The Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) 2024 has revealed its winners! This year's competition received thousands of incredible submissions, all of which were carefully reviewed by a panel of expert judges, including photographers, curators, and gallery owners.
For this article, we've selected award-winning photographs from TIFA 2024, showcasing a variety of photography styles. From beautiful architecture to stunning nature scenes, these photos show the many ways photography can tell a story.
#1 Amateur/Student Gold In Nature/Underwater, 1st Place Winner In Nature: "Lights Will Guide You Home" By Fadil Tally
"A lone clownfish peeks through the soft and translucent tentacles of a sea anemone. The glowing tip acted like a beacon, calling the clownfish back to its home.
I am Fadil, born and raised on the small island of Mauritius. Having an interest in nature, wildlife, and landscape photography. I do my best to teach and show people the beauty of our fauna and flora, in the hope that future generations are more aware of them and that they grow up to be stewards of the environment."
20points
Program Director Hannah Lillethun shared her thoughts on the TIFA 2024 winners, saying the photos represent voices from around the world and cover many different styles. She emphasized how photography has the power to tell stories that go beyond borders, "In a world often divided, these images serve as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity. As these entries so powerfully illustrate, photography continues to be an essential tool for fostering understanding, empathy, and connection, and we are proud to showcase these extraordinary works that provoke reflection and inspire a deeper connection across cultures."
#2 Gold In Special/Digitally Enhanced, 1st Place Winner In Special: "For The Love Of Nature" By Cheryl Medow
"Through my ongoing Envisioning Habitat series, I work to present the beauty and majesty of birds in landscapes, real and imagined. Over the last two decades, I have been photographing nature in search of a combination of images to landscapes that match my excitement about the world around me. The beauty I see in nature is an element in every image I create. I desire to share a sense of awe with the hope that once the magnificence of this planet and its amazing creatures and landscapes are seen, the desire to preserve and protect will find expression.
Santa Barbara artist and nature photographer Cheryl Medow creates images that entice the viewer to enter the natural world and envision her wild birds, in imaginary and real environments. Using classical and contemporary tools, Medow layers her photographs, weaving them together to create visual narratives without the use of AI. Medow hopes that by embracing her hyper-real bird images, her audience will also create more space for birds living on our planet and be mindful of the fragility and beauty of life itself."
17points
#3 Gold In Nature/Wildlife, 2nd Place Winner In Nature: "At The Foot Of The Mountain" By Johan Siggesson
"After 8 days of waiting and trying with various groups of elephants things finally fell into place. Everything came together as I had envisioned it - Elephants walking through the grass in a single file, spaced out evenly, coming at me at a slight curve, a first elephant with a decent set of tusks, the lead elephant flapping its ears at the right moment, a cloudy day, no other photographers disturbing the elephants so that they come relatively close to me and a few other things... Image created in Amboseli national park in Kenya."
16points
Abdelrahman Alkahlout has been named TIFA Photographer of the Year 2024 for his emotional series, "The Mass Genocide of Civilians: Gaza Under Fire." His work powerfully depicts the struggles of civilians in Gaza, capturing both the destruction and their resilience during the conflict.
#4 Amateur/Student Gold In People/Family, 1st Place Winner In People: "Peace In Times Of War" By Mouneb Taim
"Amidst the echoes of clashes, the thunder of shelling, and the roar of warplanes overhead, the peace player would strike a note on the piano, bringing a sense of calm and safety to the children. It was a poignant scene, blending both pain and hope—a testament to the resilience and unyielding determination of the people to live. For them, after more than 13 years of relentless conflict in Syria, such scenes have become almost routine, a tragic part of their everyday lives."
16points
#5 Gold In Events/Sport, 2nd Place Winner In Events: "Festive Fighting" By Michael Bednar
"Each year on Christmas Day in the Chumbivilcas province of Peru community members come together to celebrate and to fight. The event is known as Takanakuy which translates from Quechua as ‘To Hit Each Other’. The remote region in the southern Andes has very few police officers. To maintain a semblance of peace and order community members agree to refrain from quarreling and resolve their conflicts once a year on December 25th with festive fighting."
15points
Simone Bissoli earned the Discovery of the Year (2024) title for the moving series "Stop Occupation." This collection highlights peaceful protests in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, showcasing the unity of Palestinians and Israelis working together for justice and change.
#6 Amateur/Student Gold In Events/Sport, 1st Place Winner In Events: "Titans" By Brigitte Bourger
"French Polynesia will host the Olympic Surfing Games in July 2024. Teahupoo, the chosen site is not just a playground for surfers, it's a sacred place where they push the limits of the possible, in search of the biggest wave."
