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The winners of the 2025 Epson International Pano Awards have been announced, marking the 16th year of the competition that celebrates panoramic photography from around the world. Italian photographer Alex Wides was named Open Photographer of the Year and winner of the Nature/Landscape category for his entries Last Fireworks, Jackpot and Mann.
Capturing Landscapes In Motion
Wides, known for his panoramic fine-art landscapes, described Last Fireworks as the moment “the sky literally exploded” at sunset.
“Layer after layer of clouds lit up, painting the desert with fire and gold,” he said. “Using my Sony A7 IV with a fisheye lens, I captured a full multi-exposure sequence at f/8 and ISO 100, rotating carefully around the nodal point to create a seamless 360° panorama.”
His second entry, Jackpot, was captured after years of travelling across Norway. “When I opened the tent on the last try, I hit the jackpot,” said Wides. “The sky exploded in a spectacular half hour of Northern Lights. This was a perfect reward after years of waiting.”
For Mann, a 270° panorama taken in the Italian Dolomites, Wides said he wanted to show how moonlight reveals every texture of snow. “I worked through the night at -15°C with a fisheye lens at 10mm, building a panorama in the freezing wind,” he said.
Global Recognition For Panoramic Photography
The Epson International Pano Awards continues to be one of the largest global competitions dedicated to panoramic photography. This year’s entries featured a range of wide and ultra-wide images across landscapes, nature, and abstract categories.
Entrants competed for thousands of dollars in cash and hardware prizes provided by sponsors Epson Australia and Epson Southeast Asia.
The Epson Digital Art Prize, chosen from the top 50 Open entries, was awarded to Spanish photographer Daniel Viñé for his depiction of coastal life in Vietnam. “In this coastal village, survival is woven in silence,” said Viñé. “The nets they mend are lifelines binding sea and community together.”
Epson Highlights Creative Growth
Epson Australia Managing Director, Craig Heckenberg, said the awards reflect the evolution of panoramic photography.
“The Pano Awards entries are always exceptional, and this year creativity has been taken to the next level,” he said. “It’s great to see more ultra-wide panoramic shots, a format close to our hearts as they are truly represented by Epson wide-format photo printers.”
Heckenberg said the entrants continue to inspire photographers of all skill levels. “At Epson we focus on innovation and creativity, which is why we continue to support and sponsor these awards.”
Viñé also received the RAW Planet Award for Cathedral of Shadows, taken in Utah. “It captured a fleeting alignment of light and form, revealing the sun blazing on one side and a vast shadow on the other,” he said.
Expanding Regional Reach
The Pano Awards Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year 2025 went to William Chua from Singapore for his image of a wildebeest migration.
“I’ve witnessed the migration countless times and it never ceases to amaze me,” said Chua. “A lone wildebeest turned back amidst the frenzy, and in that instant, I knew that was the shot.”
Epson said Southeast Asia continues to play an important role in the awards, strengthened by Epson Singapore joining as a major sponsor in 2024.
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Other Award Highlights
Amateur Photographer of the Year in the Nature/Landscape category went to Kevin Nyun from the United States for his Altiplano Landscape series, captured in Bolivia.
German photographer Christoph Simon won the VR/360 category for a panorama shot in northern Iceland.
Chris Byrne from the United States received the Curator’s Award for Elysium.
Curator, David Evans, said this year’s competition showed growing technical and creative diversity.
“Each year, the boundaries of panoramic photography are pushed further,” he said. “The 2025 collection reveals sweeping, immersive works that transport viewers deep into the landscapes that inspired them.”
Evans said entries also came from new regions, with photographers exploring Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Tibet alongside established destinations such as Iceland, the Dolomites, Argentina and the Lofoten Islands.
“The diversity, creativity and technical excellence on display reaffirm the panoramic format as one of the most powerful storytelling mediums in contemporary photography,” he said.
Viewing The Winning Images
The judging panel for the Epson International Pano Awards includes leading panoramic photographers and industry professionals from around the world.
All winning and top-ranked images can be viewed at: https://thepanoawards.com/2025-winners-gallery
Last Updated on October 31, 2025 by Nick Ross
