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• The Overall Winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 were announced tonight at a special gala ceremony in London

Published

أسبوعين ago

أبريل 20, 2025

Editor

• Zed Nelson receives prestigious Photographer of the Year title
• Susan Meiselas honoured as the 2025 Outstanding Contribution to Photography
• 10 Professional category winners additionally announced
• Exhibition opens at London’s Somerset House from 17 April – 5 May

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates,20 April 2025) – The Sony World Photography Awards announced today the overall winners of its 18th edition at a special gala ceremony in London, bringing together leading figures in the industry to honour this year’s winners and their achievements.

The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2025 title was awarded to the acclaimed British photographer Zed Nelson for the series The Anthropocene Illusion. Nelson receives a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present an additional body of work at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition.

Nelson was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced at today’s ceremony, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. The evening’s programme additionally recognised the overall winners of the Awards’ Open, Student and Youth competitions. Also honoured during the course of the evening was this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, the acclaimed documentary photographer Susan Meiselas.

Over almost two decades, the Awards have become a definitive annual moment for the discovery and celebration of contemporary photography. Each year the Awards celebrate the stories and images that shape our visual language and capture the imagination, offering a global perspective on this ever-evolving medium. The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition is on display at Somerset House, London from 17 April – 5 May, presenting over 300 prints and hundreds of images in digital displays, as well as a special presentation by Susan Meiselas.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The Anthropocene Illusion is a long-term documentary project, spanning six years and four continents, which explores the deeply fractured relationship between humans and the natural world. Taking the concept of the ‘Anthropocene’, a term for the current period in Earth’s history which is characterised by humans being the dominant influence on the environment, Nelson’s series focuses on humanity’s response to its impact on the planet. The project looks at artificial spaces, created by humans as a means to ‘experience’ and interact with nature, from safari parks, nature reserves and resorts, to natural history museums, zoos and green cities. Nelson uses these constructions as a lens through which to explore the dissonance between the human desire to stay connected to nature, and the continuous environmental destruction caused by human activity.

Commenting on Zed Nelson’s winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2025 Professional jury says: ‘The jury applauded Nelson’s urgent topic and his ability to translate complex environmental issues into striking visual narratives. The Anthropocene Illusion illustrates a world where the boundaries between the real and the artificial blur, where the wild survives in controlled enclosures, and where human nostalgia for nature is expressed through spectacle rather than action. Nelson’s work compels viewers to question their own role in this paradox and consider the consequences of a society increasingly distanced from the natural world. This timely body of work tells one of the most important stories of our age, and is now more critical than ever.’

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS
The winning series in the 2025 Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges. Each of the winning photographers displays an original approach to narrative and exceptional technical ability.

As part of their prize this year, for the first time the Professional category winners were invited to attend Insights, a day of specialised sessions with industry experts in London. Drawn from leading institutional and commercial photography spaces, the expert speakers offered the winners their insights on ways to continue expanding their platforms and growing their reach. All of the category winners additionally receive Sony digital imaging equipment. To learn more about this year’s Professional winners and finalists, please visit worldphoto.org.

This year’s winners are:

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
WINNER: Ulana Switucha (Canada) for The Tokyo Toilet Project
Finalists: 2nd place Andre Tezza (Brazil); 3rd place Owen Davies (United Kingdom)

CREATIVE
WINNER: Rhiannon Adam (United Kingdom) for Rhi-Entry
Finalists: 2nd place Irina Shkoda (Ukraine); 3rd place Julio Etchart & Holly Birtles (United Kingdom)

DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS
WINNER: Toby Binder (Germany) for Divided Youth of Belfast
Finalists: 2nd place Florence Goupil (Peru); 3rd place Alex Bex (France)

ENVIRONMENT
WINNER: Nicolás Garrido Huguet (Peru) for Alquimia Textil
Finalists: 2nd place Maria Portaluppi (Ecuador); 3rd place Cristóbal Olivares (Chile)

LANDSCAPE
WINNER: Seido Kino (Japan) for The Strata of Time
Finalists: 2nd place Lalo de Almeida (Brazil), 3rd place Mischa Lluch (Spain)

