An emotionally charged photograph depicting a family torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has claimed the 2026 World Press Photo of the Year award. Established in 1955, this competition honors outstanding photojournalism and documentary photography. This year, 42 global winners emerged from 57,376 photographs submitted by 3,747 photographers from 141 countries. The Photo of the Year, titled “Separated by ICE” by American photojournalist Carol Guzy for the Miami Herald, was taken following an immigration court hearing in New York during President Trump’s extensive crackdown.
“I’ve been documenting families to highlight the repercussions of governmental policies and rhetoric,” Guzy expressed in a video interview. “This photograph is meant to be unsettling, and I hope it compels viewers to abandon any complacency.” Among the finalists were Palestinian photographer Saber Nuraldin’s “Aid Emergency in Gaza” for the European Press Photo Agency (EPA) and American photojournalist Victor J. Blue’s “The Trials of the Achi Women” for the New York Times Magazine.
Blue’s image, captured last May in Guatemala, features Maya Achi women outside a courthouse after a prolonged 14-year legal battle regarding wartime sexual violence during the nation’s 36-year civil war. During this conflict, 200,000 people were killed or went missing, with 83% being Indigenous Maya. Nuraldin’s photograph, taken last July, depicts Palestinians clambering onto an aid truck entering Gaza to obtain flour amidst Israel’s aid blockade. According to the UN, at least 2,435 Palestinians were killed between late May and early October while seeking food near aid sites.
“My children are my foremost concern at this moment,” Nuraldin shared on Instagram. “As I documented the hunger and suffering, my own family endured similar hardships.” The global winners in the Singles section also shed light on themes of displacement, justice, and conflict. Ukrainian photojournalist Evgeniy Maloletka’s “Russian Attack on Kyiv,” showing 65-year-old Valeria Synium near her damaged home after a Russian missile strike, was among the three European winners.
A pervasive sense of grief is evident throughout the awards, including in coverage of environmental crises. Tyrone Siu’s “A Desperate Plea” for Reuters, recognized in the Asia-Pacific and Oceania region in the Singles category, captures Mr. Wong weeping as flames consume his home in Hong Kong’s Tai Po housing complex. His wife was one of the 168 victims trapped inside. “It’s an image that instantly conveys its message,” Siu remarked in a Reuters article, “Regardless of your global origin, you can empathize with Mr. Wong’s helplessness and anguish.”
The competition also honors Stories and Long-Term Projects, which document narratives over time. The award-winning images from the 2026 World Press Photo Contest will reach millions globally through the organization’s annual traveling exhibition, premiering tomorrow, April 24, at the De Nieuwe Kerk church in Amsterdam, and touring over 60 locations worldwide.
