2025 iPhone Photography Award Winners Prove Any Phone Can Create Stunning Images

by CNET

August 15, 2025

in CNET

Reading Time: 13 mins read

Jeff Carlson
2025-08-15 09:00:00
www.cnet.com

The winners of the 18th annual iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS), a competition that showcases stunning photos captured worldwide by photographers using an iPhone or iPad, were announced on Friday.

The full collection of this year’s winners and their photos — along with which Apple device they used to take their masterful shot — is now available at the IPPAWARDS site. You might be surprised to learn you don’t need the latest iPhone models to capture great images.

In the Photographers of the Year category, Jarod Peraza took the grand prize for his photo “Viajero Nocturno.” The US-based photographer captured the nighttime scene in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, using an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

A solitary man in silhouette takes a photo on his phone at night. — Viajero Nocturno
Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Shot on iPhone 16 Pro Max

Jarod Peraza/IPPAWARDS

In first place, US photographer Carol Addassi won for “Passage,” a black-and-white night shot of Central Park in New York City taken using a 7-year-old iPhone XS.

Black and white photo of Central Park in New York City — Passage
Central Park in Manhattan, New York City
Shot on iPhone XS

Carol Addassi/IPPAWARDS

In second place, “Moto Cães” is a playful shot of two dogs in a motorcycle sidecar at sunset, captured by Brazil’s Thiago Bernardes de Souza on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Two dogs in a motorcycle sidecar. One wheel is off the ground. — Moto Cães
Brasília, Distrito Federal
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max

Thiago Bernardes de Souza/IPPAWARDS

Third place is a moody early morning photo of Virginia’s Corrotoman River, entitled “Foggy Morning on the Corrotoman,” taken by US photographer Martha Nance on an iPhone 15 Pro.

Foggy morning scene over a dark river. — Foggy Morning on the Corrotoman
Merry Point, Virginia
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro

Martha Nance/IPPAWARDS

Since the first iPhone appeared in 2007, the awards have showcased both the technology and the aesthetics of mobile photography.

“When we began, the idea was simply to explore how this new device was transforming the way people create and share images,” said Kenan Aktulun, founder and editor-in-chief of IPPAWARDS, via email. “Early on, there was a heavy use of filters; users were experimenting with the novelty of mobile photography. Over the years, as users grew more fluent with the medium, the work became more personal, emotional, and relatable.”

A man rides a bicycle between two buildings that have unusual window openings. — Lan Zhanxiang’s photo took second place in the Architectural category.
Light Chaser
Zhiyi Building, Shenzhen City
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max

Lan Zhanxiang/IPPAWARDS

In addition to the four top slots, the awards also name three winners in 12 different categories, including Abstract, Architecture, Landscape, Nature and Portrait. Dozens of photos are also named as honorable mentions in each category.

This year’s winning photos were made using a wide variety of iPhones, the oldest being an iPhone 8 Plus from 2017. Nearly every model since then is represented, with just a handful of the latest iPhone 16 lineup appearing among the awarded photos.

The competition stipulates that photos must be captured using an iPhone or iPad, and not edited in Photoshop on a desktop computer, although editing using apps on the device (presumably including the mobile versions of Photoshop) is allowed.

This year’s grand prize winner received a 13-inch Apple iPad Air, and the other Photographers of the Year received an Apple Watch Series 10. In the 12 specific categories, the first-place winners each received a gold bar, and the second and third-place winners each received a platinum bar.

Abstract photo of a broom at an angle matching the shadow from an overhead structure. — This photo by Dominic Dähncke received second place in the Other category.
Untitled
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max

Dominic Dähncke/IPPAWARDS

Judges evaluated images and determined winners based on artistic merit, originality, subject and style. According to Aktulun, the panel is made up of 10 to 12 judges from different backgrounds, “such as photographers, art buyers, creative directors, architects, academics, people in the creative field and occasionally selected winners from previous years.”

Submitting work to the competition involves an entry fee of $7.50 for one image and discounted per-image rates for batches of up to 25 images. There are no limits on the number of entries you can submit.

Submissions for the 2026 iPhone Photography Awards are now open through March 31, 2026.

A landscape photo of rolling brown hills and fog — This hilly scene took second place in the Landscape category.
Whispers in the Rift
Kerlingarfjoll Geothermal Park, Iceland
Shot on iPhone 14 Pro Max

Sharon Goepferich/IPPAWARDS

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