Siena international photo awards 2026 – in pictures
Exhibition: Jasper Doest – Meet Bob
This exhibition tells the story of a rescued flamingo and the special bond with his caregiver. A moving tale of empathy, conservation, and coexistence between humans and nature. ‘From the passenger seat, the island slides by. One of the things that struck me most while following Bob was how naturally he seemed to move through the rhythms of human life’Photograph: Jasper Doest/Siena international photo awards 2026
Exhibition: Pierpaolo Mittica – Chernobyl: Memory of a Disaster
Forty years after the disaster, Pierpaolo Mittica explores Chernobyl through stories of resilience and life inside the exclusion zone, preserving the legacy of a land shaped by catastrophe. Volodimyr Verbitksy, a former inhabitant of Pripyat and worker at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, here sits in the gym of Chernobyl-2, at Chernobyl exclusion zonePhotograph: Pierpaolo Mittica/Siena international photo awards 2026
Exhibition: Cinzia Canneri – Women’s Bodies as Battlefields
Cinzia Canneri documents the stories of Eritrean and Tigrayan women affected by war in the Horn of Africa. The image here shows an Eritrean girl walking along the railway that connects Eritrea with Ethiopia. The majority of children in Eritrea grow up without the protection of parents who either have emigrated or are serving indefinitely in the military in unknown locationsPhotograph: Cinzia Canneri/Siena international photo awards 2026
Street photography – Highly commended – Varanasi Streets
A merchant rests in his shop near the cremation ghat, where small businesses remain open day and night. A rooster wanders among packaged goods while the turquoise wall frames the scene in which daily commerce and sacred rituals coexist along the streets above the Ganges ghatsPhotograph: Arianna Speranza/Siena international photo awards 2026
Animals in their environment – Highly commended – Fatal Jump | Kiskunság national park, Hungary
By a small garden pond, swallows drink on the wing, their beaks barely skimming the water’s surface. In a moment of perfect timing, a marsh frog leaps into the air just as a swallow streaks pastPhotograph: Bence Maté/Siena international photo awards 2026
Animals in their environment – Highly commended – Gannets of the Bass Rock | North Sea
Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) engage in a fast and frenzied hunt for food, tracking shoals of fish from above before plunging into the sea like living missiles at impressive speeds. Their hydrodynamic bodies are equipped with specialised air sacs that protect them from the violent impact with the water. In this feeding frenzy, the birds move together intensely, taking advantage of the abundance of food and competing to grab it first. Bass Rock is a spectacular rocky island in the North Sea, renowned for its birdlifePhotograph: Sandy Gilmour/Siena international photo awards 2026
Sea lion games | Champion Islet, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Renowned for their playful and inquisitive nature, sea lions are among the most engaging marine animals. Eager to interact, they gently nibble and chew on everything and everyone within their reach, showcasing both their exuberance and boundless curiosityPhotograph: Tom Shlesinger/Siena international photo awards 2026
Journeys and adventures – Third place – Guardian of the Cattle | South Sudan
At dusk, as a young herder watches over the camp at dusk. The Mundari tribe – a Nilotic pastoral people with deep cultural and social roots – has preserved its customs and traditions unchanged for centuries. Their economy revolves around cattle, with which they live in an almost symbiotic relationship. Roaming the banks of the White Nile, they migrate to ensure grazing for their precious animals: the majestic, large-horned Ankole-Watusi cows and bulls, regarded as true family members, status symbols, wealth and even a form of currencyPhotograph: Alessandro Bergamini/Siena international photo awards 2026
Documentary and photojournalism | Highly commended | Massacre | Kostiantynivka, Ukraine
A wounded civilian crawls along the street after two Russian glide bombs struck the city centre near the market in Kostiantynivka. According to authorities, the attack, carried out in broad daylight, killed at least six people and injured eight othersPhotograph: Wojciech Grzedzinski/Siena international photo awards 2026
The beauty of nature – Commended – The Tree of Iceland
This natural wonder has formed over time, nestled in a shallow depression that likely fills with snow during winter, then slowly melts in summer, leaving distinct water patterns. As a result, it has become home to Iceland’s characteristic moss, which at this time of year glows vivid greenPhotograph: Radoslav Sviretsov/Siena international photo awards 2026
Street photography – Commended – Flyboarding | Musandam, Oman
A man wearing traditional attire watches another man perform on a flyboard during a water show on the sidelines of a diving festival in Musandam, Oman, as spectators line the waterfrontPhotograph: Amr Alfiky/Siena international photo awards 2026
Underwater life – Winner – Commotion in the Ocean | Shetland Islands, UK
A chaotic underwater struggle unfolds as northern gannets compete fiercely for discarded fish. What begins as a frantic aerial dive quickly transforms beneath the waves into a violent battle for survival. This intense feeding frenzy exposes the unseen consequences of human fishing activity – an artificial abundance that distorts natural behaviour, pushing these seabirds into dangerous and exhausting competitionPhotograph: Nur Tucker/Siena international photo awards 2026
Sports in action – Highly commended – Sun Shadow Skater | Bolzano, Italy
Adrian Vajansky of Team Slovakia competes during the third stage of the ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating event, bringing together the best young skaters worldwidePhotograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Siena international photo awards 2026
Documentary and photojournalism – Commended – Jimmy Carter Lies In State at Dusk
The flag-draped casket of the former US president Jimmy Carter lies in state in Washington DCPhotograph: Andrew Harnik/Siena international photo awards 2026
Documentary and photojournalism – Highly commended
