2025 Way Up North Awards

Since 2017, the Way Up North Awards have recognized exceptional talent within the wedding community. Our goal is to formally celebrate the very best in wedding photography and videography, both across Europe and globally. The Awards are divided into two types: Contests and Individual Awards. The Contests are open to worldwide submissions, culminating in a top ten list of winners. The Individual Awards, however, are exclusively for European creatives and involve a two-step process: first, nominees are submitted, then they’re invited to participate. Both Contests and Individual Awards are judged by wedding creatives provided by our sponsor, Imagen. Adding to the excitement, all winners are announced live at Way Up North in Vienna, creating a high-energy, unforgettable moment for everyone in the theatre.

Sponsored by
Global Competition

Submission Contests

The 2025 Contests feature 14 categories open to global entries. Spanning wedding photography, video, analogue, and AI work, these competitions showcase the full spectrum of wedding storytelling across mediums and styles.
Europe’s Best of 2025

Individual Awards

Celebrating Europe’s wedding photography and videography elite, three Individual Awards recognize the continent’s finest: Best Photographer, Best Young Photographer, and Best Filmmaker. The journey begins with nominations, then selected creatives receive invitations to submit their work.
Judging and Jury

Evaluating Your Entries

Thanks to Imagen, expert judges evaluate every submission with care and expertise. Meet the talented panel reviewing the 2025 WUN Awards, all of whom are Imagen ambassadors bringing diverse perspectives to the judging process.

the contests

The Contest portion of the Way Up North Awards is open globally — anyone, from anywhere, can enter. There’s no cap on the number of submissions you can make, and all entries will be reviewed by Imagen ambassadors. Each contest will have ten winners, with the exception of Story of the Year and Film of the Year, which will narrow down to three finalists and one top prize winner. All Contest winners will be announced live in Vienna in May 2026. Submissions close on January 10th, 2026. Good luck!

Contest Overview

Best Flash Photo

Create your light magic! Whether you’re working with a single speed-light or orchestrating multiple off-camera flashes, this category celebrates creative artificial lighting. From subtle fill to dramatic night portraits, show us your illumination innovation!
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Group Photo

Some wedding photographers cringe at family formals. Others embrace them. Whether it’s a grip and grin family portrait or a spontaneously constructed group photo with the bridal party, there’s something magical about capturing the couple surrounded by their loved ones. Show us your best celebration of all things groups!
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Solo Portrait

A single subject, endless storytelling potential! This contest celebrates individual portraits on the wedding day—candid moments or composed frames, spontaneous or staged. Enter your most compelling solo portrait of either partner, where personality shines through.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Couple Portrait

A wedding photography essential! Trends shift, styles change, but the heart of this contest never wavers: two people, deeply in love, on their most important day. Submit portraits with timeless power—images that will move viewers generations from now.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Epic Portrait

Those jaw-dropping photos that stop scrolling in its tracks – that’s what we’re looking for! Place a couple in the midst of nature’s grandeur or architectural magnificence on their wedding day, and you’ve got an Epic Portrait entry!
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Dance Photo

How does your corner of the world celebrate through movement? This category captures dance in all its forms—first dances under sparklers, bold relatives attempting viral moves, tiny dancers finding their rhythm. Movement speaks every language. Submit your most dynamic dance floor moment, wherever you shoot!
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Wedding Moment

For the hunters of fleeting magic—those who anticipate before moments unfold. This category rewards split-second instincts and perfect timing. Beautiful chaos, raw emotion, unexpected plot twists. Enter your most riveting spontaneous capture, where anticipation met opportunity.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Family Photo

Family portraiture lives at the core of wedding photography—time to celebrate that skill. This open category welcomes your finest family-centered work from any setting: wedding days, dedicated sessions, or beyond. Show your mastery of multi-generational connection and authentic family dynamics.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Non-Wedding Wedding Photo

We know you’re an ambitious bunch, and wedding inspiration doesn’t always happen on a wedding day in our world. Hence, we go “Beyond the Ceremony.” This category is crafted for extraordinary wedding-inspired photos created outside of a wedding day. Open to submissions from day-after sessions, styled shoots, workshops, or any setting outside the typical wedding environment, it’s an opportunity to unleash your creativity and showcase the magic that unfolds when wedding photography ventures beyond the bounds of the wedding day.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Maternity Photo

