2025WorldAwardsforAfricanImagery（WAAI）

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, spanning both sides of the equator and home to over 1.3 billion people across 54 countries. It is one of the cradles of human civilization, known for its vast natural wonders—such as the Sahara Desert, Victoria Falls, and the Serengeti—as well as its rich diversity of cultures, languages, religions, and artistic traditions.

Africa offers one of the most visually dynamic storytelling landscapes in the world. From wild ecosystems to vibrant cities, from ancestral traditions to modern transformations, the continent presents a kaleidoscope of life, resilience, and creative expression.

In today’s global context, Africa is not only central to environmental and resource conversations, but also a continent rising with youth-driven innovation and cultural renaissance. To photograph Africa is to document a continent in motion—awakening, redefining itself, and shaping its future.

2025

2025 World Awards for African Imagery

Organized by:

North America Photography Association

Fédération de Photographie en Amérique du Nord

北美攝影協會

World Cultural Arts Organization

Organisation mondiale de la Culture et des Arts

世界文化藝術組織

Soutien spécialCentre Culturel Chinois au Bénin

Categories

Africa’s Landscapes/African Wildlife/

Culture & Life/Urban Africa & Modernity

Certification

North America Photography Association

(UNnapa 2025/7-15)

Eligibility

人For professional photographers and photography enthusiasts around the world

How to Submit

Email：

[email protected]

theworldphotographyawards.org

www.napaWPA.com

Sponsor

Deadline:

July 15, 2025, 11:59pm (Eastern Time)

Judging Process

The judging process uses rules from North America Photography Association (napa). Winners will be voted for by the judging

Categories and Awards

Categories and Definitions

ANS – Africa's Landscapes
AW – African Wildlife
AC – Culture & Life
UAM – Urban Africa & Modernity

(ANS) Africa’s Landscapes

Capture the breathtaking natural beauty of Africa—its vast savannas, lush forests, arid deserts, flowing rivers, serene lakes, dramatic coastlines, and rural landscapes. This category celebrates the geographical soul of the continent.

(AW) African Wildlife

Celebrate Africa’s extraordinary biodiversity—featuring animals in their natural habitats or protected reserves. From the Big Five to hidden species, submissions may include land, marine, bird, or insect life. Images taken in zoos, aquariums, farms, or enclosed environments will not be accepted.

(AC)Culture & Life

Focus on Africa’s vibrant cultural and social life. This includes portraits, traditional customs, festivals, artisanal crafts, clothing, marketplaces, and scenes from education and community life—capturing the authentic spirit and resilience of African people.

(UAM) Urban Africa & Modernity

Urbanization, architecture, transportation, and the contrast of past and future.

WAAI Awards There are 220 awards in total:

Gold Award – 1 Winner of Each Category

Silver Award – 3 Winners of Each Category

Bronze Award – 4 Winners of Each Category

Award of Excellence – 40 Winners

Finalist Award – 150 Winners

Total: 222 Awards

Note: All award recipients will receive an official digital certificate.

Submit

There are two ways to submit:

Website: Submit your photographs through the website at www.napaWPA.com or www.theWorldPhotographyAwards.org.

Email: Send your photographs to [email protected].

Note: If there is too much traffic on the website, please use email to submit your photographs. Thank you!

Permitted postprocessing techniques

Image quality improving techniques such as realistic color and contrast adjustment, detail sharpening or enhancement, noise reduction, etc.

Exposure bracketing.

Focus stacking.

Image stitching (such as creating panoramas) with each of the images taken at the same time at the same location with the same focal length.

Cropping.

Removing dust spots.

Removing scratches (for film submissions).

Not permitted postprocessing techniques:

Compositing by adding or replacing elements.

Making significant changes to any existing compositional elements.

Judging Process

The judging process uses rules from North America Photography Association (napa). Winners will be voted for by the judging.

Committee members.

Each entrant can submit to one or more categories.
Each entrant can submit no more than ten images in each category.
Each entrant can receive at most one award in each category.
Each image may be submitted to only one category.

All judging decisions are final. No modification or negotiation is allowed.

Contest Rules

Submitted images must be the original work by the entrant, who retains full ownership of the copyright.

Submitted images must not contain any logos, copyright watermarks, signatures or borders.

Submitted digital images must retain the original EXIF data.

File format and size requirement: JPEG format only.

The longest dimension can be anywhere between 3000px up. Resolution 300dpi.

File size should be at least 2.5MB up.

Color space sRGB.

Each image can only be submitted to one category. Each image must have a different title. Do not use the camera auto-generated file names or only se quence number as titles. Required image file name convention: Category code name-Entrant’s Name-Title-Submission sequence number (examples can be found in the Submission section).

Any black and white or monochrome image converted from a source color image should be considered the same entry as its color image and hence must have the same file name. Therefore, only one of them can be submit ted but not both. Infrared images are not accepted in this competition.

Both film and digital works are eligible to enter. All entrants must be ready to supply high-resolution files for printing should their images be chosen to win any awards.

Once an image is selected by the judges to qualify for any awards, the entrant will be contacted by email to supply the original file (either RAW or unaltered JPEG) and the final processed high-resolution file (JPEG). You must submit these two files within the specified time. Those who fail to do so are automatically disqualified.

Please be aware that you should consider entering this competition only if you are able to supply the original file (either RAW or unaltered JPEG).

Image quality improving techniques using postprocessing software are permitted, such as exposure bracketing, focus stacking, and reasonable brightness, contrast, saturation adjustment, and cropping.

