World Press Photo Contest winners cast a lens on resilience, pain and bliss

Photography World Press Photo Contest winners cast a lens on resilience, pain and bliss April 26, 20267:44 AM ET By Kamala Thiagarajan Young dancers from the Joburg Ballet School backstage at the Soweto Theatre prepare for their year-end performance. Soweto, South Africa. December 7, 2025. Ihsaan Haffejee for GroundUp hide caption toggle caption Ihsaan Haffejee for GroundUp The winning images in the 2026 World Press Photos contest attest to a year of conflict and chaos. War, migration issues and climate upheaval dominated the news. NPR highlighted the "photo of the year' — Separated by ICE. It was taken by Carol Guzy of the United States for the Miami Herald and captures the pain of a family being separated in a New York court. There were also award winners that offer hope and happiness — like that photo of young ballet students in Johannesburg, South Africa, as they pause for a reflective moment before a performance. It is all the more stirring because before Apartheid came to an end, ballet was an art form typically reserved for white South Africans. Sponsor Message The photographer, Ihsaan Haffejee, based in Johannesburg, says his editor had asked that photojournalists keep an eye open for good news stories. He says he took his camera to the Joburg Ballet School "year-end performance in which the young students showcase the ballet skills that they have learnt throughout the year. "Parents, friends and family attend and cheer on the young girls as they perform for a packed audience." Here's a selection of photos singled out for distinction in regional categories, focusing on the countries of the Global South that our global health and development team covers. Gulshaman visits Fatemah, whose daughter, Yasmin, was born the previous day. Waras, Shahristan district, Daikundi province, Afghanistan. July 27, 2025 Elise Blanchard for Time hide caption toggle caption Elise Blanchard for Time In Afghanistan's remote Daikundi province, the cessation of U.S. aid has stripped many pregnant women of access to medical care, pushing them to deliver at home in a country that already has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates as per UNICEF data. The funding shortfall has forced the suspension or shutdown of over 400 health facilities nationwide, including small, single-midwife community clinics, where many of the staff now work without pay or basic supplies. "I'm Afraid" is a winner in the stories category for West, Central and South Asia and was photographed by Elise Blanchard for Time. "The hardest part of covering this was to face the grief of the women who had lost their unborn children, and in one case, a man who had lost both his wife and unborn child before they could reach a clinic," says Blanchard. Sponsor Message Her winning photo shows a young woman who gave birth the previous day. "At 24, [Fatemah] had already given birth at home thrice, and lost a 5-month-old child because she could not walk to a clinic on time," says Blanchard. "She was handling a difficult marriage and facing extreme poverty. I was pained by what she went through and would continue going through but also so impressed by her strength." Valeria, age 5, plays behind a curtain at her aunt's house. She is raised solely by her mother. In her region, nearly a third of households are headed exclusively by women. Los Patios, Norte de Santander, Colombia. September 10, 2025. Ferley Ospina hide caption toggle caption Ferley Ospina A stories category winner from South…

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