2026 World Food Photography Awards Shortlist Announced

The highly anticipated shortlist for the 2026 World Food Photography Awards, sponsored by Bimi®, has been announced. Thousands of entries from over 50 countries were submitted for consideration in this prestigious competition, widely recognized as the world’s greatest celebration of food photography.

A Global Celebration of Food Through Photography

The images selected offer a unique and insightful look into the lives of people worldwide, viewed through the universal lens of food. The competition encompasses all aspects of the food cycle – from growing and harvesting to cooking, eating, celebrating, and even surviving.

Featured Photographs from the Shortlist

'The Quiet Act of Cooking' - Judith Balari

This photograph captures a young woman engaged in domestic work within a traditional Danish setting, evoking a sense of a simpler lifestyle. The image’s lighting, with sunlight streaming through windows, emphasizes texture and dimension.

'A Bird’s Eye View of the Hill' - Alessandro Anglisani

Taken in Oltrepò Pavese, this drone photograph showcases the Poggio Pregana hill, a region known for its excellent wine and natural beauty. The photographer captures the landscape at dawn or dusk to highlight the unique lighting conditions.

'First Offering' - Viet Van Tran

This image depicts the New Rice Festival in northern Vietnam, a harvest celebration where freshly harvested rice and traditional foods are offered as thanks to the land and ancestors.

'Water on Wheels' - Wim Demessemaekers

In Tanzania’s East Rift Corridor, this photograph portrays a father carrying water across cracked earth near Lake Eyasi. It highlights the vital role of water in a drought-stricken landscape and the daily struggles for survival.

'Saying Grace' - Sue O’Connell

This photograph shows new recruits at a nunnery near Yangon, Myanmar, offering refuge and companionship to orphans and refugees.

'Sushi Doughnuts' - Verity Genco

This image creatively reinterprets sushi in the form of doughnuts, playing with expectations and utilizing bold colors and symmetrical composition.

'La Perseverancia Market' - Sebastian Kahnert

This photograph captures the bustling atmosphere of La Perseverancia Market in Bogotá, Colombia, where dozens of vendors prepare lunch simultaneously.

'Summer Chocolate Oyster Mushrooms Fans' - Kate Ireland

A close-up detail of homegrown Summer Chocolate Oyster Mushrooms, showcasing their delicate fan-like structure.

'Distributeur de rue à Osaka' - Marlyse Changeas

A nighttime scene on a quiet street in Osaka, featuring a man standing before a vending machine illuminated by neon lights.

'The Perfect Smoked Old Fashioned' - Orly Catz

A dramatic presentation of the classic Old Fashioned cocktail, highlighting its traditional ingredients with a contemporary touch of wood chip smoke.

'Cook at Phuktal Monastery, Ladakh, India' - Gavin Burnett

This image depicts the cook preparing dinner in the smoke-stained kitchen of Phuktal Monastery, a unique Gompa accessible only by foot in the Zanskar valley.

'Shitao – Peach-Shaped Blessing' - Guoquan Hu

This photograph showcases a New Year folk custom in rural China, where peach-shaped shitao are made from rice and flour, symbolizing blessings and good fortune.

'Cheese it' - Greg Klukowski

A photograph from a campaign for the Hochland cheese brand, featuring food styling by Gabi Sowa and retouching by Katarzyna Kędroń.

'Night Harvest from Above in Los Carneros' - Andrew Lincoln

A drone photograph capturing the dramatic lighting of a vineyard harvest in Los Carneros, utilizing boom lights to create rich, warm colors.

'No Hands. No Cutlery.' - Simon Biffen

This image captures a traditional wedding game at The Royal Crescent Hotel, where guests race to eat dessert without using hands or cutlery.

'Cherry Bombe' - Agiie Banks

A dome-shaped cake decorated with piped buttercream, edible gold splashes, and fresh morello cherries.

'Ananas on the Road' - Valentina Bollea

A Guatemalan pineapple vendor selling whole or sliced pineapples with a strawberry topping on a remote road.

Awards Ceremony and Prizes

The winners of the 27 categories will be announced on June 2nd at the Champagne Taittinger Awards Evening in London, hosted by Chef Gennaro Contaldo. The Overall Winner will receive a prize of £5,000.