World Press Photo 2026 Winners Capture Global Crises from Afghanistan to Galicia

The World Press Photo 2026 contest has announced 42 winners from 141 countries, selected from over 3,700 photographers and 57,000 entries. Three Spanish photographers are among the honorees: Brais Lorenzo documented record wildfires in Galicia, Spain, exacerbated by climate change; Luis Tato covered youth-led protests in Madagascar that led to a power shift; and Diego Ibarra Sánchez focused on war's impact on children's education across multiple nations. The images reflect widespread global devastation, including conflicts in Russia and Ukraine, women's struggles in Afghanistan, climate change effects, and protests against ICE in Portland, USA. Specific awarded photographs include 'Una educación secuestrada' by Diego Ibarra Sánchez, showing girls at an informal outdoor school in Chaparhar, Afghanistan on November 12, 2025; 'Tierra quemada' by Brais Lorenzo, depicting a man fighting a fire with a branch in Ourense, Galicia, Spain on August 15, 2025; and 'Las protestas de la Generación Z en Madagascar' by Luis Tato, capturing military arrival in Antananarivo on October 11, 2025. Other notable finalists address issues like pesticide costs in Argentina, female-headed households in Colombia, social robots in Germany, polar bears feeding on whale carcasses near Svalbard, and flooding in Mexico. The World Press Photo of the Year will be announced on April 23. The contest is supported by National Geographic.