Sudanese photographer Amar Abdalla has won the grand prize in the 2025 East African Photography Award (EAPA) competition for his captivating work titled ‘Temporary Homes.’ Chosen from a competitive pool of submissions from across the region, Amar’s collection of photographs are a chilling reminder of the consequences of civil unrest through his exploration of his family’s displacement by the war, highlighting their daily experiences in the new environment and how they adapt to their new home while keeping vivid memories of their old one.
His story also reflects on how they cope with the challenges of displacement and find ways to live and belong even in temporary places. Amar takes home a Fujifilm X-T5 camera and XF 16-50 kit, courtesy of Fujifilm Middle East FZE. EAPA now in its eighth year, is open to East African visual storytellers Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It celebrates documentary and artistic work that reflects the contemporary existence of people, the planet, and other stories of life in East Africa.
This year, EAPA continues to grow steadily with Sudanese photographers taking centre stage this year, showcasing their talent and resilience despite the challenging circumstances in their country. The winners of the 14th edition of the Uganda Press Photo Award (UPPA), EAPA, and 10th edition of the Young Photographer Award (YPA) were announced on September 25, 2025 at MoTIV Uganda in Kampala. Badru Katumba (Uganda)’s portrait, ‘What Next,’ winner of the Planet category, was also selected as the overall Single Image winner. The powerful image captures people looking for their loved ones after flooding and landslides in Masugu on November 29, 2025. Through this poignant portrait you get to share the sense of loss in the wake of devastation.
UPPA continues its tradition of recognizing the best documentary photography and photojournalism in Uganda. Timothy Akolamazima won the top UPPA prize with a story ‘Beyond the Barre: Stories of Ballet in Uganda’ that explores the quiet rise of ballet in a country where it exists on the cultural fringe, documenting the resilience, passion, and determination of young dancers who pursue the art despite economic, social, and structural barriers.
Katumba and Akolamazima each took home a Fujifilm X-T50 camera and XF 16-50 kit, courtesy of Fujifilm Middle East FZE. Agaba Joel Gabriel took home the 2025 YPA top prize. Agaba is a Kampala-based DJ, photographer, and theatre maker whose multidisciplinary practice explores memory, place, and belonging through experimental works rooted in preservation and everyday life.
YPA is an educational initiative aimed at nurturing emerging photographers with a passion for documentary photography or photojournalism. The winner, along with the runners-up, will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive Mentorship Programme. This programme offers a bootcamp-style course, providing hands-on learning about photography, while also guiding participants in developing a documentary photography project under the mentorship of an industry professional.
An exhibition presenting all the winning images from this year’s competitions opened to visitors from September 25 at MoTIV Uganda until October 13.
The show also features work from Barbra Mercy Leni, a winner of last year’s YPA, showcasing the outcome of her participation in this year’s Emerging Photographer Mentorship Programme.
WINNERS
EAPA
1. Amar Abdalla (Sudan)
2. Jeremiah Onyango (Ke)
1. Israa Alrrayah (Sudan)
2. Don Odhiambo (Kenya)
1. Katumba Badru (Uganda)
2. A. Ochieng Onyango (Ke)
1. Natnael Ashebir (Ethiopia)
Uganda Press Photo Award
1. Timothy Akolamazima
2. Serina Efrance Kirabo
Young Photographer Award
1. Agaba Joel Gabriel
2. Victor Kibalama