
Photo credit: Jo Kearney / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: British
Description: The Khoja Obi Garm sanatorium (health hotel), Tajikistan, is a brutalist concrete monstrosity built on hot radon gas-infused springs in the mountains. During Soviet times, communist workers were given two weeks annual holiday here. Today, its low price – $28 per day including full board and treatments – attracts ordinary Tajiks plus tourists from the neighboring ‘Stans’ and the odd backpacker. Treatments include hot pools and steam rooms, wax wraps and tanning barrels, plus hearty, healthy meals.
Instagram: @jokearneyphotography
Cream of the Crop
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Title: Ine Fishing Village, Kyoto, Japan
Photo credit: Albert González / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Spanish
Description: Squids drying in the sun using the traditional Japanese technique of Himono in the fishing village of Ine, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
Technical details: Canon EOS 6D | EF 70-200mm F4L IS USM | 89mm | F6.3 | 1/3200 sec | ISO 125
Instagram: @leckerstudio
Cake Award
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Title: A Mid-Century Man and His Cake
Photo credit: Claudia Anton / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Australian
Description: This image creates a cinematic mid-century mood with high contrast, warm tones and textures. The cake is the centerpiece with symmetrical lines and buttercream swirls glowing in the firelight. The scene is filled with hidden vintage surprises, family heirlooms and trinkets. A nod to the era and a moment in time.
Instagram: @thesugarologist
Bring Home the Harvest
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Title: Early Morning Catch, Hooghly River
Photo credit: Marco Rutten / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Dutch
Description: At sunrise beneath Howrah Bridge, a small crew hauls in their nets on the Hooghly River. River fish remain everyday food and income here: catches from boats like this are sold in nearby markets and prepared that very morning in Bengali kitchens. A quiet, collective harvest beneath the city’s busiest crossing.
Technical details: Canon EOS 6D Mark II | EF 24-105mm F4L IS II USM | 35mm | F7.1 | 1/80 sec |ISO 100
Instagram: @marcophotoworld
Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer
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Title: Twin Bridesmaids Enjoy Canapés, Devon, UK
Photo credit: Emma Stoner / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: British
Description: May 2025. Twin bridesmaids enjoy canapés of ‘Proper Crisps’ at Jess & Tom’s wedding. They are pictured in the gardens at The Grain Store in Devon, UK.
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV | EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM | 35mm | F3.5 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 500
Instagram: @emmastonerphotos
Food Influencer
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Title: Noodles
Photo credit: Maja Lewicz / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Polish
Description: Dark, moody noodles with texture that you can almost feel. Mysterious, bold and irresistible.
Technical details: Canon EOS 6D Mark II | EF 50mm F1.8 STM | F10 | 0.3 sec | ISO 100
Instagram: @veggie_intervention
Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year – Overall Winner (and People)
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Title: In the Depths of the Deposit
Photo credit: Juan Miguel Ortuño Martinez / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Spanish
Description: During the cleaning of the underground tanks, Pedro goes down and cleans the walls and floor of the remains of the previous wine with pressurized water. Once clean, his partner lowers a small bucket with a sponge inside to collect the remains that are left in the lower corner.
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 | EF 24mm F1.4L II USM | F1.6 | 1/125 sec | ISO 6400
Instagram: @ortunojuanmiguel
Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year – Places
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Title: The Hidden Vineyard, Pokolbin NSW, Australia
Photo credit: Chris Elfes / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Description: This vineyard is just beside a main road, but you can’t see it unless you stop. It is sort of hidden. This image was taken while Mount Pleasant Wines picked their Semillon grapes. I stopped to shoot the ground action, but the drone gave me a great perspective, and nature did its best to help me.
Technical details: DJI Air 2S | 22mm equiv. | F2.8 | 1/800 sec | ISO 200
Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year – Produce
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Title: In the Eye of the Kvevri
Photo credit: Luke Carver / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: British
Description: Point-of-view shot from inside a traditional kvevri during the 2025 grape harvest in Georgia.
