Myanmar-based photographer claims grand prize at Xposure

The 9th edition of the Xposure International Photography Awards has culminated in a spectacular celebration of creativity, honouring photographers from 162 countries who submitted over 10,000 entries across 9 competitive categories, with Pyaephyo Thetpaing named the overall winner for his captivating image, “The Fishing Boys”.

Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the Xposure International Photography Festival and Awards aim to amplify the influential power of visual storytelling, emphasising the organisers’ mission to present visual mediums as a universal language that bridges divides and illuminates shared human experiences.

Championing visual storytelling across 9 diverse categories

Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of SGMB, and Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of SGMB, presented the awards, while the globally renowned jury panel; featuring photographers Giles Clarke, Wiktoria Michałkiewicz, Kerstin Hacker, Maria Mann, and Essdras M. Suarez offered insightful commentary on the winning submissions.

The judges lauded the overall winner, Myanmar-based photographer Pyaephyo Thetpaing and his stunning black and white image, for its masterful interplay of light, movement, and narrative.

The Junior Photography category, celebrating UAE-based photographers under 18, awarded Rithved Girishkumar as the winner for “Guardians Of The Hive”, which captures the connection of community and nature. Runner-up Madhav Manu was felicitated for his work “Light Show”, which is an exploration of urban energy.

In the Architecture category, Shyjith Ondencheriyath claimed victory with “Nordic Elegance”, a minimalist ode to Scandinavian design, and Tanveer Hassan’s “Re-Imagine The City” earned runner-up honours for its abstract take on urban geometry.

Sponsored by Samsung, the ‘Mobile Phone’ and ‘Night Photography’ categories showcased technical ingenuity. In the former category, Aung Chanthar’s “Fishermen” immortalised Myanmar’s Inle Lake workers bathed in golden hues, and runner-up Ziaul Huque’s “Education For Light” highlights resilience in Bangladesh’s rural classrooms.

The Night Photography accolade went to Marian Kuric’s haunting “DOOM”, a chiaroscuro study of abandoned industrial sites, and runner-up Marcio A Esteves mesmerised with “C for Fireworks”, a kaleidoscopic urban spectacle.

The Nature and Landscape category saw Lakshitha Karunarathna’s “A Dangerous Addiction” expose the grim reality of wildlife ensnared in plastic waste, and Petar Sabol’s “Perfect Dragonflies” received the runner-up prize for its unique portrayal of the delicate symmetry of these insects.

In the Street Photography category, accolades went to Mary Crnkovic’s witty and surreal “Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition”, with Osama Alsulami’s evocative “Sleep” claiming the runner-up prize.

In Sports Photography, Isa Ebrahim’s “African Football” claimed first place with a vibrant tableau of youthful exuberance, and Nurlan Tahirli’s “Slip” froze a climactic error during the Gymnastics World Cup 2024, to take the runner-up prize.

The Portraiture category honoured Antonio Aragon’s triumphant “The Dancer”, a visceral celebration of movement and identity, and Andrew Rovenko’s introspective “The Shuttle” was named as the runner-up. Finally, the Photo Manipulation & AI category recognised Alena Ivochkina as the winner with “Open Question”, blurring reality and imagination, and Qian Shen’s ethereal “The Lotus Fairy 3” was awarded the runner-up prize.

As the ceremony closed, SGMB reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing photographic talent and fostering cultural exchange, with the 2025 awards not only celebrating technical brilliance but also reinforcing photography’s role as a powerful story teller. With record-breaking participation and visionary artistry, Xposure continues to shine as an invaluable platform for storytellers worldwide, proving yet again, that a single frame can transcend borders and ignite the imagination.

Earlier, the 2025 Conservation Summit held on Monday at the 9th edition of Xposure International Photography Festival, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Deputy Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), brought together powerful voices – photographers, conservationists and government officials – to address critical environmental challenges of our time.

This year’s summit focused on migration and the pressing challenges threatening our future. It was a clarion call that also showcased the role of photography and storytelling in bolstering conservation efforts.

Highlighting the UAE’s conservation efforts, Dr Amna Bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, spoke about the country’s leadership in sustainability. “Migration does not recognise borders: creatures travel thousands of miles to live and regenerate. If species stop migrating, it is a dangerous indicator for all of us."