In celebration of International Women’s Day, Leica has revealed the winners of its sixth annual Leica Women Foto Project Award. This year’s theme, “Unity Through Diversity,” invited photographers to submit photo essays exploring connection and resilience through a feminine perspective. The 2025 awardees are Priya Suresh Kambli (US), Jennifer Osborne (Canada), Koral Carballo (Mexico), and Anna Neubauer (UK), and were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges. Each winner receives a Leica SL3 camera, a Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH lens, and a $10,000 USD cash prize.
The winning projects reflect profound narratives of identity, activism, and heritage. From Kambli’s exploration of family archives to Osborne’s documentation of environmental protests, Carballo’s journey into ancestral roots, and Neubauer’s redefinition of beauty and strength, each photographer offers a unique perspective on unity and diversity. As Leica commemorates a century of innovation, the Leica Women Foto Project Award continues to empower female visual storytellers, showcasing the transformative power of photography to inspire and connect. Here’s our pick of the winning images.
6th Annual Leica Women Foto Project Winners
US Awardee: Priya Suresh Kambli
“Archive as Companion”
Priya Suresh Kambli’s work is deeply personal and rooted in the context of the migrant experience. Inspired by
an exhibition of vernacular hand-painted Indian studio portraits from The Alkazi Foundation, she began
intervening with her family archive to explore themes of identity, memory, and belonging. Over the course of
her twenty-year practice, Priya has revisited, reimagined, and recontextualized family portraits and heirlooms,
building an archive that connects her to both her ancestral roots and her adopted land. Through her work, she
reflects on absence and loss, navigating family dynamics to document their lives with a thoughtful and composed
narrative.
Canada Awardee: Jennifer Osborne
“Fairy Creek”
Jennifer Osborne’s captivating photo series takes viewers deep into the heart of the Fairy Creek protests, where
activists came together to protect the old-growth forests of Vancouver Island. Osborne began documenting life
within the protest blockades a week before enforcement began, capturing the raw, unfiltered moments of those
first days. She continued to document the protests for the first three months of enforcement, witnessing
firsthand the courage and commitment of the activists.
From diverse backgrounds, these individuals camped in tents and vehicles, fighting tirelessly to preserve the land. Through powerful imagery, Osborne highlights their unwavering solidarity and determination, showing how every moment spent defending the forests was a battle not only for the land but for future generations. This series, which documents the now-dismantled blockades and the trees they fought so hard to protect, underscores the profound significance of their environmental struggle.
Mexico Awardee: Koral Carballo
“Blood Summons”
Koral Carballo’s photographic essays blend photography and oral history to explore the search for identity among
Afro-descendant and mestizo communities in Veracruz, Mexico. Through powerful imagery, she uncovers the
roots of complex family trauma, inviting viewers to reflect on their own connections to the past. Her project
Blood Summons(or La Sangre Llama), a popular Mexican saying referring to the call to search for one’s ancestors,
represents both her personal journey and a broader exploration of historical injustices. With this work, Carballo
calls for reparation, aiming to foster connection rather than division, and invites viewers to engage with these
stories and their own histories.
UK Awardee: Anna Neubauer
“Ashes from Stone”
Anna Neubauer’s ongoing documentary project, Ashes from Stone, is a powerful photo essay that portrays
individuals who defy societal norms of beauty, strength, and identity. Through striking portraits, Neubauer
showcases people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in empowered settings, amplifying
marginalized voices and encouraging audiences to rethink traditional views of femininity and strength. The
project challenges stereotypes, redefines beauty, and embraces narratives around family, relationships, and
motherhood. Each photograph is accompanied by a personal narrative, deepening the connection with and
humanizing the subjects, fostering empathy, and promoting a greater understanding of diversity.