Technical details: Canon EOS 6D | EF 16-35mm F2.8L II USM | 16mm | F2.8 | 1/800 sec | ISO 12,800
Instagram: @lukecarverphoto
The James Beard Foundation Photography Award
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Title: At the Register
Photo credit: Daniel D Kwak / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: American
Description: A moment of respite from the line at Hadja Marley, an authentic Senegalese eatery in Brooklyn. This portrait captures the daily rhythm of life on Fulton Street, focusing on the steady presence of the staff and the traditional West African flavors that bring the local community together. A study of neighborhood service.
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV | 24-70mm F2.8 | 51mm | F3.2 | 1/500 sec | ISO 3200
Instagram: @foodcre8ive, @dkcre8ive
Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award
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Title: Raw Pairing No.2
Photo credit: Styling: Sarah Ghijselinck | Photo: Sandra Declercq / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Belgian
Description: Instead of presenting a finished dish, this image focuses on the ingredients behind the pairing. Salt, fat and vegetal bitterness are arranged in balance, illustrating how wine pairing originates in the interaction of fundamental flavors rather than the final recipe.
Technical details: Canon EOS R | EF 100mm F2.8 Macro USM | F20 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100
Instagram: @sarahghijselinck.foodstyling
Food in the Field
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Title: Dusty Journey
Photo credit: Serkan Dogus / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Description: Every morning, hundreds of sheep arrive in the village from the high pastures of Mount Nemrut for milking. After the milking is completed, at sunset, the sheep set out once again toward Mount Nemrut, and their dusty journey begins.
Technical details: Sony a7R III | FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS | 164mm | F8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 100
Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers
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Title: Granny’s Welcoming Gift of Love
Photo credit: Kellie Carter / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: American
Description: This home affirms the true meaning of family. Where home is sustained by generosity, where love is expressed through making, sharing and showing up again and again. Where Granny’s smile, fresh-baked cookies and a cold glass of milk can make even the bleakest of days bright again.
World of Drinks
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Title: Campari Barmen, Milan
Photo credit: Marie-Louise Moutafchieva / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Canadian/Bulgarian
Description: I happened by chance to turn my attention to the local bar on the corner of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Camparino. The expression of the barman and the waiter dressed in white tuxedos instantly created a story I had to capture. It was one of those moments where I found myself in the right place at the right time.
Technical details: Sony a7 III | FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS | 70mm | F6.3 |1/160 sec | ISO 320
Instagram: @marielouphotography
Food for the Family supported by The Felix Project
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Title: The Final Touch
Photo credit: Michela Balboni and Federico Borella / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Italian
Description: Little Asilbek touching the hot bread, straight out of the family tandoor. In Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the ‘non’ is unlike any other: round, dense, with a thick, chewy crust, and always marked in its center with black sesame seeds.
Technical details: Leica SL2-S | Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH. | 35mm | F5 | 1/320 sec | ISO 800
Instagram: @_michelabalboni_
Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 13 – 17
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Title: Chhath Puja Offerings
Photo credit: Indigo Larmour / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Irish
Description: During Chhath Puja, food offerings are held by devotees, who stand in bodies of water as they pray to the sun god, Surya. This Puja is predominantly performed by women, and is always vibrant and colorful, particularly when observed in a rural setting, such as this in West Bengal, India.
Technical details: Nikon D600 | AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm F4G ED VR | 24mm | F4 | 1/640 sec | ISO 250
Instagram: @i_larmour
Politics of Food
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Title: Irebero Miller
Photo credit: Glenn Vanderbeke / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Description: Portrait of a female miller after processing grains into cornmeal. At Vocational Training Center Irebero, single women are trained as millers.
Technical details: Canon EOS 600D | Tokina atx-i 11-16mm F2.8 | 11mm | F3.2 | 1/40 sec | ISO 400
M&S Food Rising Star
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Title: The Making of Granola Bars
Photo credit: Sarah-Vanessa Schneider / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Swiss
Description: This image captures the process of making granola bars, highlighting the warm afternoon light spilling across a rustic setting dominated by browns and blues. The human element grounds the quiet mood of the scene. Sometimes a story isn’t told in the finished dish, but in the act of making it.
