The Mono Awards 2025: A closer look at our three winners
With The Mono Awards 2025, presented by Synology, now complete, we’re taking a moment to highlight the standout images that impressed our judges this year.
Our three category winners in People, Places and Animals each approached their subjects differently, yet all managed to captivate the judging panel.
Here’s what the judges had to say.
People category winner
Amy Hughes’ People category winning image In the shearing sheds depicts her eight-year old son Kahu.
For Hughes, the image tells a layered, authentic story.
“The image speaks to rural life, generational roles, and the connection between humans and animals,” she says.
“His expression is indifferent, maybe even defiant, suggesting resilience and a familiarity with hard work. I feel the composition, lighting, and mood all work together to evoke emotion and spark curiosity.”
For our judges, Kahu’s characterful pose, sense of humour, and the rough, authentic setting combined to create an award-winning shot.
What the judges said
The scene is set, the lighting is superb, and now it’s up to us – the viewers – to interpret the story as we choose. I see this as a timeless photograph featuring two strikingly different characters.
It’s the contrast between the old ewe with her bulging belly and the young shearing hand, with his tattoo and stick-in-mouth attitude, that takes centre stage. Nothing is out of place, and the scene feels authentic as a result. This is an image with a high level of craft and storytelling skill. - Jackie Ranken
This is a truly original documentary style photograph that has a raw honesty about it. I love that it takes you to a place that makes you smile. To me, the grungy black and white interpretation has made this feel real. - Mike Langford
Even though I felt this image was a little overworked, it still elicited an immediate response from me. The child’s aged weary expression, the distant gaze, the lollipop stick mimicking a cigarette, the fake tattoo, even the resigned body language of the sheared sheep… it all added up to a visual experience that momentarily transported me into a visceral past tense. – Chris Budgeon
Places category
Will Eades’ Places category winning image The Heights of Akron was captured on the U.S. Plains during a storm chase through eastern Colorado.
“As the storm structure matured, a violent tornado dropped in front of us, casting dramatic shadows and creating a surreal interplay of light and dust,” he says.
“I knew it would be a strong image due to the sheer scale, movement, and the balance between chaos and form — all of which translate powerfully in black and white.”
“What struck me most was the way the intense sunlight punches through the storm’s flank, illuminating the trailing rain curtains and low scud clouds beneath the supercell. This gave the scene a surreal, almost theatrical quality,” he says.
What the judges said
An extraordinary landscape that is dynamic and poignant, especially in the context of today’s radical climatic events. The drama and directional light have been masterfully captured in black and white. The glow of light in the background appears to collide with an approaching storm front, creating tension especially around the twister.
The small structure in the foreground, along with the receding line of power poles, gives scale and depth, enhancing the photograph’s narrative impact. - Jackie Ranken
The enormity of this event has been wonderfully amplified by the use of black and white. Added to this, the inclusion of the man-made structure adds a scale to a very powerful event. One is left wondering as to what happened next! - Mike Langford
Animals category
The climax of over 50 million years of elephant evolution, Dian Balan’s Animals category winning image of an Asian Super Tusker sports tusks of the relative size and shape of the southern mammoth, the ancestor of the woolly mammoth.
“Very few people know that Asian elephants can grow such amazing ivory, as the African big tusked elephants are better known by the public,” explains Dian Balan.
It is thought that just 40 big tusked bulls from each of the two species of African and Asian elephants are left today, out of which just a handful can be considered Super Tuskers, blessed with the largest and longest ivory tusks.
At almost 2.75 metres long, the strongly curved tusks of this particular elephant were deliberately framed by Dian Balan against the sky when the subject lifted its head while eating, to create a clean and simple composition.
“This is the finest elephant amongst great elephants, and as close as one can get to past times that have captured our imagination,” he says.
What the judges said
This is an outstanding image and a unique perspective that has been skilfully planned and captured. It’s also a great example of when everything lines up for a perfect shot – the exposure, clouds, composition and light all fall into line at the right moment.
To create this, the low angle of the sun lighting the elephant is critical. In fact, I believe this image would be impossible in midday sun as elephants are notoriously difficult to capture and expose for in hard light. Ultimately, what George has shown is a great example of how a unique angle can transform an image, producing something truly captivating. - Jay Collier
A highly original viewpoint that has been made even stronger by the use of black and white. The framing is visually dynamic and the graphics of the tusks set against a mottled sky make for one hell of a strong image. - Mike Langford
You can see the judges comments on the The Mono Awards 2025 runners-up here.