A powerful and contemplative portrait of a burn survivor has been awarded the prestigious Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize for 2025. The National Portrait Gallery in London announced Stockholm-based photographer Martina Holmberg as the winner, who receives a £15,000 prize for her evocative image titled Mel.
A Story of Survival and Strength
The winning photograph captures the subject, Mel, in a moment of quiet reflection, gazing out of a window as soft light illuminates her repaired skin. The portrait is part of Holmberg's larger series, The Outside of the Inside, which documents individuals with facial and physical differences.
The image is underpinned by a tragic story. When Mel was just two years old, her mother left her and her sister in a car for a brief moment. Upon her return, the vehicle was on fire. Mel survived the incident with severe burns, but her sister tragically died.
The judges praised Mel for its compassionate approach and technical mastery, noting how the lighting and thoughtful composition draw viewers directly into the sitter's personal narrative. The National Portrait Gallery stated that Holmberg's work pays tribute to human diversity and brings greater visibility to the discrimination often faced by those with physical differences.
Runners-Up and Commended Works
The competition also celebrated other exceptional photographic talents. The second prize of £3,000 was awarded to Luan Davide Gray, a London-based fine art photographer, for his black and white portrait We Dare to Hug. The image depicts two men in their 60s sharing a tender embrace, with one gently kissing the other's cheek. The NPG noted that the portrait, part of Gray's series Call Me By Your Name, captures a moment of mature intimacy that challenges conventional representations of physical closeness.
Third prize, worth £2,000, went to Byron Mohammad Hamzah, an NHS consultant and photographic artist, for Jaidi Playing. This portrait shows a child's head cradled in the hands of another and is part of a series focusing on the stateless youth of Semporna, East Malaysia. Hamzah has been volunteering as an art teacher with an NGO that provides schooling for marginalised children, including Jaidi. The judges were moved by the portrait's depiction of tranquility amidst a life of uncertainty.
Exhibition and Additional Honours
In addition to the main prizes, an £8,000 photographic commission was awarded to Hollie Fernando for her portrait Boss Morris. The image, from her series Hoydenish, features an all-female morris dancing troupe from Stroud and explores shifting gender roles within the traditional dance form.
The winning and shortlisted portraits will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery from 13 November 2025 to 8 February 2026. The exhibition will also feature a new portrait of queer activist Lady Phyll by Jesse Navarre Vos, last year's commission winner.
The 2025 judging panel included photographer Sunil Gupta, art historian Katy Hessel, photographer Tim Walker, and the NPG's senior curator of photography, Sabina Jaskot-Gill.