PERSPECTIVES
WINNER: Laura Pannack (United Kingdom) for The Journey Home from School
Finalists: 2nd place Giovanni Capriotti (Italy); 3rd place Valentin Valette (France)

PORTRAITURE
WINNER: Gui Christ (Brazil) for M’kumba
Finalists: 2nd place Raúl Belinchón (Spain); 3rd place Tom Franks (United Kingdom)

SPORT
WINNER: Chantal Pinzi (Italy) for Shred the Patriarchy
Finalists: 2nd place Michael Dunn (Bolivia); 3rd place Antonio López Díaz (Spain)

STILL LIFE
WINNER: Peter Franck (Germany) for Still Waiting
Finalists: 2nd place KM Asad (Bangladesh); 3rd place Alessandro Gandolfi (Italy)

WILDLIFE & NATURE
WINNER: Zed Nelson (United Kingdom) for The Anthropocene Illusion
Finalists: 2nd place Pascal Beaudenon (France); 3rd place Kevin Shi (United States)

OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The Open competition celebrates the power and dynamism of a single photograph. Winning photographs are selected for their ability to distil a singular moment and evoke a broader narrative. The Open Photographer of the Year 2025 is Olivier Unia (France), who receives a $5000 (USD) cash prize and Sony digital imaging equipment.

Olivier Unia was chosen from the 10 Open category winners for his photograph Tbourida La Chute, which captures the danger and excitement of the moment a rider is thrown from their mount during a tbourida, a traditional Moroccan equestrian performance.

Commenting on his win, Olivier Unia says: ‘I’m very proud to be the Open Photographer of the Year in this major competition. It gives me the confidence to continue to share my work. I entered Tbourida La Chute, one of the photographs from a project I’ve been working on for the past two years about the Moroccan equestrian art form of tbourida, and I am pleased to see this image recognised.’

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The brief for this year’s Student competition was In the Beginning. Students of photography from leading institutions across the world were invited to enter a series documenting the beginning stages of a story. The Student Photographer of the Year 2025 is Micaela Valdivia Medina (Peru), from the Instituto Profesional Arcos in Chile. Micaela Valdivia Medina’s project, The Last Day We Saw the Mountains and the Sea, focuses on female prison spaces across Chile, and the dynamics that shape the lives of incarcerated women and their families.

Commenting on her win, Micaela Valdivia Medina says: ‘To be a winner in the Sony World Photography Awards is very important to me, but also to all the women I worked with for this project. To talk about and photograph prison spaces is never easy, but it is necessary to keep making and sharing these images. As a student, I appreciate this opportunity and recognition. At this time when photography and arts education is in decline, I think it’s important that students, teachers and professional photographers unite to protect it.’

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
For the 2025 Youth competition, photographers aged 19 and under were invited to respond to an Open Call and enter their best images from the last year. The Youth Photographer of the Year 2025, chosen from a shortlist of 11 photographers, is Daniel Dian-Ji Wu (Taiwan, 16 years old) for his arresting image of a skateboarder doing a trick, silhouetted against a sunset in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

Commenting on his win, Daniel Dian-Ji Wu says: ‘It’s an incredible honour to be named Youth Photographer of the Year. I feel beyond excited and grateful. Photography has been a huge part of my life for the past seven years, so this means so much to me—not just as recognition, but as a reminder of why I love what I do. It opens doors to new opportunities and connections, which makes the journey ahead even more meaningful. I’m really thankful to the Sony World Photography Awards for selecting me and can’t wait to see what’s next.’

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2025 is awarded to acclaimed documentary photographer Susan Meiselas. Known for her collaborative approach to portraiture, and for shedding light on lesser-known narratives, Meiselas’ work has been instrumental in shaping contemporary documentary practices, and the conversation around participation in photography.

More than 60 images by Meiselas, including excerpts from some of her landmark series, are on view at Somerset House as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, showing some of the key themes and narrative trajectories of the past five decades of her practice.

