The 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year awards have been announced, showcasing the world's most breathtaking aerial photography. The competition, now in its second year, attracted 1587 entries from around the globe, all vying to capture the unique patterns, shapes, and geometry that can only be seen from the skies. Among the winners, the overall international aerial photographer of the year was Azim Khan Ronnie, a photographer and former news journalist from Bangladesh, who lives in France. His winning entry was a four-image folio that told diverse global narratives, from the serene simplicity of a rower on Lake Zurich to the vibrant, geometric patterns of red chilli peppers drying in Bogura, Bangladesh.
One of the standout images was captured by Vitaly Golovatyuk of the Russian Federation, who took the top spot for the photograph of the year. His image, taken in November 2025 at Elk Park in China's Zhejiang Province, shows a bird seemingly suspended over crimson grass, with the perfect clarity of the sky's reflection creating an illusion of the bird floating in mid-air. Closer to home, Australian photographer Barbara Brown secured third place in the prestigious photographer of the year folio category, influenced by her background in mathematics and a deep fascination with the African continent, particularly the shifting red sand dunes of Sossusvlei in Namibia.
The awards, judged by an expert panel including Tom Hegen, Isabella Tabacchi, and Joanna Steidle, celebrate the art of creative visual storytelling from above, with a strict ban on AI-generated content. The winners received a total prize pool of $US10,000, and the top 101 photographs were showcased. This year's competition highlights the beauty and diversity of our world, as seen through the unique perspective of aerial photography, offering a fresh and captivating view of our planet.
