Hong Kong photographer Derry Ainsworth has been named Global Architecture Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Global Photography Awards.
Ainsworth earned the top prize for Hong Kong Modern Mosaics, a series that explores the city’s high-density urban landscape. Focusing on the details of tower façades, windows, balconies and structural lines, the photographs transform familiar streetscapes into geometric compositions charged with rhythm. Through light, colour and the repetition of residential units, the series captures both the visual drama of Hong Kong architecture and the relationship between individual lives and the city’s dense urban fabric.
The series features a number of Hong Kong landmarks, including Jardine House, Tai Kwun, Kai Tak Sports Park, the Bank of China Tower, The Murray, The Henderson and Lippo Centre. Hong Kong Modern Mosaics also received four Platinum awards across categories including Architecture Photography: Details, Architecture Photography: Exterior and Fine Art Photography: Architecture.
Organised by International Awards Associate, the 2026 Global Photography Awards attracted more than 6,000 entries from over 40 countries and regions. Entries were judged anonymously on criteria including originality, visual impact, technical execution and storytelling.
In addition to the architecture title, Ainsworth received 49 awards this year, spanning category titles as well as Platinum, Gold and Silver distinctions. His award-winning portfolio covers architecture, fine art, nature, travel, culture and street photography. His Dragon Gates of Hong Kong series documents the city’s distinctive “dragon gates”—openings in residential towers informed by feng shui beliefs—and explores the continuing connection between contemporary architecture and traditional culture. Meanwhile, his drone-photography project, Monolith: Sigiriya From Above, centred on Sri Lanka’s ancient Sigiriya rock fortress, earned him the title of Nature Photographer of the Year.
