First prize: Keisha Ncube, Cape Town by Alice Mann

Mann won the prestigious £15,000 prize for her series All-Female Drum Majorette – marking the first time judges have honoured a series of images rather than one shot. Shown here is Mann’s portrait of nine-year-old Keisha Ncube, in her third year as a member of the drum majorettes team in Cape Town

Second prize: Cybil McAddy with daughter Lulu, from the series Clapton Blossom by Enda Bowe

‘The series focuses on finding the colour and beauty in the urban, the light in the grey,’ says Bowe. ‘At the centre of the housing estate where this project was made stands a huge cherry blossom tree, the unifying heart of the estate. The beauty of the blossom, symbolising hope, optimism and new beginnings, connects the people within the project together’

Joint third prize: Untitled from the series Londoners by Max Barstow

Barstow is a London-born photographer whose work is inspired by a combination of studio and documentary photography. This double portrait of two shoppers is from his series Londoners. ‘I began the series,’ says Barstow, ‘with the aim to make un-posed portraits with the intensity of images made by great studio portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn’

Joint third prize: ‘Strong’ Joe Smart, from the series Tombo’s Wound by Joey Lawrence

When he took this picture, Joey Lawrence was working with the charity WaterAid in Sierra Leone’s eastern province. The community has been without clean water for 16 years. ‘Joe had made a mask out of grass with his friends that morning, and wanted to keep it on during his portrait,’ recalls Lawrence. ‘In between giggling, he always held this very empowered look. I snapped just a few closeup frames of him, and only noticed his expression later on’

Woman in Blue Cap, from the series Swimmers by Alice Zoo

British photographer Alice Zoo documented winter swimmers at the famous Ladies’ Pond on London’s Hampstead Heath. Her pictures capture the mood of the women and their resilience, as they emerge from the freezing cold water. For this portrait, Zoo only had a few moments to photograph Ray before she had to return inside to keep warm. Although she was shivering in the winter cold, with goosebumps visible on her skin, the portrait is composed, still and dignified.

Runner Up, from the series Double Jab ABC Show by Sam Wright

The Double Jab Boxing Club in New Cross, London, offers local young people an outlet for their passion and energy, and is intended as a sanctuary for those most vulnerable to gang violence. It was here that British photographer Sam Wright took this portrait of Levi, who, after a passionate display of boxing against a stronger opponent, left the ring defeated, with blood on his face and tears in his eyes. Wright captures Levi’s emotion as he stood to receive his runners-up award

Blond Wig and Purple Beret, from the series Then and In Between Now by Maria Konstanse Bruun

Bournemouth-based artist Maria Konstanse Bruun photographed her mother, who has paranoid schizophrenia and terminal lung cancer, sitting in her home in a social housing block for people with mental illness. The colourful, youthful clothes and long, shiny wig she wears conflict with her aged face and frail body. For Bruun, this contrast emphasises the disconnect between her mother’s view of herself and how she is viewed by the outside world

The Globe by Muir Vidler

British photographer Muir Vidler photographed cabaret singer Alison Powell for a fashion shoot commissioned by the German magazine Stil Leben. The setting was the east London pub where Alison works. The direct flash heightens the lurid colour palette of the portrait

Gary, Cigarette, from the series The Hawks Come Up Before the Sun by Kovi Konowiecki

During Kovi Konowiecki’s travels through the Californian desert, he befriended Gary, whom he often visited and photographed. For this portrait, Konowiecki asked Gary to think about the one thing he missed the most. He thought of his twin brother, whom he had not seen for years. The picture speaks to the broader theme of Konowiecki’s series, which is about people who occupy a liminal space between belonging and isolation

Chicken Pox by Erica Hawkins

Erica Hawkins photographed her son Jacob at their family home in Hertfordshire as he bathed in the evening light. The bath was the only place Jacob could find relief from his chickenpox. The portrait was taken at eye level, capturing the intensity of his gaze and emphasising the empathic connection between mother and son

Shantelle, from the series Burgess Park by Max Miechowski

After moving to southeast London in 2017, documentary photographer Max Miechowski became a frequent visitor to Burgess Park in Southwark, a space that unites a diverse and multicultural community. His series celebrates the positive and inclusive atmosphere, and the people who contribute to the strong sense of community that flourishes there. Shantelle was photographed on a balmy evening in June, as the light bathed her in a soft, warm glow

Saif, from the series The Boys of Grenfell by Juan Trujillo Andrades

In the summer of 2017, Spanish photographer Juan Andrades visited the Dale Youth Boxing Club, which had been based in Grenfell Tower until the fire of June 2017. A temporary club was set up in a car park in Ladbroke Grove. In this emotive portrait, Saif still bears the psychological scars of the traumatic event