2025 Single Category Winners
General News
Judges’ comments: 1st place is a dramatic image with great timing and courage exhibited by the photographer. Masterfully composed during a chaotic situation.
FIRST PLACE: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
A demonstrator uses a skateboard to destroy a Waymo vehicle as thousands of protesters take to the streets to protest ICE immigration raids throughout the city. It was reported that demonstrators called the driverless cars to this location, leaving them vulnerable to demolition.
SECOND PLACE: GENARO MOLINA, LOS ANGELES TIMES
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - JANUARY 29, 2025 - Finally being able to return home, Preston Hayes, left, comforts his wife Kelsey Hayes, while standing in the ruins of their home on Hartley Street in Pacific Palisades on January 29, 2025. This was the first time that the couple were allowed in to see if their house survived. “Until you see it, it takes your breath away,” said Kelsey. It was the second day where residents were allowed back in the Pacific Palisades. “Most days I’m not standing,” said Kelsey. “It’s my husband, my kids…,” pausing to hold her emotions at bay. “There’s been an outpouring of love and support from friends and family. It helps you put one foot forward and then another,” she said. The couple were raising their 2 and 3 year old children in the home. They are currently staying with family in Indian Wells.
THIRD PLACE: BRANDON RICHARDSON, LONG BEACH WATCHDOG
Jonathan Guzman and Maricela Gonzalez, left, and other family members comforth each other during a vigil for Brian Gonzalez at Cabrillo High School in Long Beach Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. Brian died the day before after suffering a medical emergency during a soccer game.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: KAREN LOBERG, FREELANCE
Principal Eric Bergmann is greeted at the bottom of the ramp by Alan Ko with his diploma in hand during commencement of the Thousand Oaks High School Class of 2025 on campus in Thousand Oaks, Calif. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Award of Excellence: Daniel Dreifuss, Monterey County Weekly
Wreckage from a plane crash is taken out of the water near Asilomar State Beach. Three people were killed in the crash.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: THOMAS CORDOVA, LONG BEACH POST
Rep. Robert Garcia held a press conference on his recent trip to El Salvador in Long Beach on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Garcia returned from the country and demanded the release of a wrongfully deported man.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: GHAWAM KOUCHAKI, FREELANCE
California National Guard troops hold a line with riot shields in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in downtown Los Angeles, California, during Fourth of July protests. July 4, 2025.
Feature
Judges’ comments: 1st place is a wonderfully upbeat and unexpected photo from a disaster zone.
FIRST PLACE: MINDY SCHAUER, OC REGISTER
Jennifer May Nickel says she’s not a glass half-empty kind of person so she performs “Singin’ in the Rain,” in front of her burned-down home in Altadena on Sunday, January 26, 2025 while her friends record her for her Instagram account: Jennifermaydesigns. The TV costume designer lost everything in the home she lived in for 7 years with her husband.
SECOND PLACE: AMY GASKIN, FREELANCE
Marilyn Monroe died more than 60 years ago. Yet, like ripples on a pond, her memory lives on through countless people who are connected to her and inspired by her. For many, Marilyn is a source of inspiration to overcome difficult odds. In Australia, Marilyn Monroe is the motivation for those whose lives are touched by cancer. They raise money for cancer by dressing as Marilyn and swimming. This morning, they are making a group photo. Back: Petal (6), Mark, Monique. Front: Belinda, Wisha, Jacqui, in Brighton, South Australia.
THIRD PLACE: CRISTINA SALVADOR-KLENZ, FREELANCE
Romani American mother, MaryAnn Richards, grieves the sudden death of her son, Robert. She is consoled by her sister-in-law, Ericka, at the funeral home in Reno, Nevada. Robert was a kind-hearted man who filed the proper paperwork to donate his organs. His family granted his wishes and kept him on life support so his organs could be distributed. Robert saved the lives of 6 to 7 people including a distant Romani relative. Because of tradition, it is uncommon for Romani Americans to donate their organs.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
Flowers and a parked car are coated in fire retardant as the Palisades Fire burns through Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2025. The fire was one of several blazes burning across Los Angeles County.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
September 16, 2025, Central California - Melon pickers at work as the sun rises. Many of the workers at this farm had emigrated from the same agricultural town in Sinaloa.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: SARAH REINGEWIRTZ, LA DAILY NEWS
A boy waves an American flag in a vehicle carrying the memory of WWII Veteran Ysabel Rodriguez in the San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade in Mission Hills on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MICHAEL COONS, ACORN NEWSPAPER
Sebastian Sempero, 5, holds his arms up as artificial snow falls on him during a holiday light show at the Tattersall House in Westlake Village on Dec. 21, 2025. Mark Tattersall and his brother Dave spend up to five weeks setting up the show at the home. Food for the Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank is collected by the Tattersall’s during the event.
