Sports photography is one of the most challenging genres of the medium. It requires the same zest, talent, and hard work to nail the perfect shot as athletes prepare for the biggest championships. Yet, despite the era-defining moments captured in sports, there is very little recognition of the craft of those behind the lens. And so, it brings us great honor to reveal the winners of the World Sports Photography Awards 2025, the only global awards dedicated to photography. The winning images will shock, surprise, and inspire you, but above all, illustrate how the unrivaled power of sports and photography.
The lead image is by Anton Anestiev. All images are courtesy of the World Sports Photography Awards. Used with permission.
This year, the World Sports Photography Awards received over 13,000 images from 2200 professional sports photographers from over 96 countries around the world. Of them, the overall winning image of the year went to Tahiti-based French Photographer Jerome Brouillet, who captured the iconic image of Brazilian Surfer Gabriel Medina. The picture in question was captured at the Surfing event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupo’o, French Polynesia, and went viral on social media as the impeccable timing made Brouillet appear like Jesus, flying over water. After so long, sports photography impressed the world instantly.
“As a judge and sponsor of the ‘World Sports Photography Awards,’ I am once again inspired by the extraordinary talent and creativity showcased in this year’s entries,” said Sophie Collins, Chief Marketing Officer at MPB. “Sports photography holds a unique power to freeze dynamic action and evoke profound emotion in a single frame, capturing stories that transcend the boundaries of the playing field. It’s been thrilling to see the innovation and passion from this year’s participants, setting a remarkable standard for the years to come.”
The World Sports Photography Awards is free to enter, and the jury consists of some of the leading names in sports, media, brands, and photography. In the end, the winning images were chosen for their compelling storytelling, passion, emotion, athleticism, and focus, which are at the heart of the sport. Without further ado, here is a look at the top winners.
Overall Winners
Gold: Jerome Brouillet, Golden Moment
Silver: Petr Slavik, Heaven
Bronze: Anton Anestiev, Zebra Crossing
Top 24 Winners
The overall winners are included in the top 24 images of the World Sports Photography Awards. Therefore, we have not added them below to avoid repetition.
To see all the category winners and the top 10 in every category, visit the World Sports Photography Awards’ website.