Daniel Trippolt from Wolfsberg in Austria's Lavanttal region has been awarded the gold medal in the sports category at the 2025 Federal Prize for Professional Photography. The prestigious award ceremony took place on October 24, 2025, at Casino Baden in Lower Austria, recognizing outstanding achievements in professional photography across the country.
The competition attracted an impressive 3,471 submissions from professional photographers throughout Austria. From this substantial pool of entries, only 100 works made it to the nomination list, with 30 ultimately receiving gold, silver, or bronze awards across ten different categories. This highly selective process underscores the exceptional quality and competitive nature of Austria's professional photography landscape.
Trippolt's winning photograph was captured during the Schneebergland Rally, a project he had been planning for some time. "It's exciting that I won specifically with a sports photo, because I mainly photograph landscapes," Trippolt explained. "I had this idea of photographing at the Schneebergland Rally in my head for a long time. I then implemented it with a remote camera, and it actually became one of my best sports photos I've ever taken. I'm all the more pleased about first place in this category."
The Federal Prize for Professional Photography serves as a showcase for the intersection of technical skill, creative imagination, and sophisticated visual storytelling. According to Eva Kelety, Federal Guild Master of Professional Photography, the award-winning works open new perspectives, convey emotions, and often make visible what would otherwise remain hidden from the eye. These photographs represent the diversity, quality, and expressiveness that characterize professional photography in Austria today.
"Congratulations to all nominees and award winners, and thank you to everyone who participated," Kelety said during the ceremony. She also expressed hopes for future participation: "I hope that many colleagues will take up this initiative and participate in the competition with their outstanding work in the future. Every submission makes a valuable contribution to further strengthening the presence and importance of our industry."
The complete list of winners across all ten categories demonstrates the breadth of photographic excellence in Austria. In the AI Fusion category, Ines Thomsen took first place, followed by Marcel Egger and Michael Schnabl. The Commercial category was won by Norbert Kniat, with Johannes Bitter and Daniel Roos in second and third place respectively. Grzegorz Lenart claimed victory in the Wedding category, ahead of Jana Scherr and Marlene Rahmann.
Wolfgang Gangl achieved double success, winning both the Illustration/Digital Art and Creative Portrait categories. In Nature/Landscape photography, Philipp Jakesch earned the gold medal, while Lucas Tiefenthaler dominated the Nature/Wildlife category. The Natural Portrait category was won by Verena Panzitt, and Lukas Kirchgasser took first place in Reportage photography, with Trippolt's sports category victory rounding out the ten competitive divisions.
The awards ceremony highlighted the continued evolution and importance of professional photography in Austria, with organizers hoping the recognition will inspire more photographers to showcase their exceptional work in future competitions. The Federal Prize serves not only as recognition for individual achievement but also as a platform to elevate the entire profession's visibility and significance within Austria's cultural and commercial landscape.