– Surviving in the Shadows | Gaza, PalestineUnder a stormy sky, displaced Palestinians cook over a fire, the only source of warmth for those without electricity. Behind a translucent tarp, a figure presses their hands against the tent wall, the only shelter from the night. Every daily gesture becomes a struggle for survival amid uncertaintyPhotograph: Hassan Jedi/Siena international photo awards 2026
Sports in action – Second place – The Dark Knight | Teahupo’o, Tahiti
A rare and fleeting alignment unfolds beneath the surface. Captured from underwater, the surfer becomes a dark silhouette gliding along the wave’s face, framed by a luminous ribbon of light slicing through the waterPhotograph: Ben Thouard/Siena photo awards 2026
Animals in their environment – Winner | Power Play | Torres del Paine national park, Magallanes, Chile
A moment of intense tension as a female puma attempts to capture a guanaco. For days, Kevin had been following the predator, a mother of two cubs who depended on her for food. At dawn, after observing the guanaco for a long time, the puma cautiously approaches and launches her attack, repeatedly trying to pull it down and bite into its neck to suffocate it. Despite the intensity of the struggle, the guanaco ultimately manages to escapePhotograph: Kevin Shi/Siena international photo awards 2026
Fascinating faces and characters – Highly commended – Julien | Damascus, Syria
Julien, a survivor of the church bombing, lies on a bed in his family home in Damascus. On 15 July 2025 a suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside Mar Elias church during a service, killing at least 20 worshippers and injuring dozensPhotograph: Salwan Georges/Siena international photo awards 2026
Under 20 – Commended – Wunderpus Octopus | Anilao, Philippines
A Wunderpus octopus larva drifts through the darkness of the open ocean, reminding us that no life is insignificant – even the smallest existence is essential and beautiful when truly seenPhotograph: Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya/Siena photo awards 2026
The beauty of nature – Third place – The Sporologist – France
The reproduction of the pear-shaped puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme), a saprophytic fungus with a distinctive pear-shaped form, takes place under the silent gaze of a small woodland snail slowly climbing across its surface. The puffball relies on the dispersal of spores produced inside the gleba, which, when mature, are released through a small apical pore. When the fruiting body is stimulated by external factors such as rain or the passage of animals, the spores are expelled in a thin cloud, resembling smoke, which is carried by the wind, ensuring the continuity of the species’ life cyclePhotograph: Benjamin Pawlica/Siena international photo awards 2026
Fascinating faces and characters | Highly commended | The Barefoot Volcanologist | Tanna, Vanuatu
Phillip on the ash plains of Mount Yasur. Wearing a lava-protection suit donated by visiting scientists, the volcano smoulders behind him. Born and raised at the base of Mount Yasur, Phillip has spent years studying and monitoring the volcano. He trained with French volcanologist Thomas Boyer, but due to limited access to education and the high cost of tuition, has no formal qualifications. Despite this, Phillip is now internationally recognised as a self-taught volcanologistPhotograph: Elle Leontiev/Siena international photo awards 2026
Underwater life – Highly commended – Expectant Parents Anilao, Philippines
Two whip coral gobies share a tender embrace while guarding their maturing eggs. These tiny fish – barely 3.5 centimetres long – are known to form monogamous pairs and to be remarkably dedicated parents, carefully tending their clutch until the eggs hatch. What makes this species even more extraordinary is its ability to change sex in response to specific social cues, ensuring the pair bond is always maintainedPhotograph: Mark Chang/Siena international photo awards 2026
Street photography – Second place – The Fan Oout
During the Notting Hill carnival, the west London area transforms into a whirlwind of steel pans, booming sound systems, and vibrant masquerade bands. This event, Europe’s largest street festival celebrating Caribbean culture since 1966, attracts millions of visitors each year. Under the sweltering August sun, attendees from all over the world cool themselves with bright fansPhotograph: Olesia Kim/Siena photo awards 2026
Street photography – Highly Ccommended – The Trousers Man | Varanasi, India
Amid the alleys of Varanasi, where the rhythm of life flows fast, a local worker rests among rows of trousers drying in the sun. This moment of profound peace transforms reality into a living pattern: the man’s body merges with the expanse of fabrics, becoming an integral part of their texturePhotograph: Gianpaolo La Paglia/Siena international photo awards 2026
Journey and adventures – Highly commended – Pickering Hotel 4
The Parkroyal Collection Pickering hotel feels like a lush vertical garden in the heart of Singapore. Its swimming pool is framed by sky-gardens and cabanas that offer a serene retreat, creating a verdant architecture that contrasts dramatically with the hectic streets belowPhotograph: Chin Leong Teo/Siena international photo awards 2026
Exhibition: Witness to Our Time – James Nachtwey
Children in San Luis de la Reina, El Salvador, 1984. For more than four decades, James Nachtwey has documented conflicts and humanitarian crises. This exhibition reveals the dignity, resilience, and humanity that endure amid history’s darkest momentsPhotograph: James Nachtwey/Siena international photo awards 2026
Journeys and adventures – Commended – In One Line
Thousands of worshippers dressed in white ihram garments, all facing the same direction. Despite differences in races, colours, and backgrounds, the scene becomes unified in a single movement and a single line, where human diversity dissolves into visual harmonyPhotograph: Ammar alamir/Siena photo awards 2026
Photographer of the year | Amina | Kabul, Afghanistan
Amina, an Afghan girl, embodies the condition of Afghan women: a life spent in the shadows, confined within the walls of her home, her eyes struggling to glimpse a future that, for now, remains steeped in darkness. In any other corner of the globe, the right to fight for a better life exists, but this is not the case for Afghan women, who are deprived of the right to work and their independence – the only weapons to change their destinyPhotograph: Stefano Rosselli/Siena international photo awards 2026KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.