The 2025 HUAWEI XMAGE Awards Ceremony in Paris once again puts the spotlight on mobile photography as an emerging force in visual storytelling, with Filipino creators earning recognition on a truly global stage. Held alongside a major imaging exhibition, the event underscored how smartphone cameras and creative vision are reshaping how people document and interpret the world around them.
Celebration of Mobile Photography in Paris
The 2025 HUAWEI XMAGE Awards Ceremony and “The World, You and Me” Annual Imaging Exhibition opened on November 12 at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. This coincided with Paris Photo, one of the world’s most prestigious photography showcases established in 1997.
This marks the third collaboration between Paris Photo and HUAWEI after 2018 and 2019, and the first since the launch of the XMAGE brand, which aims to shift focus from pure technology toward cultural storytelling through images.
Theme of “The World, You and Me”
This year’s exhibition centered on the theme “The World, You and Me,” highlights how individuals perceive, recreate, and interpret their surroundings through mobile photography. Works were curated into three exhibition areas titled “I Capture, Therefore I Am,” “The Constructed, The Perceived,” and “In Their Own Words,” each designed to emphasize visual immersion and personal perspective.
The images on display explored the relationship between people, their unique viewpoints, and the visual worlds they inhabit, turning the exhibition into both an artistic showcase and a platform for dialogue in the global photography community.
XMAGE as Technology and Empathy
XMAGE is a bridge between cutting-edge imaging technology and human connection. Kevin Ho, CEO of HUAWEI Consumer Business Group, emphasized that XMAGE is about using technology and imagery to better understand the world and see one another with greater empathy.
The event emphasized how smartphone optics and algorithmic computation are able to move viewers from surface-level observation to deeper insight, reinforcing HUAWEI XMAGE’s goal of serving as a global hub for artistic exchange.
Scale of the 2025 XMAGE Awards
The 2025 HUAWEI XMAGE Awards attracted more than 743,000 submissions from creators across 78 countries and regions. From these entries, the “XMAGE 100” collection was selected as the standout body of work, with three Grand Prize Winners of the Year recognized for their achievements.
Highlight Works from Around the World
Among the XMAGE 100, several works were cited by judges for pushing creative and technical boundaries using HUAWEI smartphones. “Ethereal Lines” by Romanian photographer Gheorghe Popa, shot on the HUAWEI Pura 80 Ultra, was praised for exploring uncharted territory in smartphone photography through a seamless interplay of optics and computational imaging.
The image was noted for guiding viewers from macro to micro worlds and leading them from “seeing” to “insight.” Another highlighted work, “New Life” by Mehmet Emin Corus from Türkiye, captured with a HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro, was commended for its profound simplicity, depicting a mother, a newborn calf, and a farmer in a scene that finds extraordinary meaning in everyday life.
Filipino Talent in the XMAGE 100
Filipino photographers Rhon Velarde and Mark Padecio were celebrated among the XMAGE 100 awardees for works that spotlight everyday life and culture in the Philippines. Their recognition signals a growing presence of Filipino creatives on the global photography map and showcases how mobile devices are enabling locally rooted stories to reach international audiences. Both photographers use their images to reflect resilience, community, and emotional depth in ordinary moments.
“Muddy But Happy” by Mark Padecio
Mark Padecio’s “Muddy But Happy,” captured in the Philippines with the HUAWEI nova 10, portrays children playing along a muddy riverside after the first rainfall following a period of drought. Shot spontaneously, the image demonstrates the phone’s clarity, color accuracy, and dynamic range, helping convey the authenticity and vibrancy of the scene.
Padecio described the award as an incredible honor, explaining that the photograph is not just a single frame but a visual story about national character—resilient, hopeful, and grounded in community. He added that his goal is to show how Filipinos find beauty in simplicity and strength in togetherness, with every frame telling a story of courage and heart.
“Glimmer of Hope” by Rhon Velarde
Rhon Velarde’s “Glimmer of Hope,” taken with the HUAWEI P40 Pro, was recognized for its striking interplay of light, color, and emotion. The image leverages the device’s dynamic range and color accuracy to create depth and mood, translating a fleeting moment into a layered narrative.
Velarde shared that winning the XMAGE Award is deeply meaningful, framing it as a statement that Filipino creativity can stand proudly on the world stage. He sees photography as a way to bring the stories, colors, and emotions of Filipino culture to a global audience, demonstrating that connection and empathy can transcend borders.
Shift from Seeing to Perceiving
Across the XMAGE 100 and the Paris exhibition, a central idea emerged: photography is evolving from simple visual recording to a more interpretive and empathetic practice. HUAWEI positions XMAGE as part of a paradigm shift from “seeing” to “perceiving,” where photos serve as windows into lived experiences rather than passive images. Every press of the shutter becomes an opportunity to forge connections, uncover meaning in unexpected places, and open new possibilities for storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What are the HUAWEI XMAGE Awards?
A: The HUAWEI XMAGE Awards are an annual global mobile photography competition and exhibition platform that recognize outstanding works captured with HUAWEI devices, highlighting both technical innovation and visual storytelling.
Q: How many submissions did the 2025 XMAGE Awards receive?
A: The 2025 edition received more than 743,000 submissions from creators across 78 countries and regions, reflecting the growing popularity of mobile photography worldwide.
Q: Who are the Filipino photographers recognized in the 2025 XMAGE Awards?
A: Filipino photographers Rhon Velarde and Mark Padecio were included in the XMAGE 100 for their award-winning images “Glimmer of Hope” and “Muddy But Happy,” which showcase Filipino culture, resilience, and community.
Q: What is the theme of the 2025 XMAGE exhibition in Paris?
A: The 2025 exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris is themed “The World, You and Me,” focusing on how individuals perceive and reinterpret the world through mobile photography, with curated sections that emphasize immersion and personal perspective.
Q: What role does HUAWEI Consumer BG play in the XMAGE initiative?
A: HUAWEI Consumer Business Group develops the devices and imaging technologies behind XMAGE, while using the initiative as a platform to connect creators, promote artistic exchange, and demonstrate how mobile imaging can drive cultural storytelling.
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Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
