Photographer Alexander Mahmoud has been awarded multiple titles including Picture of the Year 2025 for his impactful image capturing a woman in a plastic chair gazing at smoke from Gaza.
Alexander Mahmoud, a photographer from Sweden, has received the prestigious title of Photographer of the Year along with several other awards for his compelling visual storytelling. His notable work includes an evocative photograph that depicts a woman seated in a plastic chair in southern Israel, gazing towards a smoke column emanating from Gaza, taken on October 7, 2025. The jury praised his ability to encapsulate complex and conflicting situations in a single frame, highlighting how his images reflect both Sweden's connection to global issues and the nuances of the world within Sweden.
In addition to the title of Photographer of the Year, Mahmoud secured the award for Picture of the Year and Picture of the Year for Everyday Life Abroad for the same photograph. The jury's commendation emphasized his unique approach to capturing moments that, while deeply personal and localized, reverberate on a universal scale. This recognition spotlights not only his technical proficiency but also his profound capacity to empathize with the subjects of his imagery amid ongoing crises.
Mahmoud also earned honors in the category of Foreign News Report for his poignant documentation of a Swedish pedophile's arrest in the Philippines and the subsequent care of the affected children. This remarkable array of awards underscores Mahmoud's versatility and commitment to highlighting pressing humanitarian issues through his lens, making significant contributions to contemporary photojournalism that resonate with audiences in Sweden and beyond.