Portrait
Judges’ Comments: 1st place is an elegant quiet capture. Beautiful lighting and composition.
FIRST PLACE: DANIEL DREIFUSS, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY
Julie Packard, who transformed scientific communication and public engagement with marine science, plans to step down from her leadership role at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the coming months.
SECOND PLACE: CRISTINA SALVADOR-KLENZ, FREELANCE
Omari Edinburg, 31, has been living on the street for three years. He went to high school in Mereno Valley. His photograph was taken on Anaheim Street where he often sits outside of a small shop near the intersection of Cherry Avenue.
THIRD PLACE: THOMAS CORDOVA, LONG BEACH POST
Connor Grodzicki, guitarists of the band Vended perform during the Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, Sunday, July 27, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: SARAH REINGEWIRTZ, LA DAILY NEWS
Jessie Smith-Jones, 84, puts jewelry on in her Chesapeake apartment in Baldwin Hills by her favorite window on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Smith-Jones formed the Baldwin-Leimert-Crenshaw chapter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union with her daughter Zerita Jones after fighting their mega-landlord Mike Nijjar who owns the 425-unit complex and is known for keeping his properties in slum-like conditions.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: CRISTINA SALVADOR-KLENZ, FREELANCE
Pastor Ron Marks, who is Romani-American and an advocate for his people, is a frequent visitor to the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles, where he and his wife, Sally, have found a safe haven to express their sorrow. Pastor Ron prays outside the museum at the Martyrs Memorial also known as the Holocaust Monument.
As leaders of Living Hope Church in Buena Park, California, the couple have made it one of their goals to raise awareness of the estimated 1.5 million Roma and Sinti who were targeted by the Third Reich throughout Europe and murdered during the Holocaust.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: HANS GUTKNECHT, FREELANCE
Desmond smokes Marijuana in an alley in Los Angeles’ Chinatown on May 20, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MIKE GOULDING, FREELANCE
One hundred year old, World War II veteran, Joe Mejia sits for a portrait in the living room of his La Habra CA home.
Pictorial
Judges’ Comments: This photographer waited for someone to walk into the frame and got the perfect shot by doing so.
FIRST PLACE: CRISTINA SALVADOR-KLENZ, FREELANCE
Banners of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are suspended from lampposts that line Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Long Beach. The lower portion of this image is taken from the driver’s side view mirror and reflects the banners in the background while the upper part of the image is the view from above the mirror capturing a man walking in the foreground.
SECOND PLACE: DANA RENE WHITE, FREELANCE
THIRD PLACE: GENARO MOLINA, LA TIMES
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18, 2025 — Los Angeles Trade Tech College power line students participate in a pole climbing exercise during a certification class to become electrical lineman against a backdrop of approaching rain clouds at LATTC in downtown Los Angeles on November 18, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MARK TERRILL, AP
A Volkswagen bus sits among burned out homes, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Malibu, Calif.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MIKE GOULDING, FREELANCE
Early risers walk through the morning fog on the Seal Beach pier as lights illuminate the mist on Tuesday December 16, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
People stand along a rooftop observation deck at a hotel overlooking the illuminated skyline of Chongqing, China, on Oct. 5, 2025. Silhouetted against high-rise buildings and neon-lit bridges along the Yangtze River, visitors pause to take in the city’s nighttime view, highlighting Chongqing’s dense urban landscape and dramatic elevation.
Spot News
Judges’ Comments: This is a beautifully layered image that is both light-hearted and serious at the same time. The Dale’s Donuts sign gives the image a sense of place.
FIRST PLACE: JONATHAN ALCORN, FREELANCE
Protestors gather as a car burns at the intersection of Alondra Bl and Atlantic Bl in Compton during a protest following an ICE immigration raid at a nearby Home Depot on June 7, 2025 in Compton, California.
SECOND PLACE: DAVID SWANSON, REUTERS
A man with a Mexican flag stan on one of five Waymos set on fire during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles, California.
