52 winning images at iPhone Photography Awards, including 'The Kid of Mosul'

The image shot in Iraq by Italian photographer Antonio Denti wins the grand prize

Photographer of the Year, Grand Prize winner, 'The Kid of Mosul', shot by Antonio Denti from Italy, in Mosul, Iraq, on iPhone 11. Photo: Antonio Denti / IPPAWARDS

Photographer of the Year, First Place, 'Anti-Social Distancing', shot by Rachel Sela in Handen, Sweden, on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: Rachel Sela / IPPAWARDS

Photographer of the Year, Second Place, 'Girl with the Violin', shot by Kelly Dallas in Denver, Colorado, on iPhone 13 Pro. Photo: Kelly Dallas / IPPAWARDS

Photographer of the Year, Third Place, 'Wasted', shot by Glenn Homann in Queensland, Australia, on iPhone 11 Pro. Photo: Glenn Homann / IPPAWARDS

Abstract, First Place, 'Bird Cage', shot by Marcello Raggini in Italy on iPhone 11. Photo: Marcello Raggini / IPPAWARDS

Abstract, Second Place, shot by George Allen in Canada on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: George Allen / IPPAWARDS

Abstract, Third Place, shot by William Ainger from Australia on iPhone XR. Photo: William Ainger / IPPAWARDS

Animals, First Place, shot by Pier Luigi Dodi from Italy on iPhone 11 Pro Max. Photo: Pier Luigi Dodi / IPPAWARDS

Animals, Second Place, shot by Sanjay Chauhan from Canada on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Sanjay Chauhan / IPPAWARDS

Animals, Third Place, 'Megaptera Novaeangliae', shot by Tran Hieu in San Francisco on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Tran Hieu / IPPAWARDS

Architecture, First Place, 'Shadows of History', shot by Kaustav Sarkar from India in New York on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: Kaustav Sarkar / IPPAWARDS

Architecture, Second Place, 'Echo', shot in Taipei, Taiwan by Chien Jay Sheu on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: ChienJay Sheu / IPPAWARDS

Architecture, Third Place, 'Hoover Dam', shot in Arizona, US, by Judith Lopez on iPhone 13 Pro. Photo: Judith Lopez / IPPAWARDS

Children, First Place, shot by by Huapeng-Zhao in Sichuan, China, on iPhone 13 Pro Max. Photo: Huapeng-Zhao / IPPAWARDS

Children, Second Place, shot by Yu Chen in China on iPhone X. Photo: Yu Chen / IPPAWARDS

Children, Third Place, 'In the Shade of the Stripes', shot in Carnac, France by Anne Ziolo on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Anne Ziolo / IPPAWARDS

City Life, First Place, 'Over the Overpass', shot in Chongqing, China, by Yongmei Wong on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Yongmei Won / IPPAWARDS

City Life, Second Place, 'Sunning the Quilts', shot by Wei Dong Ran in Shandong, China, on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: Wei Dong Ran / IPPAWARDS

City Life, Third Place, 'Other Side of the World', shot by YuePeng Mai in Guangdong, China, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: YuePeng Mai / IPPAWARDS

Environment, First Place, 'Cotton Candy', shot by Yang Li in Heilongjiang Province, China, on iPhone 11 Pro Max. Photo: Yang Li / IPPAWARDS

Environment, Second Place, shot by George Allen in Western Australia on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: George Allen / IPPAWARDS

Environment, Third Place, 'The Shape of Blue', shot by Shou Li in Qinghai Province, China, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Shou Li / IPPAWARDS

Landscape, First Place, 'Fog on Fall Path', shot by Linda Repasky in Massachusetts, US, on iPhone 13 Pro. Photo: Linda Repasky / IPPAWARDS

Landscape, Second Place, 'Painted Vista', shot by Joshua Hollander in Arizona, US, on iPhone 12 Pro. Photo: Joshua Hollander / IPPAWARDS

Landscape, Third Place, 'Embrace', shot by Wenqin Hu from China in Italy on iPhone 6s Plus. Photo: Wenqin Hu / IPPAWARDS

Lifestyle, First Place, 'Dip in the Sea', shot by by Laila Bakker from Netherlands in Villajoyosa, Spain on iPhone 11 Pro Max. Photo: Laila Bakker / IPPAWARDS

Lifestyle, Second Place, 'Morning', shot by Kui Ying from China in India on iPhone 6s Plus. Photo: Kui Ying / IPPAWARDS

Lifestyle, Third Place, 'Cycle of Life', shot by Dimpy Bhalotia in West Bengal, India, on iPhone 13 Pro Max. Photo: Dimpy Bhalotia / IPPAWARDS

Nature, First Place, 'Moose in Aspen', shot by Andrea Buchanan in Utah, US, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Andrea Buchanan / IPPAWARDS

Nature, Second Place, 'Midnight Succulent', shot by Charlotte Mason Mottram in Arizona, UK, on iPhone 7 Plus. Photo: Charlotte Mason Mottram / IPPAWARDS

Nature, Third Place, 'Lotus', shot by Chuan Mu in Chongqing, China, on iPhone 12. Photo: Chuan Mu / IPPAWARDS

Other, First Place, shot by Yingya Liu in China on iPhone 11. Photo: Yingya Liu / IPPAWARDS

Other, Second Place, '50 Nuances de Verts', shot by Becky Ashway in Baltimore, US, on iPhone XS. Photo: Becky Ashway / IPPAWARDS

Other, Third Place, 'Pink Cadillac', shot by Clay Peres from the US in New Mexico on iPhone XS Max. Photo: Clay Peres / IPPAWARDS