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV | EF 85mm F1.2L II USM | F3.5 | 1/10 sec | ISO 100
Instagram: @velvetandvinegar
unearthed Food for Sale
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Title: Cabbage Market. Mohastangor, Bogura, Bangladesh
Photo credit: Kazi Mohammad Golam Quddus / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Description: In Mahasthangarh, Bogra, a large vegetable market comes alive each morning. Farmers bring in their freshly harvested cabbages, usually transported by rickshaw vans, and gather for the daily cabbage market. Traders buy the produce here and supply it to Dhaka and other major cities.
Technical details: Hasselblad L2D-20c | 24mm F2.8 | F5.6 | 1/80 sec | ISO 400
Production Paradise Previously Published
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Title: Poaching
Photo credit: Erik Lafontaine / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Belgian
Description: A poached mackerel emerging from a deep, shadowed broth. Controlled lighting sculpts texture and surface tension. The image plays with darkness and stillness, turning humble preparation into a study of depth, contrast and restrained drama.
Technical details: Fujifilm GFX 100S II | GF 55mm F1.7 R WR | F4 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100
Instagram: @helloeriklafontaine
RPS Student Food Photographer of the Year
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Title: Red Cocktail
Photo credit: Lara Zeh / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: German
Description: A sophisticated, monochromatic study of heat and elegance. This deep crimson composition uses a precise spotlight to highlight the glass’s silhouette and create depth. Featuring a hand-crafted chili-sugar rim, the image focuses on geometric symmetry and rich textures, translating the cocktail’s spicy character into a bold, artistic statement.
Technical details: Canon EOS R6 Mark III | RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM | 70mm | F18 | 1/250 sec | ISO 640
Instagram: @_larazeh_
The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action
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Title: Proven Recipe
Photo credit: Lehóczki Balázs / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Hungarian
Description: I had planned this image for six to seven years, but kept postponing it, feeling unworthy of capturing them. Now, because of their age, I couldn’t wait. Grandma went to the hairdresser, Grandpa shaved, and I filled their kitchen with studio gear. When she saw the photograph, my grandmother called me an artist.
Technical details: Fujifilm GFX 100 | GF 45mm F2.8 R WR | F4.5 | 1/125 sec | ISO 640
Instagram: @lehoczkistudio
World Food Program Food for Life
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Title: The Open Air Hotel
Photo credit: Mithail Afrige Chowdhury / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Description: An open-air restaurant owner serves food to her customers. She sells at a low price so that daily laborers who work at the Gabtoli coal station can afford it. The photograph was taken in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Technical details: iPhone 12 Pro Max | 26mm equiv. | F1.6 | 1/120 sec | ISO 50
Instagram: @mithail_afrige
Street Food
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Title: Kyoto Street Vendor
Photo credit: Kara Baird / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Australian
Description: Shot in Kyoto, Japan in September 2025, this image was taken in a split second as I moved through the packed, sweaty crowd at Nishiki Market. With barely any space to stop, I raised the camera and captured a brief, unfiltered moment of the energy and intensity of the market at its busiest.
Instagram: @karabairdphotography
The Bimi Prize
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Title: Candied Pear
Photo credit: Anne Mason-Hoerter / World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi
Nationality: Canadian
Description: I wanted to create a unique image of candied fruit, and I have always been fascinated by the transparency of colors revealed through the process. I began by slicing a pear very thinly and boiling the slices in a mixture of sugar and water. Once the slices became transparent, I laid them out to dry on paper. The image was created using sugar water and a pear slice placed on a glass sheet, along with coloured plastic in front of a table lamp. I photographed the setup multiple times from different angles, and finally, I used Photoshop to combine the various images.
Instagram: @annehoerter