Celebrating new life! This category honours those brave photographers who have the courage to photograph one of life’s most vulnerable moments. Maternity photos range from creative to intimate, adventurous to raw. This category is a celebration of all forms that maternity photos take, and is an ode to motherhood.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Wedding Vibe

This contest is a collective effort between the photographer, the wedding couple, and whoever put it altogether to create just the right vibe. A photo that exemplifies what it felt like to be in the moment at the specific place on the day of the wedding. The type of photo you look at and can almost smell the atmosphere, feel the beats, or hear the sounds of the guests – that’s the vibe this category is after.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Best Analogue Wedding Photo

In an age of instant digital gratification, this category pays homage to the thoughtful craft of film photography. Show us your finest wedding photo captured on analogue medium, celebrating the timeless qualities and intentional approach that film demands.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€6 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Photographs must have been taken in 2025.
Contest Overview

Story of The Year

Celebration of stories! While single images can be powerful, a sequence of images weaves a complete narrative. The Story category invites you to showcase a wedding day journey through 25 carefully curated photos when compiled together create a compelling story!
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€15 per Story
Unlimited Entries
Entry must have be photographed in 2025.
Contest Overview

Film of the Year

Celebrating cinematic excellence in wedding storytelling! Submit your wedding films of 8 minutes or less and show us how you capture love in motion.
Submissions Open
November 13th (00:00 CET) 2025
Submissions Close
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026
Submissions Details
€25 per Entry
Unlimited Entries
Video must have be created in 2025.

The Individual Awards

Since we launched the Way Up North Awards in 2017, these three individual categories have celebrated Europe’s best wedding talent. The process is simple: it all starts with a nomination. Whether they get a single nomination or thousands, every nominee is invited to enter and submit their work. From there, the contest narrows to three finalists and, ultimately, one winner in each category. These awards are exclusively for European creatives, so check out the categories below and nominate your favorite wedding talent from 2025!

Europe’s Best Wedding Photographer

Who’s the wedding photographer that really stood out in Europe this year? Now’s your chance to nominate who you think deserves the title of Europe’s Best Wedding Photographer 2025! By nominating, you’ll put them in the running for the contest. Nominations close January 15th, with invites going out on January 16th, and judging begins February 1st. Let’s see who rises to the top!
Nomination Deadline
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026

Europe’s Best Young Wedding Photographer

Got an eye on a talented photographer under 25 who’s making waves in weddings? Nominate them for Europe’s Best Young Wedding Photographer! Your nomination is their ticket to enter. Nominations close January 15th, invites follow on January 16th, and judging kicks off February 1st. This is their moment to shine!
Nomination Deadline
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026

Europe’s Best Wedding Filmmaker

Which wedding filmmaker has really made an impact this year? Nominate them for Europe’s Best Wedding Filmmaker 2025 and help get them in the mix. Nominations close on January 10th, 2026, invitations go out January 11th, and judging starts February 1st, 2026. Let the best filmmaker win!
Nomination Deadline
January 10th (23:59 CET) 2026

Photography Judges

Our 2025 WUN Award photography judges come from near and far. Among them are past WUN Award winners as well as new faces who’ve just discovered the Awards. What unites them is a shared excellence in their craft and a diverse range of styles. They’ll bring their unique perspectives to evaluating your entries, and they share one more connection: they’re all Imagen ambassadors. We’re grateful to Imagen not only for sponsoring the contests but for bringing together this exceptional panel to rank your work.

Koko King, Canada

Koko King is an award-winning fine art and editorial wedding photographer known for her cinematic eye, her signature blend of digital and film, and her ability to create images that feel both romantic and timeless. As one half of the Hastings & King duo, she photographs luxury weddings around the world, capturing real emotion with an elevated, fashion-forward approach. Her work has been featured in Vogue India and celebrated by Rangefinder and Wezoree, positioning her as one of the most exciting voices in modern wedding photography.

Instagram, Website

Kim Raaf, Germany

Kim Raaf is a fully nomadic wedding photographer and educator with weddings and workshops from the tropics to deserts across continents. Blending documentary honesty with refined aesthetics, her story-driven approach embraces the chaos, the closeness, and the joy of real human connection. Her storytelling is grounded in intention, capturing the messiness and unmistakably real moments, and her couples at their most real.

