Head On Photo Awards 2026 Winners Announced

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6–29 November 2026

Bondi Beach Promenade | Bondi Pavilion | Paddington Reservoir Gardens

Sydney, 7 November 2026: A portrait of a First Nations Elder, a burning gas crater in the Turkmenistan desert and an image exploring the environmental impact of plastic have taken out the top honours at the 2026 Head On Photo Awards, announced as Head On Photo Festival opens in Sydney.

Australian photographers Sylvia Liber and Fernanda Pedroso, alongside Germany-based photographer Liz Miller Kovacs, have been named winners of the Portrait, Exposure and Landscape Awards respectively.

Taking out the Portrait Award is Queensland photographer Sylvia Liber, whose striking image The strength she stands in captures Aunty Lorraine, a proud Yuin/Gunai Kurnai Elder and senior Coomaditchie artist. Standing with quiet confidence, the visible absence of a breast forms part of a powerful portrait celebrating her resilience, dignity and continuing role as an Elder within her community.

The Landscape Award has gone to Germany-based photographer Liz Miller Kovacs for Gates of hell, capturing Turkmenistan's Darvaza Gas Crater, a vast pit of fire burning for more than 50 years. Kovacs travelled hundreds of kilometres through the Karakum Desert to photograph the extraordinary site.

Canberra-based photographer Fernanda Pedroso has won the Exposure Award for Plastic metamorphosis: wings of our consumption, transforming plastic into what appears to be a delicate wing. Created using long exposure and flash photography, the image explores the contrast between beauty and pollution.

Head On Photo Festival Founder and Creative Director Moshe Rosenzveig OAM said the winning images demonstrated the diversity of photography being produced around the world.

"These are three very different photographs, but each has the ability to make us stop and look. They tell stories about people, places and the world around us, and show just how much can be communicated through a single image," Rosenzveig said.

"The Awards are an important part of Head On. They give photographers from around the world an opportunity to have their work seen by new audiences, and we're delighted to be showcasing this year's winners and finalists as part of the Festival."

The Awards form part of Head On Photo Festival 2026, which brings together more than 700 photographers from over 30 countries for 93 free exhibitions across Sydney and Australia. Running from 6–29 November, the Festival features work by some of the world's leading photographers, exploring stories of conflict, migration, identity, Australian life and more, alongside a program of artist talks, panels and workshops.

Head On Photo Festival runs 6–29 November 2026, with exhibitions free to the public.

Full program: headon.org.au