Donal Skehan joins World Food Photography Awards judging panel
The competition, now in its 16th year, invites amateur and professional photographers alike to share their captures of food stories from all around the world
Print8 September 2026
The World Food Photography Awards (WFPA) has announced that Dublin-based cook, author and TV host Donal Skehan will be joining the judging panel for the 2027 competition.
The WFPA sponsored by Tenderstem are open for entries for their 2027 edition, offering photographers across Ireland the opportunity to have their work judged on the international stage by some of the biggest names in food, photography and the creative industries.
The competition, now in its 16th year, invites amateur and professional photographers alike to share their captures of food stories from all around the world, whether told through landscape, travel, portrait, documentary or any other style of photography.
Irish photographers success
Irish photographers have already enjoyed success in the competition.
In 2026, Al Higgins was awarded second place in the World of Drinks category, while Julia Dunin and Kirsty Lyons were both highly commended in their respective categories.
In 2025, Dublin-based photographer Ruth Calder-Potts took third place in the World of Drinks category.
Speaking about her success, Calder-Potts, said: “To have my work recognised on a global stage was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. It was an incredible honour to be a finalist and to be in a room full of such talented photographers and inspiring work.”
Caroline Kenyon, founder of the Awards, added: “Food photography is about so much more than a pretty picture of food on a plate.
“It tells stories of people, places, cultures and the world we live in – from celebration and community to hardship and survival.
The very best images make us feel, they touch our hearts, educate us, make us laugh, show us the familiar with fresh eyes. That’s why food photography matters and why we care so much about celebrating these exceptional visual storytellers.”
There is a top prize of £5,000 (approx: €5,819) to be won, and all finalist images will be exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London. A hand-picked selection of finalist images will also be displayed at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, and every finalist is invited to the VIP Awards Evening on 18May 2027.
With more than 25 categories, photographers can explore food in every context – from growing and harvesting to cooking, eating, celebrating and surviving. Categories range from Bring Home the Harvest and Food for Sale to Food Portraiture and World of Drinks.
‘Feast of Flowers’
Uniquely, the 2027 Awards Evening coincides with RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and to mark the occasion a one-year-only category has been introduced: Feast of Flowers. Photographers are invited to submit beautiful, evocative and creative images exploring the relationship between food and flowers, from flourishing kitchen gardens to floral still lifes, from chefs using edible petals to cakes with floral decoration, or fields where crops and flowers grow side by side.
Judging panel
The 2027 global judging panel is chaired by David Loftus, one of the most widely published food photographers in the world.
His fellow judges include Donal Skehan, Cook, author and TV host, Claire Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation, Tom Athron, CEO, Fortnum & Mason and Rein Skullerud, senior photographer & photo editor, United Nations World Food Programme.
Entries are open now and close Sunday 7 February 2027.
Read more: Irish photographer triumphs at World Food Photography Awards, sponsored by Tenderstem
© 2026 by ShelfLife reporter
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