The French photographer Antoni Lallican is the winner of the fourth edition of WARS. He was killed on 3 October 2025, near Kramatorsk, Ukraine, by a Russian drone while documenting the ongoing conflict. The award will be accepted in his memory by his partner, Aïda Belloulid.
The award was given to the project, The Russian Offensive in the Donbas, a work documenting more than four years of war in eastern Ukraine through the daily lives of civilians and soldiers.
We are honoured to give this award to Antoni, said WARS Artistic Director Fabio Bucciarelli. “It aligns with the philosophy of WARS, which supports freelance photographers working in conflict zones who risk their lives for journalism. We knew Antoni, not deeply, but well enough to share the mission this work represents. This recognition is a small tribute to his memory and to his pictures, which embodies the essence of photojournalism.”
Alongside the winner, the jury selected as finalists Ivor Prickett with The Battle to Control Sudan, and Valentina Sinis, author of Were Afghan Women to Unveil Their Tales.
The international jury highlighted the documentary and human value of the selected works. Photographer Nicolò Filippo Rosso emphasized how these images “force us to look without distance at the impact of war”, revealing its consequences on bodies, faces, and devastated landscapes. Diego Ibarra Sánchez described WARS as “a statement”, a commitment to a “direct, visceral and necessary” form of photojournalism capable of countering misinformation. Carol Koerting underlined the complexity of the selection process, based on the balance between photographic quality and narrative strength, noting how many works succeed in portraying not only the violence of war but also its impact on everyday life.
The selected works testify to a form of photography that does not merely record events but contributes to building memory and awareness. WARS reaffirms itself as a vital space for giving voice to those who document, often at great personal risk, the consequences of contemporary conflicts.
The works of the three photographers will be included in the exhibition WARS, hosted at the Gallerie di Piedicastello in Trento and open to the public until 28 June 2026. WARS is promoted by the Atlas of Wars and Conflicts of the World, under the direction of Raffaele Crocco, in collaboration with the Museo Storico del Trentino and the ANVCG.
🗓️ July 1–5, 2026 (5 days)
📍 Sarajevo
📸 Mentors: Fabio Bucciarelli, Manu Brabo, Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Bulent Kılıç
👥 Limited spots: 35 participants
🌍 Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Turkish
📤 How to apply: visit the dedicated page
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