March 22, 2022
The winners of the 2021 Mobile Photography Awards (MPA) have been revealed, with Liu KunKun winning the Grand Prize and being named MPA Photographer of the Year.
The annual mobile photography awards were launched in 2011 and the 2021 winners are the 11th year for the awards.
Liu KunKun photographed his entire winning portfolio with an Apple iPhone12 ProMax smartphone.
The 2021 MPAs were judged by a panel of six – they were:
- Rodrigue Rivas (former winner, freelance photographer and expert in the photography and video category of the Domestika creative community)
- Yevgeny Chebotarev (co-founder and CEO of the NFT marketplace Sloika.xyz)
- Dominique Koszowska (former laureate, doctoral student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland)
- Dan Liu (former winner, freelance photographer and visual artist)
- Glenn Homan (former winner and iPhone photographer)
- Manuela Matos Monteiro (author and founding artist of the New Era Museum)
The winners of all categories of the Mobile Photography Awards 2021 can be seen below:
Grand Prize and MPA Photographer of the Year
Winner – Liu KunKun

A collage of Liu KunKun’s winning images at the 2021 Mobile Photography Awards
The grand prize and 11th annual MPA Photographer of the Year went to Liu KunKun for his series of eight images (shown in a collage above).
The judges commented, “As we always seek to do at this time, we are awarding what we find to be the most excellent, original and compelling set of images submitted to the MPA this year. Liu KunKun’s work fits this description.
Liu was also praised for ‘a great mastery of geometry and perspective’ by Rodrigo Rivas, member of the MPA jury.
Liu KunKun calls himself a, ‘non-professional freelancer who films everything. I work with people.
It is said that he often finds photographic inspiration in his hometown of Shanghai.
Photo documentary
Winner – Vince Keresnyei for Free from Panic
Keresnyei revealed, “I met Adriann, who has panic disorder like me. She took the medication after two years and decided to stand up and establish her panic-free world without pills. Living with a mental health issue is a constant fight. Sometimes you’re strong enough to fight yourself and sometimes you’re not. Pills can help when you don’t have solid ground under your feet, but there’s always a will to live without medicine. lets me photograph this whole process with the ups and downs.

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei

Free from Panic by Vince Kerenyei, 1st Prize, Photo Essay category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Vince Keresnyei
Second place in the Photo Essay category went to The Mass Ave Project by Jeff Larason. In third place was The olive harvest by Alessandra Manzotti.
Architecture, design and still life
Winner – Kuanglong Zhang

Kuanglong Zhang Observatory, 1st place, Architecture, Design and Still Life category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Kuanglong Zhang
Black White
Winner – Svetlin Yosifov

Caro Boy by Svetlin Yosifov, 1st place, black and white category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Svetlin Yosifov
Landscapes & Wildlife
Winner – Shinya Itahana

Holy Stream by Shinya Itahana, 1st place, Landscapes and Wildlife category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Shinya Itahana
Macros and Details
Winner – James Peck

James Peck’s Big Bumble, 1st Place, Macro & Detail Category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © James Peck
Pictures of people
Winner – Anh Vu Do

Joy of old age! by Anh Vu Do, 1st place, People Photos category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Anh Vu Do
Portraits & Self-Portraits
Winner – Angelica Loustaunau

Life Style by Angelica Loustaunau, 1st place, Portraits and Self-Portraits category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Angelica Loustaunau
silhouettes
Winner – Jason Liu

Street Cleaner by Jason Liu, 1st Prize, Silhouettes Category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Jason Liu
street photography
Winner – Roy Pan

Where are you? by Roy Pan, 1st prize, Street Photography category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Roy Pan
Dark|Black
Winner – Wai Ying Kwok

At the same time! by Wai Ying Kwok, 1st place, Darkness|Black category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Wai Ying Kwok
Travel/Adventure & Transportation
Winner – Azim Khan Ronnie

Festival of Colors by Azim Khan Ronnie, 1st place, Travel/Adventure and Transport category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Azim Khan Ronnie
Visual effects and digital art
Winner – Erika Brothers

Mind of Garden by Erika Brothers, 1st place, Visual FX & Digital Art category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Erika Brothers
Water|Snow|Ice
Winner – Junbiao Cai

On the Beach by Junbiao Cai, 1st prize, Water|Snow|Ice category, 2021 Mobile Photography Awards. © Junbiao Cai
Learn more
To learn more about MPAs, visit the Mobile Photography Awards website.
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