15points
#7 Amateur/Student Gold In Nature/Panoramic, 2nd Place Winner In Nature: "On Patrol" By Marko Dimitrijevic
"There are few animals more elegant than a shark. In the crystal clear waters of French Polynesia black tip sharks patrol the lagoons swimming just below the surface."
15points
The Photographer of the Year and Discovery of the Year winners will receive $3,000 and $2,000 in prize money, respectively, along with the prestigious TIFA trophy. Winners of First Place in each main category, both professional and non-professional, will be awarded $200.
#8 Gold In People/Culture, 2nd Place Winner In People: "Spirit Of The Snow Star" By Michael Bednar
"Qoyllur Rit’i or the Snow Star Festival as it translates from Quechua, is a syncretic religious festival that occurs yearly in the high-elevation Sinakara Valley of the Peruvian Andes. Thousands of pilgrims travel from throughout Peru and South America to dance, sing, and pray. It combines Indigenous beliefs and traditions with Spanish Catholic customs and epitomizes the syncretic nature of the two cultures as they struggle to co-exist."
14points
#9 Gold In Special/Night Photography, 2nd Place Winner In Special: "Landscapes In A New Light" By Liam Man
"In the dark of night, lights hang suspended in the air. Their soft glow cuts through the night and falls gently upon the landscape, revealing hidden textures and subtle contours that lie invisible under the flat light of day. From icy glaciers to rugged mountain peaks, our planet is brimming with natural wonders. This series places these locations in the spotlight, transforming them into grand vistas that inspire awe and reverence. Beyond celebrating their beauty, it reminds us of the urgent need to preserve these fragile environments, for future generations to experience and cherish."
14points
According to the organizers, the Tokyo International Foto Awards aims to celebrate and connect talented photographers from around the globe with new audiences in Tokyo’s creative community. Open to everyone, the competition welcomes entries from photographers worldwide.
#10 Amateur/Student Gold In Fine Art/Landscape, 1st Place Winner In Fine Art: "Arctic Silence 5" By Patrick Ems
"A lone musher with his dogs drives through the vast arctic expanses of Spitsbergen.
When the world of photography captured my heart more than twenty years ago, it changed the way I perceived the world. I realized that experiences in life and the emotions we feel can be captured in a moment to live on forever in a photograph. Chased by emotions and haste, I felt like a child exploring an unknown world; there was no plan of where this journey would take me. The chase led me through countless styles, an exploration of the various influences in my life, and a deep reflection of my own emotions."
13points
#11 Amateur/Student Gold In Analog/Film/Editorial/Journalism, 2nd Place Winner In Analog/Film: "The Dark Silence" By Michael Anker
"I'm trying to explore a part of my cultural identity. My mother's family emigrated from Germany in 1766. It was settled on the Tsarist crown estate of Hirschenhof in today's Latvia. More than 170 years of peaceful coexistence between Germans and Latvians ended in 1939 with the events of the Second World War. The colony was closed and the inhabitants were resettled in Poland. At the end of IIWW, my mother meets my father in Germany. The history of Hirschenhof has something universal if you want to understand today's migration flows. Analogue photographed in Latvia and Germany."
12points
The Tokyo International Foto Awards organizers explain that expert judges from around the world take several weeks to evaluate the competition entries. Each entry is judged on originality, creativity, execution quality, overall impact, and how well it fits its category. "Once the jury voting is complete, the scores are tallied and the winners are selected based on the overall score based on the cumulative votes of the Jury. The identity of all photographers is hidden from the jury to ensure an impartial and unbiased voting process."
#12 Gold In Analog/Film/Architecture, 2nd Place Winner In Analog/Film: "Monument Valley" By Linda Chaussee
"The building showcases and reflects the magnificence of the surrounding landscape creating an interplay between the built environment and nature."
11points
#13 Prize Gold In Nature/Landscapes, 1st Place Winner In Nature: "Passage Of Time" By Sue Park
"Sea water begins to flow into the port where the tidal flats spread out. After a long wait, the seawater finally begins to reach the breakwater. Silver waves billow between the curved tidal flats. Using ND filters, this work was completed after an hour of waiting.