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HMH set to open a new hotel in Makkah and signs two key agreements at Arabian Travel Market 2025

Published

15 ساعة ago

أبريل 30, 2025

Editor

HMH Advances Regional Growth with New Makkah Hotel and Strategic Agreements at ATM

Corp Makkah Al Naseem Set to Redefine Pilgrim Hospitality in Line with Vision 2030

15 Years at ATM: HMH Strengthens Its Role as a Key Hospitality Partner in MENA

Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), a leading hospitality group in the MENA region, is entering a significant phase of regional expansion with the upcoming opening of the Corp Makkah Al Naseem Hotel and two strategic agreements signed at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025. These developments highlight the company’s commitment to elevating hospitality standards while supporting Vision 2030 across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region.

In Makkah, HMH is preparing to launch the Corp Makkah Al Naseem Hotel, a 460-room property strategically positioned to serve pilgrims visiting the holy city. Scheduled to open after this year’s Hajj season, the hotel combines elegant interiors with modern amenities to create a welcoming environment for spiritual reflection and physical rejuvenation. The property features comprehensive guest facilities including a fully equipped fitness centre, diverse dining options offering specialty cuisine, and a tranquil café – all thoughtfully designed to enhance the pilgrim experience.

Mr. Haytham Abdelaziz, Chief Operating Officer of HMH, commented: “Corp Makkah Al Naseem Hotel achieves a careful balance between contemporary comfort and spiritual sanctuary. We’ve designed every element to support guests’ wellbeing, from nourishing meals to peaceful surroundings, allowing them to focus completely on their pilgrimage.” The hotel’s opening forms part of HMH’s broader commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s religious tourism infrastructure development, aligning with national initiatives to enhance the experience for millions of annual visitors.

During ATM 2025, HMH solidified its regional expansion with two key agreements: a signed management contract for the 460-room Corp Makkah Al Naseem Hotel, strengthening its Eastern Province presence, and a memorandum of understanding for a new Dammam hotel development. These strategic moves demonstrate HMH’s balanced approach to serving both business and religious tourism sectors across the GCC.

“These agreements reflect our strategic expansion approach, perfectly aligned with our mission to serve diverse tourism sectors throughout the region,” Abdelaziz added. With over 2600 rooms either operational or in development, HMH is positioned to significantly influence the region’s hospitality landscape. The group continues to leverage regional travel trends and government-supported tourism initiatives to drive sustainable growth.

As HMH marks 15 years of participation at ATM, these achievements underscore its evolution as a trusted hospitality partner, delivering innovative, guest-centred solutions across MENA’s dynamic tourism market.

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DARIA bond II smartphone wins global accolades

Published

17 ساعة ago

أبريل 30, 2025

Editor

Designed by Multi Ways International, the DARIA bond II smartphone has clinched the prestigious Red Dot Design Award 2025. The distinction “Red Dot” has become established internationally as one of the most sought-after seals of quality for good design.
Red Dot stands for belonging to the best in design and business. The distinction is based on the principle of selection and presentation. Excellent design is selected by competent expert juries in the areas of product design, communication design, and design concepts.
This accolade joins five previous global awards that mark the device’s excellence in design and innovation.
The most recent prior win includes the NY Product Design Awards 2025, where DARIA bond II smartphone was honored as a Gold winner.
The NY Product Design Awards was launched to honor the efforts of talented product designers, design teams, and manufacturers from all over the world, whose designs have made daily living that much better with their practical and ingenious creations.
Recognizing that excellence exists in various forms in the design industry, the NY Product Design Awards intends to celebrate excellence in all its facets that are found in design work and its designers.
Halil Chaglar, CEO, Multi Ways International, said that DARIA bond II smartphone recognition on global level is a huge achievement, adding that winning the Red Dot Design Award 2025 highlights DARIA bond II smartphone’s position as more than just a smartphone, it’s a vision for the future of mobile technology, where style, speed, and smart systems meet as the smartphone is packed with impressive and incredible specifications.
He noted that the DARIA bond II smartphone was chosen based on key Red Dot criteria such as innovation, functionality, and design quality.
“Its sleek look, intuitive experience, and smart Web3 integration met and exceeded the jury’s expectations, highlighting Multi ways’ commitment to forward-thinking design”. Chaglar added.
“Equipped with advanced features, the DARIA bond II smartphone offers a seamless mobile experience backed by a powerful processor, AI-driven tools, and a camera built for clarity. Its minimalist design and blockchain-based ecosystem set it apart in today’s smartphone market.
Discover the award-winning DARIA bond II smartphone at dariamobile.com. Join the next generation of users redefining how we interact with mobile devices.” Chaglar concluded.