THIRD PLACE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
Fireworks explode as law enforcement officers clash with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration enforcement operations in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 7, 2025, as tensions escalated amid raids and the deployment of additional security forces.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
Demonstrators wave flags from atop a wrecked car, standing beside burning Waymo vehicles, as protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 troops on June 7 to handle escalating protests against immigration enforcement raids in the Los Angeles area, a move the state’s governor termed “purposefully inflammatory.” Federal agents clashed with angry crowds in a Los Angeles suburb as protests stretched into a second night Saturday, shooting flash-bang grenades and shutting part of a freeway amid raids on undocumented migrants, reports said.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: GENARO MOLINA, LOS ANGELES TIMES
BELL, CA - JUNE 19, 2025 - - FACE OFF - A member of the public, in white t-shirt, is subdued by Federal and Border Patrol agents, as a friend protests their actions as they try to arrest men at a car wash on Atlantic Blvd. In the city of Bell on June 19, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: JEFF GRITCHEN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Police use pepper spray as they move protesters away from a van leaving the Federal Building in Santa Ana, CA, on Monday, June 9, 2025. About 200 anti-ICE protesters spent the afternoon carrying signs as they chanted and yelled at police.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: TED SOQUI, FREELANCE
A drone view of heavy rains that washed out E. Palmdale Blvd in Sun Village, California, USA, 26 December 2025. Rain storms dropped 6 inches of rainfall in Los Angeles County, with 3 times that much in the mountains in the mountains, prompting evacuations and road closures. 

Music & Performing Arts
Judges’ Comments: 1st place is a beautifully captured moment showing entertainment through a photojournalist’s eye.
FIRST PLACE: AMY GASKIN, FREELANCE
In Palm Springs, CA, Marilyn Monroe is a symbol of hope. The 26-foot-tall sculpture “Forever Marilyn” was installed to revive the city’s tourist economy which was decimated during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are hoping she’ll be a magnet and the 800-plus businesses downtown that have suffered will get some relief,” says Aftab Dada, Chairman of PS Resorts, the tourism group that brought the sculpture to Palm Springs. Karina Raude of the Seward Johnson Atelier, carries supplies.
SECOND PLACE: MINDY SCHAUER, OC REGISTER
Melody Yang creates colorful bubble and laser art while performing at the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
THIRD PLACE: SCOTT MITCHELL, FREELANCE
Kazuki Tokaji, lead guitaist for the alternative rock band, Circle The Earth, has the crowd on their feet at the Garden Amphitheater, Garden Grove, CA, USA, April 5, 2025
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: JILL CONNELLY, FREELANCE
Inglewood, CA., Oct. 9, 2025. - - Performer Alicia Villareal in concert at the YouTube Theater.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: PATRICK FALLON, AFP
US comedian and this year’s Oscars host Conan O’Brien lies on the red carpet for the Oscars arrivals area as it is rolled out along Hollywood Boulevard during preparations for the 97th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, on February 26, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: THOMAS CORDOVA, LONG BEACH POST
Erica Uzca is backstage as she prepares for a rehearsal with the Long Beach Symphony for the Classical Series program titled Beethoven & Beyond at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
Sports Features
Judges’ Comments: This is an excellent celebration image. We love that the photographer got inside the moment with a wide-angle lens.
FIRST PLACE: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez #22 gets a lift by teammates after hitting his second homer of the game against Los Osos in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball second-round playoff game in Corona on Tuesday, May 20 2025.
SECOND PLACE: MARK TERRILL, AP
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, celebrates after scoring as Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter runs by during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif.
THIRD PLACE: PATRICK FALLON, AFP
USA’s Lindsey Vonn cries on the podium after placing second in the women’s Super-G event at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on March 23, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: GINA FERAZZI, LOS ANGELES TIMES
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 9, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) reacts as he throws sunflower seeds onto Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández (37) after Hernández hit a solo homer off Colorado Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez (48) in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Toronto, Ontario, November 1, 2025 - World Series MVP Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is embraced by team interpreter Will Ireton after sealing the championship in game 7 against the Blue Jays. In the epic 2025 World Series Game 7, Yamamoto, pitching on no rest after a Game 6 start, came in as a reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers and secured the championship by closing out the Toronto Blue Jays in 2 2/3 scoreless innings, earning World Series MVP honors as the Dodgers won 5-4 in extra innings. He stranded the tying run at third base in the 11th, sealing the Dodgers’ repeat championship.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: ROBERT HANASHIRO, FREELANCE
Aug 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles Sparks guard Julie Allemand (20) celebrates making a steal in the closing seconds to seal the win over the Seattle Storm at Crypto.com Arena.
Sports Action
Judges’ Comments: Great job by the photographer by bending down and seeing things from the viewpoint of the ground. You can feel this photo because of it.
FIRST PLACE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
Canada’s Alphonso Davies (#19) falls and reacts after colliding with United States’ Patrick Agyemang (#16) during the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match at SoFi Stadium on March 23, 2025, in Inglewood, California.