People, First Place, 'Swimsuit', shot by Patricia Cancado in Bahia, Brazil, on iPhone XR. Photo: / IPPAWARDS

People, Second Place, 'The Artist', shot by Alina Li in New Jersey, US, on iPhone 13 Pro Max. Photo: Alina Li / IPPAWARDS

People, Third Place, 'Waiting to Dance', shot by Clay Peres from the US in Mexico on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Clay Peres / IPPAWARDS

Portrait, First Place, 'Untitled', shot by Arevik Martirosyan in California, US, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Arevik Martirosyan / IPPAWARDS

Portrait, Second Place. 'Line of Light', shot by Erin Brooks in Texas, US, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Erin Brooks / IPPAWARDS

Portrait, Third Place, 'Old Mate', shot by Glenn Homann in Queensland, Australia, on iPhone 11 Pro. Photo: Glenn Homann / IPPAWARDS

Series, First Place, 'Abandoned Blues', shot by Rich Lemonie in New Jersey, US, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Rich Lemonie / IPPAWARDS

Series, Second Place, 'Fish Sellers at Komarovsky Market', shot by Julia Shatun from Poland in Minsk, Belarus, on iPhone 12. Photo: Julia Shatun / IPPAWARDS

Series, Third Place, 'Pure Joy', shot by Iakovos Draculis in Nea Styra, Greece, on iPhone 11 Pro. Photo: Iakovos Draculis / IPPAWARDS

Still Life, First Place, 'Waking Up in Hotel Rooms', shot by Ayaka Takine in Kyushu Island, Japan, on iPhone XR. Photo: Ayaka Takine / IPPAWARDS

Still Life, Second Place, 'Late for Breakfast', shot by Robin Robertis in California, US, on iPhone 11 Pro Max. Photo: Robin Robertis / IPPAWARDS

Still Life, Third Place, 'Old Soul', shot by Reem Borhan in Egypt on iPhone 11 Pro. Photo: Reem Borhan / IPPAWARDS

Sunset, First Place, 'Floating on Fire', shot by Leping Cheng in Xiamen, China, on iPhone 12 Pro Max. Photo: Leping Cheng / IPPAWARDS

Sunset, Second Place, 'Sela Firini', shot by Julia Shatun from Poland in Turkiye on iPhone 12 Mini. Photo: Julia Shatun / IPPAWARDS

Sunset, Third Place, 'Shinrin-Yokul', shot by Robin Robertis from the US in Hawaii on iPhone 13 Pro Max. Photo: Robin Robertis / IPPAWARDS

Travel, First Place, 'Untitled', shot by by Marina Klutse from the US in Colombia on iPhone 11 Pro. Photo: Marina Klutse / IPPAWARDS

Travel, Second Place, 'Varanasi in Winter', shot by Kuanglong Zhang from China in India on iPhone 7. Photo: Kuanglong Zhang / IPPAWARDS

Travel, Third Place, 'Walk Your Way', shot by Karolina AlamaMaruta from Poland in Bolivia on iPhone X. Photo: Karolina AlamaMaruta / IPPAWARDS

A moment of tenderness amid the rubble and devastating destruction caused by war in Iraq is what has won Italian photographer Antonio Denti the Grand Prize at this year's iPhone Photography Awards.

The winning image, The Kid of Mosul, shot on an iPhone 11, shows a soldier cupping the face of a young boy in his hands, with destroyed buildings in the background. A cloud of dust hovers above the scene, the colours muted for a sombre tone.

This year marks the 15th iPhone Photography Awards and thousands of submissions were sent in from across the world.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the winning shots of the 15th iPhone Photography Awards

"Many of this year's winning shots depict beauty rising out of isolation and honour photography’s ability to build bridges across lost connections," reads the announcement.

In first place for the Photographer of the Year award is Rachel Seda from Sweden, for her image Anti-Social Distancing, which shows a man in a top hat with masks on his face and tissue wrapped around his neck like a scarf. She "turns masking up into an act of theatre", says the description.

There are three winners for each of the 16 categories, which include Abstract, Animals, Environment, Landscape, Lifestyle, Nature, People, Portrait, Still Life, Sunset and Travel.

Awarded photographers come from across the world, including Egypt, Canada, China, India, Japan, Australia, the UK and US.

On behalf of Egypt, Reem Borhan secured third place in the Still Life category. Her photo, Old Soul, depicts a cracked plate in a beige wall enclave, shot on iPhone 11 Pro in Fayoum.

Indian photographer Kaustav Sarkar won first place in the Architecture category for Shadows of History, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro. It shows the shadow of the Empire State Building stretching across buildings in New York City.

Also from India is Dimpy Bhalotia, who got third place in Lifestyle for Cycle of Life, shot on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, of two bikers in West Bengal pedalling down two parallel roads on a cloudy day.

Chinese photographer Kuanglong Zhang won second place in the Travel category for his shot of Varanasi, India, during the winter, as four boys bathe in water with sea birds circling overhead.

From the UK, Charlotte Mason-Mottram won second position in Nature for her striking shot Midnight Succulent of a green cactus against a purple wall, taken on an iPhone 7 Plus in Arizona.

American photographer Andrea Buchanan took first place in Nature for Moose in Aspen, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro Max in Utah.

Photographers from the US dominate the winning selection. Arevik Martirosyan, also from America, secured first place in the Portrait category for his Untitled image of a pensive-looking man in Los Angeles, California, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro Max.

In the Series category, American Rich Lemonie got top spot for Abandoned Blues, a series of photos of peeling, blue-hued rooms shot on iPhone 12 Pro Max in New Jersey.

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