Discover the 25 winners of AAP Magazine 55 Women

The marginalization of women in the history of photography is rooted in a long-standing tendency to undervalue their creative voice. For decades, women were more often seen as muses or assistants, rather than as artists shaping their own vision. Early visual culture reinforced this imbalance, portraying women as passive figures, while limiting both their representation and their role behind the camera.

Yet throughout history, women have continuously challenged these boundaries—using photography to document, question, and redefine how the world is seen.

With its 55th edition, AAP Magazine celebrates the strength, resilience, and creative power of women through the work of 25 selected photographers. Among them, 17 women are joined by 8 men, representing 12 countries across 3 continents, whose diverse approaches form a compelling tribute to the theme.

From fine art to street photography, documentary to portraiture, the selected works offer a wide range of perspectives—some intimate and introspective, others outward-looking and socially engaged. Together, they create a rich and nuanced dialogue on how women are represented and empowered through photography today.

The Winner is Silvia Alesssi (Italy) with the series 'The Cut'

The Second Place Winner is Natalya Saprunova (France/Russia) with the series 'Boreal People'

The Third Place Winner is Angelika Kollin (Estonia) with the series ‘You Are My Mother’

The other winners featured in the Merit Award’s Gallery are: Somenath Mukhopadhyay (India), Ezio Gianni Murzi (Italy), Ron Cooper (United States), B Jane Levine (United States), Aline Smithson (United States), Donna Gordon (United States), Alain Schroeder (Belgium), Mandy Ross (UK), Justin Roque (France), Oscar González (Costa Rica), Leonie van der Helm (Netherlands), Sebastian Sardi (Sweden), Nina Nelson (United States), Valentina Sinis (Italy), Beth Stahn (United States), Jelisa Peterson (United States), Mary Dondero (United States), Oksana Zhila (Russia), Ingetje Tadros (Netherlands), Leonor Benito de la Lastra (Spain), Clark James Mishler (United States) and Cheryl Clegg (United States).

The top three winners will receive a prize of $1,000, and all winning photographs will be prominently featured in the All About Photo Winners Gallery and published in the printed issue of AAP Magazine #55: Women Discover all the winners here