Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers: Meet the UK Shortlist for 2026 – World Food Photography Awards

The shortlist for the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers 2026 was announced on 2nd April 2026. Part of the global World Food Photography Awards, this award aims to encourage and celebrate women photographers.  For the second year Women In The Food Industry were delighted to be on the judging advisory panel. We are particular fans of the Claire Aho Award and are delighted to share the photos by UK photographers shortlisted in this category.

Claire Aho, 1925-2015, was born into one of Finland’s greatest cultural and artistic dynasties. Given her first camera at the age of 10, she was a trailblazer in many ways – as a woman working as a commercial photographer from the late 1940s at a time when almost no women were working in this field, in her use of colour photography and in her unique photographic blend of style, wit and vitality.

“Her achievements and legacy are an inspiration to women everywhere to express themselves through the medium of photography and it made complete sense to us to commemorate her in this way.” said the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year Awards.

Jussi Brofeldt, Claire Aho’s son and Chairman of the AHO & SOLDAN Photo and Film Foundation, Helsinki, Finland, said

“This is very meaningful for my family and me to have my mother celebrated in this way. We hugely look forward to receiving the entries and seeing work from around the world.”

Here are the UK shortlisted entries in this strong category:

Killer Shot: Photography by Chloe Hardwick

Through The Square Window: Photography by  Deb Porter

Midnight Octopus –  Photography by Emma Prothero

Fin: Photography by Lauren Mclean

Stacey O’Gorman in her London Kitchen: Photography by Raffealla Bichiri  

Drink when they drink: Photography by Hollie Mateer

Portrait of a tea picking lady: Photography by Lara Jane Thorpe 

The Art of Tortilla Making: Photography by Nori Jemil

Bhuddas Hair: Photography by  Karen Morris Lanz 

Chapati Queen: Photography by  Karen Morris Lanz 

The Kitchen in Waiting: Photography by Sherion Mullings

Stir Fried Cold Bean Jelly: Photography by Mingdi Cui

All shortlisted in the Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers 2026 can be found here.

This year’s global judging panel, was chaired by legendary food photographer, David Loftus, and includes: Ruth Watson, President of The Guild of Food Writers, Award winning chef Olia Hercules, Geetie Singh-Watson – First Organic Publican and sustainability trailblazer across the hospitality industry, Vitali Taittinger, President, Champagne Taittinger and Sonia Solicari – Director, Museum of the Home.

The winners of the 25 categories will be revealed on 2nd June in London at the competition’s Champagne Taittinger Awards Evening hosted by renowned chef,  Gennaro Contaldo. The Overall Winner of the competition will take home a prize of £5,000 GBP.

A free-to-enter exhibition of all the Finalist images will premiere at The Mall Galleries, London, running from Wednesday 3rd June – Sunday 7th June.

View the full shortlist of all categories of the World Food Photography Awards here.

You may also be interested in the following: 

World Food Photography Awards 2025 UK Shortlist for Claire Aho Award  , Feast for The Eyes – The Story of Food in Photography exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery 2019 – Women In the Food Industry Review and Food: Bigger than the Plate Exhibition at the V & A 2019 – Women In the Food Industry Review.