World Press Photo Contest Pictures

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

If an image speaks a thousand words, these photographs from the World Press Photo Contest speak two thousand. Taken by talented photojournalists in countries ranging from Ukraine during Euromaidan to Nigeria after the Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping, the striking images chart the agony and ecstasy of a year in global affairs.

"We were looking for an image that would matter tomorrow, not just today," says jury member Pamela Chen of the winning image: a portrait of Jon and Alex, a gay couple in Russia, where life is increasingly dangerous for LGBT people under President Vladimir Putin's anti-gay propaganda laws.

Going through the photos on this slideshow reminds us that, when a striking image tells a human story, the world doesn't seem so big after all.

All photo captions courtesy of World Press Photo.

For more photos from the competition, visit the 2015 World Press Photo contest website or see the exhibition at London's Southbank.

More from Global News

The Attack On Diane Abbott Is An Attack On All Black Women

Diane Abbott is frightened. Let that sink in. On Monday, Britain’s longest-serving Black MP learned that Frank Hester, the Conservative party’s biggest

by L'Oréal Blackett

Nobody Is Talking About Male Infertility & It’s Bad For Us All

There’s a story we’ve been told about Britain’s falling birth rate. It goes something like this: women are too focused on their careers, having child

by Vicky Spratt

I’ve Been Running A Vital News Source For Iranian Women — H...

It’s been almost three months since the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini. In September the 22-year-old Iranian was arrested in Tehran by the country’

by Lauren Crosby Med...

This Is Why Glasgow Is Being Called “The UK’s First F...

Glasgow is being hailed as “the UK’s first feminist city” after councillors passed a game-changing town planning motion. Submitted by Gre

Queen Elizabeth II Has Died At The Age Of 96

Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other sovereign countries and head of the Commonwealth, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has anno

by Refinery29 Staff

A Third Of Pakistan Is Under Water — Here’s How To Help From Here

In Pakistan, ‘unprecedented’ rains caused by climate change have left a third of the country underwater, killing 1,100 people and leaving 10 mi

by Zahra Campbell-Av...

I’m A 17-Year-Old Ukrainian Refugee, Reminding You The War Is Far...

Today marks six months since Russia invaded Ukraine. A conflict that the world hoped would end quickly following the initial invasion on 24th February has

by Lauren Crosby Med...

What Abortion Access In The U.S. Looks Like Post-Roe Dec...

This story will be updated as more news about the Dobbs decision comes to light. History will remember 24th June, 2022, as the day the U.S. Supreme Court d

by Molly Longman

Guatemalan Activists Face Threats & Violence, But They’re F...

In 2014, Topacio Reynoso Pacheco, 16, opposed a silver mine planned to operate near her hometown about 50 miles southeast of Guatemala’s capital in Mataq

by Shahrazad Encinias

As A Black Woman Who Lived In Sweden, #Swedengate Is All Too Fami...

Sweden used to evoke the usual stereotypes: blonde-haired blue-eyed people traipsing through green flowery fields, assemble-by-numbers furniture with simpl

by June Findlay

Why Celebrating Jubilee Weekend As A Second-Gen Immigrant Feels W...

It’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in the UK, marking the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne. But of course, in the UK you

by Michaela Makusha

“I Had To Use My Daughter’s Nappy As A Pad” – T...

Managing your period is hard enough in the best of situations. For people who already have to worry about food, clothing and housing, period products are l

by Lauren Crosby Med...

R29 Original Series