The finalists for the 2025 edition of the World Food Photography Awards, which celebrate the best culinary photography and films worldwide, have been revealed.
Just a few more weeks before we discover the grand winners! Ahead of the awards ceremony on May 20 in London, hosted by chef, restaurateur, and writer Yotam Ottolenghi, the shortlisted images have now been unveiled. Over 700 photographs are still in the running, selected from thousands of entries received from 70 countries. Divided into 25 categories, they are competing in this new edition of the culinary photography contest, sponsored by Tenderstem® Bimi® Broccolini.
“From farming and harvesting to cooking, tasting, celebrating, and survival, these images offer a unique perspective on people’s lives through the lens of food,” remind the organizers.
Among the selected images, for example, is Harvest in Action, shortlisted in the category “Bring Home the Harvest.” The photograph captures a cyclist entirely concealed beneath the vegetation he is transporting. Belgian photographer Wim Demessemaekers explains, “Along the Swahili coast of Tanzania, farmers master the art of balance, carrying their bounty with silent determination. This is how the harvest finds its way home.”
On the other side of the world, Dinner at the Moulin Rouge, Paris by Franck Tremblay is competing in the “Fortnum & Mason Food at the Table” category. In a simple yet delicate scene with red and blue tones, the photograph reveals “two dancers from the show tasting the dishes I had just photographed for a magazine.” The competition also highlights human moments, as seen in Ham, Cheese, Bread and Butter by Glenna Jennings, shortlisted in the “Food for the Family” category. The image captures “a mother and her son exchanging a knowing look over a delicious Balkan breakfast in Serbia.”
Scenes, Portraits, Details, and Landscapes
Committed to showcasing the diversity of food photography, the World Food Photography Awards also reveal other visual stories and different ways of depicting food. Some images take a broader perspective, like Yellow Rice Season in Mucangchai by Vietnamese photographer Chim Oanh, shortlisted in the “Food in the Field” category. The photograph offers a stunning landscape of “the high and low terraced rice fields of Mu Cang Chai, in the Yen Bai province of Vietnam.” Others focus on intricate details, such as the stylized layers of chocolate arranged by Els De Pauw and photographed by Karl Bruninx, competing in the “Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture” category.
This is just a glimpse of the hundreds of photographs that will be reviewed by an international jury, chaired by renowned food photographer David Loftus. The jury also includes Claire Reichenbach (CEO of the James Beard Foundation), Tom Athron (CEO of Fortnum & Mason), Max La Manna (award-winning digital creator), Rein Skullerud (photographer and photo editor at the United Nations World Food Programme), and Mogau Seshoene (chef and author).
After the final deliberation, the grand prize winner will receive £5,000 GBP (approximately €6,000). The finalist images will be exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London from Wednesday, May 21, to Sunday, May 25. A selection of images will also be displayed at Fortnum & Mason starting June 2 and at the Museum of the Home from June 3 to September 7.
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