Overall Winner. Anthanasios Maloukas, “Konya, Turkey.”
Every year, the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards conjure visions of sacred rituals, dramatic landscapes, breathtaking animals, and communal gatherings. It should come as no surprise, then, that it’s nearly impossible to browse TPOTY’s photographs without experiencing some sense of wanderlust. The winning images from 2025 are no exception.
“The standard this year was outstanding,” judge Krystal Chryssomallis said. “The strongest photographs carried depth, intention, and emotion, demonstrating the narrative power of a single image and reminding us that our world, when truly seen, is extraordinarily powerful and beautiful.”
In 2025, more than 20,000 photographs from 160 countries were submitted for consideration, but Athanasios Maloukos triumphed as the contest’s first overall winner from Greece. His shots of the Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey, and the Holy Week in Zamora, Spain, intrigued judges with their atmospheric lighting, their hypnotic sense of movement, and their exploration of spirituality. Despite being an amateur photographer, Maloukos earned high praise from judge Jeremy Hoare, who described his work as “one of the best over the last 23 years of these awards.”
“These images require immense skill to get right,” says TPOTY founder Chris Coe. “Shooting on the edge like this requires very careful use of shutter speed to selectively freeze and blur the movements in these two ceremonies. There’s a sense of rhythm and reverence in the images, which is incredibly difficult to achieve. This is all achieved in camera without over-processing and conveys the depth and intensity of each moment.”
Also contending with culture and tradition was Dashawatar Gopalkrishna Bade, whose winning submission depicted the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage in rural Maharashtra, India. The composition is joyful and dynamic, shot at a low angle that emphasizes the two Warkaris at the center of the scene. Their hands locked together and clothes caked in mud, the men perform a traditional dance with bamboo sticks, beaming at one another with carefree abandon.
“Their clothes are smeared with mud, symbolizing the earthy, devotional spirit of the journey,” Bade says of the Warkaris. “The entire scene radiates community, devotion, energy and cultural richness, capturing the spirit of the Pandharpur Wari.”
Some photographers focused on landscapes and wildlife instead, including Mohammad Murad of Kuwait. In his portfolio of images, we have the opportunity to trek alongside Arabian desert foxes that live near residential areas in Kuwait City. The striking contrast between the foxes and their urban surroundings heightens the collection’s visual intrigue, while also raising questions about habitat loss and climate change. Kevin Yu Shi, on the other hand, captures a dramatic moment in which a puma attacks a guanaco in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.
“It’s a rare treat to see a puma hunting right in front of you,” Shi remarks. “She had two adorable cubs who depended on her to bring them food. She was really close to biting into the neck and suffocating the guanaco. But guess what? The guanaco was a tough cookie, and it managed to escape.”
This is just a glimpse into the winning photographs from the 2025 competition. Scroll down to discover more remarkable images from around the world—and fuel your wanderlust.
Anthanasios Maloukas of Greece was the overall winner of the 2025 Travel Photographer of the Year awards, thanks to his atmospheric images of sacred rituals in Spain and Turkey.
Overall Winner. Anthanasios Maloukas, “Zamora, Spain.”
Overall Winner. Anthanasios Maloukas, “Konya, Turkey.”
Overall Winner. Anthanasios Maloukas, “Zamora, Spain.”
Explore more winners of the 2025 Travel Photographer of the Year awards below.
Single Image Winner: Culture, Heritage & Beliefs. Dashawatar Gopalkrishna Bade, “Bajirav Vihir, Natepute, Solapur, Maharashtra, India.”
Single Image Winner: Wildlife, Sealife & Birdlife. Kevin Yu Shi, “Torres del Paine, Chile.”
Single Image Winner: Landscape, Weather & Climate. Ferté Alais, “Laetitia Guichard, France.”
One Shot Winner: Slow Travel. Teo Chin Leong, “Tokyo, Japan.”
Portfolio Winner: Cultures, Heritage, & Beliefs. Mitchell Kananshkevich, “Ouadane, Mauritania.”
Portfolio Winner: Wildlife, Sealife, and Birdlife. Mohammad Murad, “Kuwait seaside, Kuwait.”
Single Image Winner: Adventures & Experiences Portfolio. Frederico Figueiredo Cerdeira, “Cloudbreak Reef, Tavarua Island, Fiji.”
Single Image Winner: Travel Portraits. Rahsan Firtina, “Hanoi, Vietnam.”
One Shot Winner: Travel Image of the Year. Dana Allen, “Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania.”
Portfolio Winner: Cultures, Heritage, & Beliefs. Mitchell Kananshkevich, “Abuna Yemata Guh, Tigray Region, Ethiopia.”
Winner: Rising Talent. Sue O‘Connell, “OvanKhumbi Village, Southern Angola.”
Portfolio Winner: Landscape, Weather & Climate. Paul Sansome, “Nordurfjordur, Árneshreppur, Iceland.”
Portfolio Winner: Adventures & Experiences. Sara Bardotti, “Yamal peninsula, Siberia, Russia.”
One Shot Winner: Green Planet. John Edwards, “Sukhothai, Thailand.”