Female photographers recognised at the 2025 World Food Photography Awards
Overall Winner (and Food for the Family supported by the the Felix Project) Xiaoling Li/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem® Bimi® Broccolini
The winners in the 2025 World Food Photography Awards, sponsored by Tenderstem® Bimi® Broccolini, have been announced, with Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li taking the top prize for her image ‘The Elderly Having Delicious Food’. It’s a particularly notable win as Xiaoling is one of a number of women whose work was recognised across the competition’s 25 categories.
Her photograph, which also won the Food for the Family category supported by The Felix Project, captures five elderly women sharing Sichuan spring rolls in the warm afternoon light. Taken in Shuangliu Ancient Town, the image celebrates the simple joy of food shared with friends. “They are ‘setting up a Dragon Gate formation’,” Xiaoling explains - a Chinese phrase describing neighbours gathering to eat, chat and catch up. The £5,000 prize goes to Xiaoling for a beautifully composed and emotionally rich photograph that quietly speaks volumes about connection and community.
Caroline Kenyon, Founder of the Awards, said: “What a perfect winning image for our times. The joy these women share is unmistakable. It’s a powerful reminder that good food and true friendship are universal.”
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Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers: Lizzie Mayson/World Food Photography Awards
Other female photographers stood out across multiple categories. Lizzie Mayson won the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers with her portrait of Delfina, a seasoned pasta maker in Italy’s Lazio region. Delfina creates vast quantities of Fieno di Canepina by hand, delivering it to her local church to feed those in need.
Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer: Emma Stoner/World Food Photography Awards
British photographer Emma Stoner was awarded the Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Photographer prize for her image of a couple enjoying canapés in a Devon woodland, while Susan Lang captured a delightful moment of rare Large Black piglets for the Food in the Field category.
Food in the Field: Susan Lang/World Food Photography Awards
Dutch photographer Dorien Paymans won Cream of the Crop with Flour Swirl, an image that combines baking and Japanese symbolism to explore the mindful nature of food preparation.
Cream of the Crop: Dorien Paymans/World Food Photography Awards
American photographer Heather Daenitz claimed Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year for Pinot Noir at Midnight, taken as vineyard workers harvested grapes by tractor light in California.
Overall Winner of Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (and People sub-category): Heather Daenitz/World Food Photography Awards
Young women were also celebrated. Polish 12-year-old Maja Kowalczyk won the Jamie Oliver Youth Prize (12 and under) with Family, an image showing the joy of pulling home-grown carrots. In the 13–17 category, Irish teenager Indigo Larmour captured the spirit of Indian street food in Early Morning Puris, Delhi, India.
Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 12 and under: Maja Kowalczyk/World Food Photography Awards
Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 13 -17: Indigo Larmour/World Food Photography Awards.
Other female winners included Jo Kearney for Politics of Food, with a poignant image of Afghan women waiting for bread and Eva Maté from Spain, who took Student Food Photographer of the Year with a playful image of strawberries splashing into water.
Meanwhile, Audrey Laferrière won the Tiptree Cake Award, Alessandra Bartoloni claimed the World of Drinks Award and Linda Repasky is the winner of the On the Phone Award.
Politics of Food: Jo Kearney/World Food Photography Awards
Student Food Photographer of the Year supported by The Royal Photographic Society: Eva Maté/World Food Photography Awards
Tiptree Cake Award: Audrey Laferrière/World Food Photography Awards
World of Drinks: Alessandra Bartoloni/World Food Photography Awards
On the Phone in support of Action Against Hunger: Linda Repasky/World Food Photography Awards
All 185 winning and finalist images are on show in a free-to-enter exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London from 21–25 May. There are further opportunities to see some of the images at Fortnum & Mason from 2 June and the Museum of the Home from 3 June to 7 September.
You can see all the finalist images on the World Food Photography Awards website.
