Cherie by Morganne Boulden from the series When Flies Sit Still (discovery of the year)

LensCulture’s New Visions awards set out to reward a new generation of artists who are using photography in remarkable ways – to tell stories, to explain complex situations, to express emotions, to celebrate moments of life around the world. The full list of winners and finalists from the LensCulture New Visions photography awards 2025 can be seen here

Billiards by Morganne Boulden from the series When Flies Sit Still (discovery of the year)

‘I was drawn to capturing people who felt similarly as I did about the future: simultaneously hopeless and hopeful. I did it because it comforted me, making me feel less alone’

Hong Kong, Diamond Hill #1, 2018 / 2022 by Daniel Postaer from the series Mother’s Land (humanity winner)

‘The photographs in this project are unscripted moments of everyday China that I felt and saw while retracing a recent past. These are pictures of a world that my family left and would never again see. Time moves so quickly, and most moments lived are forgotten. Photographs have that chance to endure, as evidence of time and place’

Praising the Ancestors by Gui Christ from the series M’kumba (humanity shortlist)

‘This ongoing project highlights how Afro-religious communities stand against prominent religious intolerance in Brazil. The title comes from an ancient Kongo word once used to describe sorcerers and wise people. Over time, it has become a derogatory term used to refer to African religions in the country. Through staging rituals, and representations of deities, this project aims to combat prejudice, present our mythologies and restore the true meaning of the sacred word “M’kumba” in today’s context’

Floating Bar by Scott Rossi from the series Dreams on the Dying Stone (storytelling winner)

The Snook family enjoying their summer vacation at a floating bar on the Colorado River. Imperial County, California, in 2022. Dreams on the Dying Stone documents the communities of California’s Imperial Valley. In the 20th century, fortune-seeking settlers transformed the desert into farmland by digging canals to divert water from the Colorado River. The valley now produces 90% of the country’s winter vegetables, yet it remains one of the poorest counties in the western US

Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl series by Valentin Valette (storytelling shortlist)

This series contrasts the experiences of skilled artisans hailing from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with those of Omani entrepreneurial families. It combines archival resignation letters, cancelled visas, medical orders and reports, pay stubs, dietary regimes and time sheets with sound recordings and objects found in abandoned labour camps – work tools, clothing, maps, personal items – and a set of more than 100 medium-format photographs

Diving for Freedom by Skander Khlif from the series Where Dust and Water Dream Together (place winner)

In Kelibia, Tunisia, young men dive into the sea, a common summer ritual along the country’s coastline. Tunisia serves as a microcosm of a world in flux – a place where water grows scarce, desertification spreads, and rising seas encroach on its shores. These places and lives are bound by shared challenges: the fragile interplay between nature and humanity, the quiet resilience required to adapt and the lingering dream of better days

Charly Amongst the Heather by the Trig Point by Camille Lemoine from the series Down Tower Road (place shortlist)

‘Baldernock, the area I grew up in, is a parish located outside of Glasgow that feels reserved and shy. I wanted to create work that portrayed the subtle language of the land here. The deep blue before heavy rain, the shape of the hedge where the sparrows live, the way that the light unfolds ... the seemingly insignificant things that are familiar to people living in these places’

Sing the song, play the game, don’t breathe by Arrayah Loynd from the series All Roads Lead to Salvation (art/experimental winner)

‘This body of work is a personal story; a visual telling of the mental and physical impacts of living with chronic pelvic pain, while dealing with medical misogyny, misinformation, and incompetence. There is only a thin membrane between what the world sees and the lived reality of my life. I may seem fine as I mask the pain, but if you excavate, even just a little, you will find it is completely raw. I am lost in the ebb and flow of pain, heartbreak and despair’

Visiting Aunt in Crimea by Varvara Uhlik from the series Sunshine, How Are You? (art/experimental shortlist)

‘This project is an exploration of childhood memories and the enduring impact of the Soviet era on one’s sense of identity. Born in eastern Ukraine, five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was often told I was fortunate to have missed the hardships of Soviet rule. Exploring how memories are preserved, distorted and altered over time, Sunshine, How Are You? serves both as an introspective reflection and as a portrayal of a generation coming of age in the post-Soviet world’

What does it mean to live a good life? by Tim Fisher rom the series, Reality+ (monochrome winner)

‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’ – Freddie Mercury, Queen. ‘This series takes its name from David J Chalmers’ book, Reality+, which has been a guiding template in helping me articulate three of my photographic projects’

Unknown Number — U-DO-IT Laundromat, 2544 W Lehigh Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19132 by Eric Kunsman from the series Life-Lines Throughout the United States (monochrome shortlist)

‘Throughout the US, many individuals are being left behind by technology, whether as a communication tool or access to the internet. Often, outdated technology is also used to label individuals or areas of a community. We must remember how we use technology as a social marker and often forget those individuals who cannot keep up with advancements’

Insects, Architects of a Sustainable Future by Maud Delaflotte (moments winner)

A scientist collects black soldier fly eggs to examine them inside the Agronutris factory in Rethel, France. Insect protein is gaining significant traction due to its lower environmental footprint in comparison with fishmeal and Brazilian soy. The stakes are high: the market is estimated to be worth several billion dollars by 2030, and there could be significant ecological gains in terms of deforestation and intensive aquaculture

El Charro by Ana Joaquina (moments shortlist)

A Mexican Charro executes a rope drill on top of his horse. ‘La Charrería’ is national sport of Mexico. Declared an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco, it consists of performing nine different horse drills with a team of horse riders. Due to Mexican migration across the US, La Charrería is now also practised throughout the country by immigrant families who bond with their community through the sport