Honoring the winners of "Exposure International Photography Awards 2026"
Sharjah, January 30, 2026 – The International Photography Festival “Xposure” honored a selection of distinguished photographers from various countries of the world at the “Xposure International Photography Awards 2026” ceremony, in appreciation of their works that reflected advanced levels of visual narration, technical mastery, and creative innovation across various schools and trends in the art of photography.
This honor comes within the framework of the festival’s role in supporting creative talents and enhancing the status of images as an influential cultural and cognitive tool in understanding human, environmental and social issues.
The awards ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Office, and Her Excellency Alia Bu Ghanem Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Office.
The first place award at the festival’s awards level was won by photographer Myat Hein from Myanmar for the photo “Resilience,” as his work is distinguished by its emotional depth, narrative strength, and striking visual impact.
In the architectural photography category, German Hans Fischmann won first place for the photo “Antenori Factory,” while Czech Olga Nezmyskalova came in second place for the photo “David and Goliath.”
In the phone photography category, Si Thu Ye Myint from Myanmar won first place for her photo, “A Day in the Life of a Farmer’s Family,” and China’s Yajun Ho took runner-up for her photo, “Censored by a Cat.”
As for the nature and landscape photography category, Preeti John from the UAE won first place for her photo “Interviewers,” and Russian Sergey Gorshkov also won a mention for his work “Elephant at Sunset.”
In the night photography category, Slovakian Marian Koric won first place for his work “Fairy Story,” and Htin Lin from Myanmar came second for his work “Night of the Hunters.”
In the category of visual manipulation images and artificial intelligence, Iranian Maryam Sadat Ahmadi won first place for a work entitled “Myself,” followed by her compatriot Saeed Rezvanian in second place for her work “Untitled.”
Myanmar’s Aung Kyaw Zaw won the portrait photography category for “Two-Faced,” while Malaysian Uji Heikal won second place for “Lost in Translation.”
In the sports photography category, Jordanian Ahmed Damra won first place for “Strength in the Challenge Curve,” and Omani Mohammed Al-Julandi came second for the photo “Dreams Beyond Limits.” In the street life photography category, Mexican Antonio Flores won first place for “Dancing with the Fire Giant,” while Chinese Aimen Chen came in runner-up for “Walking on Long Crutches.”
As for the Visual Narrative category, American Bob Miller won first place for “The Last Generation,” and Nigerian Etinosa Yvonne won second place for “It’s All in My Head.”
The Young Photographers category honored visual narrative makers in two age categories: the junior category for ages 7-13 and the junior category for 14-17 years. In the junior category, Ishaan and Shijith won first place for “Paths in Motion,” and Abdullah Al Suwaidi came second for “Heritage and Culture.” In the junior category, Neil Anil won first place for “The March and the Imitators,” while Badr Al-Sayed won second place for “The Silent Guardian.”
The Exposure International Photography Awards 2026, organized by the Sharjah Government Media Office, received more than 29,000 entries from more than 60 countries, recording the highest participation rate in its history.
As “Xposure” celebrates the 10th anniversary of its launch, the “Xposure International Photography Awards” reflects the festival’s development into a global platform for visual culture, dialogue and creative exchange. Through the multiplicity of its awards in various categories and receiving unprecedented numbers of entries, “Xposure 2026” strengthens Sharjah’s presence as an international center for photography and visual storytelling.
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