Photography, Video, and Audio Highlights Showcase Global Storytelling in Sport
LAUSANNE | By Sayer Zaland
With less than two weeks remaining until the 8th edition of the AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has released its Top 10 nominees across all five award categories: Photography Portfolio, Video Short Feature, Video Documentary, Video Athlete Profile, and Audio.
The announcements highlight the increasingly sophisticated and narrative-driven approaches in sports journalism, reflecting a trend toward storytelling that situates athletic competition within wider societal, political, and historical contexts. Finalists in all categories are expected to be confirmed later this week.
Photography Portfolio nominees feature striking visual storytelling from around the world. Works include David Gray’s The Beauty of Sport (Australia, AFP), Valéry Hache’s Dakar 2025 coverage (France, AFP), and Andrej Isakovic’s Golden Athletes (Serbia, AFP), among others. These portfolios underscore the enduring power of photography to convey both action and emotion, capturing moments of triumph, resilience, and human drama.
Video Short Feature nominees bring sport to life in concise, compelling narratives. Highlights include Ryan Pierse’s Lewis Hamilton First Ferrari Test (Australia), Jing Xia’s Himalayan journey Running on the Roof of the World (China), and Alison Mayer’s A Snapshot of Thrills (Brazil). Each short feature demonstrates the medium’s capacity to contextualize athletes’ experiences within cultural and social frameworks.
Video Documentary finalists focus on in-depth, long-form explorations of sport’s intersections with society and history. Entries such as Faycel Abdelghani Salah’s The Ultimate Goal – Independence: Escape of the Heroes (Algeria) and Marie Lasserre & Katrin Hafemann’s My Father, HSV and the Nazis – Football Under Fascists (Germany) exemplify investigative storytelling, combining meticulous research with compelling narrative arcs.
Video Athlete Profile nominees center on individual journeys and personal narratives. Works include Marine Clerc’s Ksenia Chasteau – Rebonds (France) and Leon tom Gerntke’s Rosalin Kuiper: Ocean Mum mit Herz & Segel (Germany), providing intimate portraits of athletes’ struggles, triumphs, and character development beyond the playing field.
Audio entries, newly announced, demonstrate the medium’s versatility and analytical depth. Notable productions include Marcela Mora y Araujo’s examination of Diego Maradona’s legacy in Argentina, Moritz Cassalette’s Robert Enke (Germany), Farzad Sabouri & Seyedeh Nahid Saadati’s The Snowy Galaxy (Iran), and Adam Leventhal & Abi Paterson’s account of the Guinea stadium disaster (United Kingdom). These pieces explore legal, historical, and human-interest themes, emphasizing the capacity of sound to illuminate the broader significance of sport.
Across all categories, the 2025 shortlist reflects a pronounced emphasis on storytelling that transcends the scoreboard. From high-altitude mountaineering challenges and civil-rights campaigns to historical investigations and intimate athlete profiles, the selections demonstrate how sport can serve as a lens to examine social, cultural, and political dynamics worldwide.
Now in its eighth edition, the AIPS Sport Media Awards continues to celebrate excellence in global sports journalism, highlighting both emerging and established media organizations. The 2025 edition signals a shift toward deeper, narrative-driven coverage, where photography, video, and audio are leveraged to explore the human, historical, and societal dimensions of sport.