Aerial landscape submissions captured by drones must be taken in countries or regions where drone usage is legally permitted and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Submissions featuring bird nests or chicks will not be accepted. Images involving baiting, staged setups, or any form of interference with birds or wildlife are strictly prohibited. Drone or aircraft-based wildlife photography will only be accepted with prior written permission obtained before shooting.

Submissions depicting human activity captured via drone will not be accepted unless prior written permission is obtained before the shoot.

All winners will receive electronic award certificates. Winners can also order printed certificates and manufactured medals.

How to Submit

All entrants must submit their images via www.theworldphotographyawards.org or through email.

A: Website: Create an account to submit images.

B: Email:

1. Submission email address: [email protected]

2. File(s) must be sent as attachment(s) in the email to the above address. Do not send any web links. Do not directly paste the image(s) in the email.

3. Please write the submission email subject as: 2025 WAAI – the entrant’s real full name

4. Entrants must provide the following information in the submission email body:

Entrant’s real full name and country.

Entrant’s email address.

Title of the submission.

Description of the submission (Includes when and where the image was taken. Maximum 100 words).

5. Submission file name convention: Category code name-Entrant’s Name-Title-Submission sequence number.jpg.

Category code names:

ANS Africa’s Landscapes AW African Wildlife AC Culture & Life

UAM Urban Africa & Modernity

Example:

John Lee plans to submit 3 images to Culture & Life category. The titles are “performance”, “fashion”, “food” respectively.

Submission emails subject should be 2025 WAAI-John Lee.

Submission file names should be:

AC-JohnLee- performance-01.jpg

AC-JohnLee-fashion-02.jpg

AC-JohnLee-food-03.jpg

Agreement to be Bound by These Terms and Conditions

1. I declare that I am eighteen (18) years old or older and am legally competent to execute this release.

2. By entering this competition, you hereby acknowledge and accept all the competition rules and the terms and conditions.

3. Submissions must be the original work by the entrant captured with film or digital equipment. The entrant is the sole owner and author of each entry.

4 The organizers North America Photography Association (NAPA) and the World Cultural Arts Organization (UNWCAO) reserve the right to use all submitted and winning images within the copyright protection period. The organizer has unlimited non-exclusive rights to use the high-resolution image files for marketing, promotions, publishing, exhibition, screening, public archives, and media (including social media, online and print). For all images except those that have been granted, the copyright owner shall grant (napa) the right to freely use the submitted or winning images within the copyright protection period. The organizer has unlimited non-exclusive rights to use the high-resolution image files for marketing, promotions, publishing, exhibition, screening, public archives, and media (including social media, online and print). For all images except those that have been granted, the copyright owner shall grant (napa) private archives the non-exclusive free use of low-resolution images for educational and research activities. All promotional and educational activities conducted by the organizer can use the entering images free of charge. Private archives the non-exclusive free use of low-resolution images for educational and research activities. All promotional and educational activities conducted by the organizer can use the entering images free of charge. private archives the non-exclusive free use of low-resolution images for educational and research activities.

5. Disclaimer: It is entrants’ legal responsibility to ensure that the submitted images do not infringe portrait rights, rights to reputation, music copyrights, etc. If an image contains people, it is the entrants’ responsibility to ensure that the image has been taken and will be used with the consent and permission of anyone who is identifiable in the image. It is also the entrants’ responsibility to ensure that the submitted images do not infringe any third party’s rights (such as copyrights, portrait rights, rights to reputation and privacy, etc.). If any losses are caused to the organizer due to these legal disputes, the entrant shall compensate the organizer for all losses. By entering this competition, you hereby accept this term and condition.

6. Limits of Liability: Each contest entrant agrees to release, discharge, and hold harmless the North America Photography Association (NAPA), the World Cultural Arts Organization (UNWCAO), their sponsoring agencies, and each of their commissioners, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives (collectively referred to as the “Released Parties”) from any and all liabilities, claims, demands, damages, or costs (including, without limitation, legal fees and litigation expenses), arising out of or in any way related to: (1) this contest, including, without limitation, any liability arising from the use,

processing or preparation of the finished Photograph(s) submitted by each entrant and loss or damage to the Photograph(s); (2) any prize won; or (3) any use of the entry materials provided, except for the gross negligence of the RELEASED PARTIES. For the purposes of this Consent, Waiver of Liability and Release form (“Release”), the term “Photograph(s)” shall mean and refer to all or any portion of any visual image submitted to the North America Photography Association in United Nations (napa) or their sponsoring agencies.

7. Copyrights & Usage Rights: The organizers of the North America Photography Association (NAPA) and the World Cultural Arts Organization (UNWCAO) fully recognize that you, as the author of the image, retain full ownership of the copyright to each image submitted to the contest.

8. I understand that the terms herein are contractual and not a mere recital, that this instrument is legally binding, and that I have voluntarily agreed to these terms. The North America Photography Association (NAPA) and the World Cultural Arts Organization (UNWCAO) reserve the right to interpret, amend, or clarify the competition rules and terms at their sole discretion. By entering this competition all entrants hereby agree to and abide by all the above rules and terms. Any entrants or submissions that do not comply with these rules and terms will be disqualified.

Deadline

July 15, 2025, 11:59pm (Eastern Time)

North America Photography Association (napa) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) the United Nations, dedicated to promoting international cultural and artistic exchange. NAPA works closely with institutions such as the World Cultural Arts Organization, organizing cultural, artistic, and photography exhibitions, as well as a variety of art events and international exchange programs. Provides a global platform for photography and cultural exchange, creating opportunities for professional photographers and enthusiasts to engage in technical collaboration, while fostering mutual understanding and cooperation among different countries and regions.

Major Events Organized by the North America Photography Association: