Derry Ainsworth named Global Architecture Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Global Photography Awards
In a historic milestone for the city's artistic community, Derry Ainsworth has been named the first ever Hong Kong based Global Architecture Photographer of the Year at the prestigious 2026 Global Photography Awards.
Drawing on his rich background in architecture and over a decade of capturing the kinetic energy of urban environments, Ainsworth's work continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling. Presented by the International Awards Associate (IAA), the 2026 competition received more than 6,000 entries from over 40 countries, representing achievements across multiple photographic disciplines. Against this immense global backdrop, Ainsworth achieved an unprecedented sweep at the competition, taking home a staggering 49 individual awards across diverse categories, making him the first photographer in Hong Kong's history to reach such a milestone in a single global event.
The Global Photography Awards
The Global Photography Awards is a premier international competition that evaluates submissions on originality, storytelling, technical execution, visual impact, and overall impression. Entries undergo a blind evaluation process where identifying entrant information is removed to ensure impartiality. An international jury composed of established photographers, visual artists, commercial specialists, and photography educators leads this meticulous judging process. As Thomas Brandt, spokesperson for IAA, stated, "Photography earns its impact when an image gives viewers a reason to stop, examine, and understand something more clearly". This year’s competition recognized profound visual storytelling across subjects ranging from sacred tradition and human labor to architecture, nature, culture, and wildlife.
Winning Series: Hong Kong Modern Mosaics Link: https://www.globalphotographyawards.com/winner-info.php?id=2955
Ainsworth’s title winning global architecture series, Hong Kong Modern Mosaics, serves as a masterful exploration of the city's hyper dense urban fabric. The series transforms repetitive building facades, grid like structures, and soaring contemporary exteriors into mesmerizing geometric patterns. By isolating the intricate details of Hong Kong's towering skyscrapers, Ainsworth highlights the tension between anonymity and the vibrant human life existing behind each window. The series resonated profoundly with the judges, earning four separate Platinum Awards across multiple architectural categories and securing Ainsworth the Category Winner of the Year title for Architecture Photography. Hong Kong Modern Mosaics stands as a definitive visual record of Hong Kong's architectural DNA, celebrated for its clean lines, striking compositions, and ability to elevate the everyday concrete jungle into world class contemporary fine art.
Jardine House - Derry Ainsworth Tai Kwun Kai Tak Sports Park St Regis Hotel Bank of China Tower East Kowloon Cultural Centre Taikoo Place Mandarin Oriental Landmark The Murray Hotel the Henderson Lippo Centre
Preserving and Sharing Local Heritage
Beyond capturing the structural marvels of the city, Ainsworth leverages his platform to share the deep rooted culture and beauty of Hong Kong with a global audience. His Dragon Gates of Hong Kong series highlights the unique integration of traditional Feng shui principles into modern architectural design, focusing on the purposeful voids that allow mythical dragons to pass through buildings to the sea. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Shopfronts series preserves the charm of old street life, capturing the fading authenticity of local businesses and grassroots culture. Deepening this cultural preservation, his Dance of the Fire Dragon series documents the breathtaking beauty of local traditions, intimately capturing the kinetic energy and rich heritage of events like the Tai Hang and Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon festivals.
Containment - Dragon Gates of Hong Kong series - Derry Ainsworth Dance of the Fire Dragon series - Derry Ainsworth Hong Kong Shopfronts series - Derry Ainsworth
Nature Photographer of the Year - Monolith: Sigiriya From Above
Equally compelling is Ainsworth's triumphant Nature series, Monolith: Sigiriya From Above, which also earned him the Category Winner of the Year title for Nature Photography. Captured in Sri Lanka, this breathtaking collection utilizes drone photography to offer a God’s eye perspective of the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya. Rising dramatically from the lush surrounding jungle, the monolithic structure is framed against shifting light and deep shadows, highlighting the intersection of natural geology and ancient human engineering. The series captures the raw, untamed beauty of the landscape while maintaining a quiet, cinematic sensibility. This extraordinary collection earned four Platinum Awards, dominating categories spanning Nature, Drone, Travel, and Landscape photography, further cementing Ainsworth's versatility beyond the urban environment.