Instagram, Website

Shanaya & Nitin Arora, India

Shanaya and Nitin Arora are an award-winning photography duo from India and the founders of WedFM, a creative studio and podcast celebrating love, art, and storytelling. Known for their vibrant, emotive style, they’ve captured hundreds of weddings worldwide with artistry and authenticity.

Instagram (Photography)
Instagram (Podcast)

The Padillas, USA

Husband and wife, full-time photographers, and the duo behind The Padillas Studio based in Sacramento, California. Since 2019, they’ve been telling stories through quinceañera and wedding photography that feels personal, emotional, and timeless.

Instagram, Website

Videography Judges

Our 2025 WUN Award judges bring diverse expertise from across the wedding photography industry. This year’s panel consists of Imagen ambassadors, offering a range of perspectives to evaluate your work. Imagen, our Awards sponsor, has assembled this judging team to ensure thoughtful and comprehensive evaluation across all categories.

John Bunn, USA

John Burn Films began with a ten-year-old John and a VCR camera, sparking a lifelong love for storytelling. Since filming his first wedding in 2007, he’s created over 600 emotional, documentary-driven films, capturing what truly matters to every couple he works with.

Instagram, Website

Cinemate Films, UK

Gregg and Simon are the duo behind Cinemate’s modern, cinematic wedding stories. Simon shapes the visual narrative and pacing, while Gregg focuses on sound design, ensuring every moment feels rich and immersive. Together, they create films that are clean, atmospheric and, most of all, real.

Instagram, Website

Elton and Amanda Sabatino, Brazil

Elton and Amanda Sabatino are wedding filmmakers who combine authenticity, sensitivity, and a cinematic approach to craft films that blend documentary truth with poetic storytelling. With work produced across Brazil and Europe and appearances at leading industry events, they are known for turning real stories into timeless, deeply human narratives.

Instagram, Website

Vanessa and Ivo, Portugal

There’s a rare kind of harmony in the way Vanessa and Ivo see love, part poetry, part cinema. Based in Portugal and travelling the world since 2012, they tell wedding stories with a vision that feels both intimate and grand, grounded in truth and shaped by light.

Instagram, Website

Entry Requirements / FAQ

Each contest has its own unique requirements, and the Way Up North Awards are no exception. For instance, we’re strict about only accepting work captured on an actual wedding day (unless otherwise specified in a contest’s guidelines). Below, we’ve answered some common questions to help clarify the process. Keep in mind, each contest also includes specific guidelines to assist you in selecting the right work to submit.

What are the different award categories? Two award types: Contests and Individual Awards. Contests welcome global entries across wedding photography, videography, analogue, and AI categories. Individual Awards celebrate European creatives exclusively, with nominations accepted worldwide.

Who can enter the Way Up North Awards? Wedding photographers, videographers, and filmmakers worldwide can participate. Contests accept global submissions without restriction. Individual Awards honor European creatives only.

When are the Way Up North Awards held? Winners are revealed live at Way Up North in Vienna in May 2026. Submit work created throughout 2025 (full calendar year). Submissions close January 10th, 2026.

What type of work can I submit? Each contest sets its own requirements. Standard guideline: work must be captured on an actual wedding day unless explicitly stated otherwise. Certain categories permit AI-generated images or workshop content, with varying submission limits. When in doubt, actual ceremony day work is safest.

How do I enter? Contests: Browse categories here, click “Enter Now,” and submit. Individual Awards: Nomination required first. Nominees receive invitations to participate.

Can I submit multiple entries? Absolutely—enter as many times as you’d like across any contest category. Just follow each contest’s specific guidelines.

How do I nominate someone for the Individual Awards? Anyone can nominate—colleagues, clients, peers. Find the three Individual Award categories on this page, click “NOMINATE NOW,” and complete the form. Eligible nominees receive participation invitations.

Are there any restrictions on submissions? Contest-specific rules vary—work type, timeframe, and format requirements differ. Review guidelines carefully before submitting. Universal requirement: all work must be created in 2025.

What is the cost to enter the Way Up North Awards? Most contests cost €6 per entry. Special category pricing: Story of the Year: €15 Film of the Year: €25 Individual Awards: €10 (for invited nominees only) All prices exclude VAT.

Do I have to pay VAT on my entry? Yes, VAT applies to all entry fees. EU participants with valid VAT numbers may qualify for reverse charge. Non-EU participants pay VAT but may reclaim it based on local tax regulations. Check your country’s VAT refund rules if applicable.