2022-23 Solo Exhibition at Palazzo del Duca, Senegallia, Italy 2019 Solo Exhibition at Shatto Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2019 Group Exhibition “Landscape: East Meets West,” Pesaro, Italy 2013-23 Published photos in the Asian Pacific Heritage Calendar and Cultural Guide by the City of Los Angeles, USA 2017 Solo Exhibition at Gallery Dooin, Seoul, South Korea 2016 Group Exhibition at University of Southern California, L.A. CA, USA 2015 Group Exhibition in Mexico City, Mexico 2014-2011 Group Exhibition in Tsushima, Japan and Seoul, Korea, Qingdao, China, Tianjin, China, L.A.,USA."
11points
#14 Gold In Fine Art/Portrait, 1st Place Winner In Fine Art: "Woman Is Like The Sea" By Monika Maroziene
"Woman is like the Sea - powerful, endless, giving, mysterious, dramatic, dangerous, calm, fragile, ironic, poetic... It has so many faces and is never understood..."
10points
#15 Amateur/Student Gold In Special/Aerial/Drone, 1st Place Winner In Special: "Beach Life" By Simon Heather
"Welcome to an aerial series that captures the fun and fulfillment of beach life - from relaxing days in Italian beach clubs, and the surprising turquoise of British waters, to surf escapades in Hawaii, and the bustling scenes of Portugal - each photo captures the essence of people reveling in local beach experiences in different parts of the world. Feel a variety of vibes, painted through warm tones and colors, zoom in, to see a myriad of interactions and conversations happening at once, or zoom out to appreciate the vibrant tapestries of beach life. Life is better at the beach!
Simon is a British-Japanese photographer and illustrator, specializing in aerial drone capture. Always on the hunt for rare shots, Simon loves to snap slices of life and the world around us, bringing his images to life through storytelling, and illustration techniques - playing with composites, scale, color, and lighting - to create vibrant and colorful scenes that capture our escapist fantasies for travel. Simon grew up between London and Tokyo, but is now based in Brooklyn, New York."
9points
#16 Gold In Advertising/Self-Promotion, 2nd Place Winner In Advertising: "Pure Souls" By Marina Overchuk
"The 'Pure Soul' photo series conveys the deep symbolism of loss and the resilience of the Ukrainian people amidst the Russo-Ukrainian war. Each of the ten photographs embodies the idea of souls that have preserved their purity despite the brutality and bloodshed. The girl in a white suit, with her face covered by red fabric, symbolizes those who perished at the hands of the aggressor. Her white clothing represents the purity and righteousness that remain untainted, despite the bloody scars left by the war."
8points
#17 Amateur/Student Gold In Advertising/Beauty, 1st Place Winner In Advertising: "Floating Fantasy" By Takeborn Nikukyu
"This work expresses fragility and beauty through the figure of a woman drifting in still water. Her figure floating on the surface of the water evokes a sense of serenity as if detached from reality. The soft flowers that surround her symbolize the harmony of life and nature, emphasizing their delicacy. Water is the source of life, yet at times cold and enveloping and comforting. Through this work, I hope the viewer can sense the duality of water and the strength that lies within its serenity."
8points
#18 Amateur/Student Gold In Analog/Film/Architecture, 1st Place Winner In Analog/Film: "Aldo Rossi" By Michele Dolci
"One of the shots taken on a winter afternoon in the cemetery of Modena (Italy), where the architect Aldo Rossi left us traces of his poetics, geometrically impeccable and at the same time creating surreal atmospheres."
8points
#19 Amateur/Student Gold In Book/Nature, 2nd Place Winner In Book: "Big" By Marko Dimitrijevic And Amos Nachoum
"For the first time, a wildlife photography book is crafted through the emotions felt by its photographers. When we encounter an animal in nature, we have a direct emotional response to it. We can feel awe, admiration, fascination and yes, sometimes love or fear as well. Marko and Amos bring you face-to-face with the biggest animals through their amazing photos. They also share their emotions getting very close to giant grizzly and polar bears, diving with great white and whale sharks, photographing roaring tigers and lions, observing upclose gorillas, leopard seals, bison, eagles, and more."
8points
#20 Gold In Book/People, 2nd Place Winner In Book: "Sapeurs: Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Congo" By Tariq Zaidi
"The photographer showcases Kinshasa and Brazzaville's fashion culture: La Sape, the Society of Ambiance-Makers & Elegant People. Sapeurs work regular jobs but transform into stylish dandies, spreading joy. Brazzaville favors French suits, while Kinshasa embraces eclectic styles. True Sapologie values creativity over labels, with Congolese women joining to challenge norms. La Sape evolves as youth use fashion to navigate their nations' paths toward a hopeful, cosmopolitan future."
6points