World Press Photo Exhibition 2025

Gathered from across the globe, step into stories that matter. The World Press Photo Exhibition 2025 brings compelling images captured by photojournalists and documentary photographers around the world. They capture powerful moments from world events that help people better understand issues of today. You’ll see stories of migration, climate change, war, protest, family, animals, sport, and more. 

This year’s World Press Photo competition attracted 59,320 entries from 3,778 photographers across 141 countries. A global jury chose 42 winners across six regions and three categories. These stunning images can be seen at the Tākina exhibition centre in Wellington from 5 September to 5 October between 10am-5pm. 

These images don’t just inform, they spark conversation and inspire action. In one photo, taken in Sudan, a groom holds a gun while posing for a portrait at his wedding. Another image shows a stranded Boeing 727-200 surrounded by floodwaters. There’s the viral photo of surfer Gabriel Medina bursting out of a wave at the 2024 Olympic Games. 

Tatsiana Chypsanava is the winner of the Long-Term Projects, Asia-Pacific & Oceania Region category. Her entry, ‘Te Urewera — The Living Ancestor of Tūhoe People’, was a 10-year project sharing the lives of the Teepa family in Ruatoki. She captured their deep connection to land, community, and identity. 

This year marks 70 years of World Press Photo. Since 1955, this independent non-profit has championed the power of photography. Not only as an art form, but as a tool to tell the truth, challenge perspectives, and connect people. To celebrate the milestone, the 2025 exhibition at Tākina includes talks, workshops, and pop-up events.

Hero image credit: © Marijn Fidder