Will I receive a receipt for my entry fee payment? Yes, confirmation and receipt arrive by email once payment processes. Lost your receipt? Log in to the Way Up North website (click “Log In” in the menu) and retrieve your invoice from your account.

Who judges the Way Up North Awards? A panel of experienced wedding creatives evaluates all entries. Every judge serves as an Imagen ambassador, bringing diverse perspectives and deep industry expertise to the review process.

How is my work evaluated? Judges assess creativity, technical execution, storytelling strength, and originality. Each contest follows specific criteria, with multiple judges reviewing every submission. Highest-scoring entries win.

Can I get feedback on my submissions? We can’t provide individual feedback due to entry volume. Rest assured, every submission receives careful consideration from our judging panel.

When is the Contest submission deadline? January 10th, 2026. No exceptions—late submissions cannot be accepted once judging begins.

When is the Individual Awards submission deadline? Nominees receive notification on January 11th, 2026, with invitation to participate (€10 entry fee). Work must be submitted by February 1st, 2026. No submission by this date indicates the nominee has declined to participate.

When will the winners be announced? All category winners are revealed live at Way Up North in Vienna in May 2026.

When are the top three finalists notified? Five categories narrow to three finalists before crowning one winner: Europe’s Best Wedding Filmmaker, Europe’s Best Young Wedding Photographer, Europe’s Best Wedding Photographer, Film of the Year, and Story of the Year. Finalists receive notification March 15th. Winners announced live in Vienna at Way Up North.

Can I submit work after the deadline? No. Late submissions cannot be accepted—judging begins immediately after the deadline.

Can non-European photographers enter the Individual Awards? Individual Awards honour European-based photographers and filmmakers exclusively. Nominations, however, are welcome from anyone worldwide.

Can I enter if I’ve already entered other contests? Enter as many contests as you’d like. Just ensure each entry meets that specific contest’s requirements.

Are there any age restrictions for the Individual Awards? Best Young Photographer requires nominees to be 25 or younger by December 31st, 2025. Other Individual Awards have no age limits.

Can I enter work from previous years? No. All submissions must be from 2025 weddings.

How many winners will be selected? Most contests crown ten winners. Story of the Year and Film of the Year narrow to three finalists, then one grand prize winner. Individual Awards follow the same finalist structure.

What do winners receive? Winners earn prestigious titles (Best Photographer, Best Young Photographer, Best Filmmaker) plus category-specific prizes announced closer to the event. All winners receive digital badges. Single-winner categories receive physical trophies.

When will the winners be announced? All winners are revealed live at Way Up North in Vienna—an unforgettable moment for everyone in attendance.

How do I stay updated on contest news? Follow us on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, and check the Way Up North website for announcements and deadlines.

How can I contact the awards team? Questions not covered here? Reach us through the contact form on the Way Up North website or via email. We’ll respond promptly.

Photo Contest Winners 2024 Photo Contest Winners 2023 Photo Contest Winners 2022 Photo Contest Winners

Europe’s Best Wedding Photographer The Framers (2024) Danilo & Sharon (2023) Anna Ascari (2022) Fabio Miglio (2021) Linda Eliasson (2019) Karin Lundin (2018) The Kitcheners (2017)

Europe’s Best Young Wedding Photographer Heta Korkonen (2024) Heta Korkonen (2023) Ingrid Tjernström (2022) Anna Ascari (2021) Jennifer Nilsson (2019) Anda Upmale (2018) Danilo & Sharon (2017)

Europe’s Best Wedding Film Rawand Younes (2024) Stefanie Aichner (2023) Alex Rudnitskiy (2022) Maru Films (2021) Maru Films (2019) Cinema of Poetry (2018) Ben Walton (2017)

Europe’s Best Wedding Filmmaker Samuel Lewis Edwards (2024) Stefanie Aichner (2023) Tobias Wögerer (2022) Alberto & Yago Video (2021) Maru Films (2019) Kaco Films (2018) Kaco Films (2017)

Story of the Year Bethine Elizabeth (2024) Ingrid Tjernström (2023) Inga Lankovska (2022) Everbay (2021) Deux drôles d’oiseaux (2019) Chloe Lapeyssonnie (2018) Angelica Braccini (2017)