The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FOTEA) has officially announced the winners of its 2025 photography competitions, marking a significant year for visual storytelling in East Africa. The 14th edition of the Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA), the 8th East African Photography Award (EAPA), and the 10th Young Photographer Award (YPA) have highlighted a region navigating the complex intersections of displacement, environmental crisis, and cultural evolution.
Selected from a highly competitive pool of entries, this year’s laureates were honored for their ability to transform raw, often harrowing reality into poetic narratives of human endurance. The winners were celebrated at an opening ceremony at MoTIV Uganda, where their work remained on public display through mid-October 2025.
Sudanese Voices Dominate the Regional Stage
In a year where Sudan has faced immense internal turmoil, Sudanese photographers emerged as the leading voices of the East African Photography Award (EAPA). The top honor in the Story Category was awarded to Amar Abdalla for his series, “Temporary Homes.” Abdalla’s project is a deeply personal documentary of his own family’s displacement due to war. Rather than focusing solely on the destruction of conflict, his lens captures the quiet, difficult labor of building a sense of “belonging” in transit. His work was praised by the jury for its chilling yet tender reminder of the consequences of civil unrest and the fragility of physical and emotional security.
The Sudanese presence continued in the Single Image categories:
- Human Category: Israa Alrrayah (Sudan) took first place with a portrait that radiated quiet strength.
- Imagine Category: Natnael Ashebir (Ethiopia) won for an experimental piece that uses abstract visuals to explore themes of memory and the search for identity.
Documenting a Changing Uganda
The Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA), which specifically honors photojournalism within the country, saw Timothy Akolamazima take the top prize for his essay, “Beyond the Barre: Stories of Ballet in Uganda.” His work sheds light on a growing subculture of young dancers pursuing a classical art form that remains largely unrecognized in the local cultural landscape, documenting their discipline against a backdrop of limited resources.
Environmental tragedy also took center stage through the work of Katumba Badru. His photograph “What Next,” which won both the EAPA Planet Category and the Overall Single Image Award, provides a haunting look at the aftermath of the Masugu floods. The image depicts the profound grief and uncertainty of families searching for lost loved ones amidst the debris of landslides.
Nurturing the Next Generation
Celebrating a decade of scouting fresh talent, the Young Photographer Award (YPA) was awarded to Agaba Joel Gabriel. A multidisciplinary artist and DJ, Gabriel’s winning work stood out for its experimental “interdisciplinary” approach. By blending photography with sound and performance, he explores the concept of “vanished structures” and the preservation of everyday life in Kampala.
As the winner, Gabriel receives a Fujifilm X-S20 and a coveted spot in the Emerging Photographer Mentorship Programme, an initiative designed to help young artists develop long-term documentary projects under the guidance of industry veterans.
Industry Support and Global Reach
The 2025 awards were made possible through a robust network of partners, including Fujifilm Middle East, the Embassy of Sweden, the European Union, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Beyond the prestige, winners received high-end gear, including Fujifilm X-T5 and X-T50 cameras, to ensure they have the tools necessary to continue their professional journeys.
As the exhibition travels from Kampala, it serves as a testament to FOTEA’s mission: to ensure that the stories of East Africa are told by those who live them, ensuring that even in times of crisis, the human spirit is captured with dignity and depth.