A Record Breaking 49 Awards
The full breadth of Ainsworth's achievement is visually documented across several verified competition records found on the winners page here: https://www.globalphotographyawards.com/winners Below is the complete catalogue of the 49 awards secured by Derry Ainsworth at the Global Photography Awards:
Other Winning images:
No. | Award Level | Photo / Series Title | Category |
1 | Category Winner of the Year | Hong Kong Modern Mosaics | Architecture Photography: Contemporary |
2 | Platinum | Hong Kong Modern Mosaics | Architecture Photography: Details |
3 | Platinum | Hong Kong Modern Mosaics | Architecture Photography: Exterior |
4 | Platinum | Hong Kong Modern Mosaics | Fine Art Photography: Architecture |
5 | Category Winner of the Year | Monolith: Sigiriya from Above | Nature Photography: Drone |
6 | Platinum | Monolith: Sigiriya from Above | International Photography: Sri Lanka |
7 | Platinum | Monolith: Sigiriya from Above | Special Category: Travel Photography |
8 | Platinum | Monolith: Sigiriya from Above | Nature Photography: Landscapes |
9 | Platinum | Dragon Gates of Hong Kong | Fine Art Photography: Architecture |
10 | Platinum | Dragon Gates of Hong Kong | Architecture Photography: Building |
11 | Platinum | Dragon Gates of Hong Kong | Architecture Photography: Exterior |
12 | Platinum | Glass Bauhinia | Architecture Photography: Contemporary |
13 | Platinum | Wonders of Borneo | Special Category: Travel Photography |
14 | Platinum | Wonders of Borneo | Nature Photography: Wildlife |
15 | Platinum | Concrete Horizons | Fine Art Photography: Cityscape |
16 | Platinum | Concrete Horizons | Architecture Photography: Cityscapes |
17 | Platinum | Star Light | Architecture Photography: Cityscapes |
18 | Platinum | Lunar Ascent | Architecture Photography: Interior |
19 | Platinum | Hong Kong Shopfronts | People Photography: Street |
20 | Platinum | Dance of the Fire Dragon | Special Category: Event Photography |
21 | Gold | Dragon Gates of Hong Kong | Architecture Photography: Line and Shape |
22 | Gold | Deserts of Change | International Photography: Qatar |
23 | Gold | Deserts of Change | Special Category: Travel Photography |
24 | Gold | Deserts of Change | Architecture Photography: Urban Exploration |
25 | Gold | Deserts of Change | People Photography: Street |
26 | Gold | Wonders of Borneo | International Photography: Malaysia |
27 | Gold | Hong Kong Shopfronts | People Photography: Culture |
28 | Gold | Skies Ablaze | Architecture Photography: Cityscapes |
29 | Gold | Dance of the Fire Dragon | People Photography: Culture |
30 | Gold | Summer Rain | People Photography: Street |
31 | Gold | Summer Rain | Special Category: Night Photography |
32 | Gold | Summer Rain | Nature Photography: Weather |
33 | Gold | Star Light | Architecture Photography: Reflections |
34 | Gold | Star Light | Fine Art Photography: Cityscape |
35 | Gold | Lunar Ascent | People Photography: Culture |
36 | Gold | Black Rainstorm | People Photography: Street |
37 | Gold | Cliff's Edge | Nature Photography: Mountains |
38 | Gold | City of Shadows | People Photography: Street |
39 | Gold | Tokyo in Motion | International Photography: Japan |
40 | Gold | Tokyo in Motion | Minimalist Photography: Travel Adventures |
41 | Gold | Tokyo in Motion | Minimalist Photography: Street Scenes |
42 | Gold | Pok Fu Lam Firedragon | People Photography: Culture |
43 | Silver | Surfing Shadows | International Photography: Spain |
44 | Silver | Surfing Shadows | People Photography: Street |
45 | Silver | Cliff's Edge | Fine Art Photography: Landscape |
46 | Silver | Tokyo in Motion | Minimalist Photography: Long Exposures |
47 | Silver | Tokyo in Motion | People Photography: Street |
48 | Silver | City of Shadows | People Photography: Silhouettes |
49 | Silver | City of Shadows | Architecture Photography: Light and Shadow |
With this monumental sweep at the Global Photography Awards, Derry Ainsworth has now amassed a staggering 102 international awards across multiple photographic disciplines and categories. Through a relentless dedication to his craft and a unique ability to bridge urban architecture with compelling visual narratives, Ainsworth now officially holds the most awards of any living Hong Kong photographer, etching his name permanently into the city's rich artistic history. Official Press Release: https://us.list-manage.com/tikFYKvVnsO?e=5021255fcb&c2id=8b97698e6636dcb22bfc57a750be2d48
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