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Ruder Finn Atteline Bolsters MENA Leadership Team with Strategic Appointments

Published

7 أيام ago

أبريل 24, 2025

Editor

• The integrated communications agency’s recent hires include an Executive Vice President alongside three Account Directors across multiple divisions
• The new leadership with strong integrated communications expertise supports Ruder Finn Atteline’s recent rebrand and overall growth strategy across MENA

MENA – 24 April 2025: Ruder Finn Atteline, a global integrated marketing and communications consultancy and the MENA arm of the Ruder Finn group, has strategically expanded its leadership team over the past year with four senior appointments. These hires support the agency’s ongoing efforts to expedite its regional growth strategy across the Middle East and North Africa, while also strengthening its Corporate Division and newly launched Automotive, Travel & Tourism, and Sports & Entertainment practices.
Sophie Simpson, Managing Director of Ruder Finn Atteline – MENA, commented: “Our evolution as Ruder Finn Atteline isn’t just about a new logo or a refreshed name. It’s about building an agency that reflects the region’s changing needs; one that’s creatively fearless, strategically sharp, and deeply collaborative. These appointments are a clear signal of where we’re headed. Each new leader brings unique strength to the table, and together, they’ll help us continue to push boundaries, raise the bar, and enhance communications in MENA.”
Radhika Mehta joins as Executive Vice President of Growth & Operations. With nearly two decades of experience in communications, her proven ability to accelerate business growth, tailor integrated brand solutions, and spearhead compelling storytelling-driven brand narratives for clients spanning international markets reinforces Ruder Finn Atteline’s focus on building future-ready systems and scaling with intention. Having managed cross-border campaigns across several business sectors, Radhika’s global perspective makes her a trusted advisor to both brands and teams. In her new role, she will focus on growing the agency’s MENA presence and integrated communication services.
Srishti Soni has been brought aboard as Account Director for the Corporate Division. Bringing nearly 15 years of experience across MENA and India markets, she is a seasoned communications consultant who has led award-winning PR and reputation campaigns across sectors including real estate, healthcare, education, oil and gas, and consumer tech. Before Ruder Finn Atteline, Srishti spent over six years in the MENA communications industry, overseeing corporate and financial advisory mandates for marquee clients. She will play a key role in furthering the agency’s corporate offering.
Shannon Hynes and Yara Nimer have been appointed Associate Account Directors to lead the integrated agency’s newly established Sports & Entertainment Division.
Shannon brings nearly a decade of experience in the Sports & Entertainment industry, having led high-impact campaigns for global platforms. Over the past two years, she has led Netflix MENA’s publicity efforts, managing talent relations and red-carpet events across key markets. With an aptitude for driving cultural relevance through strategic storytelling, Shannon’s ability to shape narratives that resonate on a global scale will guide the growth of Ruder Finn Atteline’s new division.
Yara will support the division in a similar capacity, leveraging a decade of experience in integrated communications and having led content and publishing strategies for both regional and global brands. With an integrated-first mindset and a cross-sector portfolio spanning entertainment, tourism, and sport, she has delivered award-winning campaigns recognised for their cultural relevance and strategic impact. A MEPRA award-winner for her work across consumer and influencer campaigns, as well as previously being named one of Campaign’s PR Faces to Watch, Yara is known for fusing strategy with storytelling that resonates deeply across the region. A passionate advocate for Arab women and purpose-driven communications, she draws on editorial instincts and a performance-led approach to craft narratives that connect brand purpose with real-world relevance.
These appointments mark a key milestone in Ruder Finn Atteline’s transformation journey, following the recent unveiling of its refreshed brand identity and visual language. Reflecting a new era for the agency in MENA, this leadership expansion bolsters its capabilities while reinforcing deeper integration with Ruder Finn’s global network. As the agency continues to grow its offerings — from scaling its Content Hub and Digital Division to strengthening its sectoral expertise — the addition of fresh leadership ensures the right minds are in place to deliver on the promise of “What’s Next.”