SECOND PLACE: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Valley View centerfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 crashes over the centerfield fence trying to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 during the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
THIRD PLACE: ROBERT HANASHIRO, FREELANCE
Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Kennedy Smith (11) drives to the basket as UCLA Bruins forward Janiah Barker (0) moves in to defend during the third quarter at Galen Center.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Vista Murrieta midfielder Abigail Greiner #27 takes a shot over Roosevelt defenders in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 girls lacrosse first-round playoff match in Eastvale on Monday, April 28, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Vista Murrieta 9-5 to win the CIF Southern Section Division 2 girls lacrosse first-round playoff match.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: ROBERT HANASHIRO, FREELANCE
Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) crumples to the floor after trying to drive to the basket between Mississippi State Bulldogs guards Denim DeShields (0) and Chandler Prater (5) during the first quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. After the game USC announced that Watkins had a torn right ACL and was out for the season.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MARK TERRILL, AP
Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon, left, is tackled by Iowa defensive back Xavier Nwankpa after making a catch for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Corona catcher Jesiah Andrade #6 is hit in the jaw by Los Osos’ pitcher Gavin Loeb-Keene during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball second-round playoff game in Corona on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Animal
Judges’ Comments: This category was fun to judge. This one made us all laugh, and the timing was perfect.
FIRST PLACE: RONEN TIVONY, FREELANCE
A snowy egret chases a rare white morph reddish egret with a freshly caught fish at Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde, Florida, on May 23, 2025. The white morph reddish egret is a rare sight, highly prized by birders and wildlife photographers alike.
SECOND PLACE: TERRY PIERSON, THE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Stable helper Kassy McMillan gets a lick from Orpheus, a Cellar Farm equestrian show jumping and cross country horse in the Galway Downs stables in Temecula, Friday, March 28, 2025. Galway Downs may host the 2028 Olympics Equestrian events.
THIRD PLACE: JAYNE KARMIN-ONCEA, FREELANCE
August 2025; Brown Bears at Geographic Harbor in Katmai National Park, Kodiak Alaska. Bucked list trip.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: RONEN TIVONY, FREELANCE
Burrowing owlets at the entrance to their burrow in Davie, Florida, on May 7, 2025. Despite measuring just 7 to 9 inches tall, this small owl is a fierce and capable hunter.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: LIBBY CLINE BIRMINGHAM, FREELANCE
Rusty a dog from Pasadena poses for a photo as Harry Pawter during Barks & Boos, Howl-o-ween celebration for humans and their canine buddies as they showcase their Halloween attire at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: MINDY SCHAUER, OC REGISTER
New furry friends, Sunny, left, and Texas, form a beach bond as they frolic in the sand and water on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Sunny, a golden retriever owned by Jerry Abbott, and Texas, a jack russell terrier, owned by Casandra Ross were romping in Laguna Beach.
FIRE
Judges’ Comments: 1st place is a phenomenal piece of journalism. The strongest single image in this contest. This category was hard to narrow down but the 1st place we all agreed on.
FIRST PLACE: DAVID SWANSON, REUTERS
A man removes the U.S. flag from its staff as a house burns behind him during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California January 8, 2025.
SECOND PLACE: ROBERT GAUTHIER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Altadena, CA, Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025 - Steve Salinas shields from intense heat as he tries to prevent the flames from igniting his friend’s home on Sinaloa Ave. as the Eaton Fire continues to grow. Salinas hosed hot spots down for hours, saving the house from the flames.
THIRD PLACE: PATRICK FALLON, AFP
An aerial image shows smoke covering the cities of Los Angeles and Pasadena from wildfires including the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire at sunset over Los Angeles, California on January 8, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: GENARO MOLINA, LA TIMES
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - JANUARY 8, 2025 - - HEAVEN AND HELL - - The Palisades fire envelopes and destroys the United Methodist Community Church in Pacific Palisades on January 7, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: JEFF GRITCHEN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rows of destroyed homes during the Palisades Fire in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, CA, on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: RINGO CHIU, FREELANCE
A firefighter’s shadow is cast on the wall of a burning home as wind-driven embers fly during the Palisades Fire amid a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 8, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: DAVID SWANSON, REUTERS
Residents of Altadena embrace before evacuating their homes during the Eaton Fire January 8th, 2025.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: GINA FERAZZI, LA TIMES
Wildfires Rage in LA: A man wrapped in a quilt covers his face on the sidewalk as high winds whip burning embers from the Palisades fire just off Pacific Coast Highway on January 7, 2025 in Santa Monica, California.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: TED SOQUI, FREELANCE
Drone view of the Palisades Fire devastation north of Sunset Blvd towards the Santa Monica Mountains.
2/8/2025 Pacific Palisades, CA., USA
UCLA Sport
Judges’ Comments: The lines of repetitive blue, tack sharp image and the stern expression made this a winner.
FIRST PLACE: ROBERT HANASHIRO, FREELANCE
Feb 14, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA gymnast Frida Esparza competes on the uneven bars during an NCAA gymnastics meet against Penn State at Pauley Pavilion.