DJI and SkyPixel have unveiled the winners of the 11th Annual SkyPixel Drone Contest, marking another record year for one of the most recognized global showcases for aerial visual storytelling. The latest edition of the SkyPixel Drone Contest drew nearly 95,000 submissions from creators across 96 countries and regions, reflecting the steady worldwide expansion of aerial photography, videography, and handheld imaging as creative tools.
The Shenzhen based drone maker partnered with SkyPixel, the online community for aerial creators that launched in 2014, to recognize standout work across photography, aerial video, and handheld categories. Judges evaluated technical mastery, narrative strength, color work, composition, and the ability of each entry to use elevated perspectives in fresh ways. The competition has become a notable reference point for filmmakers and photographers exploring how drones and stabilized camera systems can broaden the language of modern cinematic imagery.
Aerial Video Top Prize Honors Africa Unseen
The top award in the Aerial Video Category went to creator ellisvanjason for Africa Unseen, a sweeping cinematic short that captures the wildlife and landscapes of the African continent. The filmmaker gathered more than 35 terabytes of 8K footage and condensed years of fieldwork, documentary experience, and personal research into a tightly built seven minute narrative.
Production relied on a wide collection of DJI hardware, including the Action 5 Pro, Avata 2, Inspire 3, Mavic 3 Pro, Ronin 4D, RS 4 Pro, and DJI Focus Pro. The blend of platforms allowed the filmmaker to shift between sweeping aerial passes over deserts, grasslands, and dramatic canyons, and immersive first person sequences that travel alongside animals running, soaring, and moving through their natural habitat. According to the project notes, the production followed all local laws and used on-set oversight, with no animals harmed or disturbed during filming.
Judge Zeng Jian highlighted the precise framing and strong visual control behind the film, while judge Ryan Hosking pointed to the consistent color treatment and effective deployment of DJI camera tools. Judge Benjamin Hardman described the entry as one of the most cinematic submissions in the entire competition, citing the color, composition, and narrative momentum throughout the piece. The director described the project as the final large scale passion piece in this chapter of his career, choosing to close the era at his creative peak rather than stretch the work further.
SkyPixel Drone Contest Photography Standouts
The Annual Best Photo award in this year’s SkyPixel Drone Contest went to Filip Hrebenda for The Gate. The image pairs a natural rock arch with drifting mist and a small human figure to suggest scale, solitude, and exploration. Judges Daniel Kordan and Jiang Ping praised the balance of light, shadow, and atmosphere, noting how the rare environmental conditions produced a scene that felt both intimate and monumental.
“The rock bridge acts as a powerful focal point, with the lone subject adding scale. The mist beautifully softens the background peaks, creating depth and separation while maintaining a cohesive tone.” Jake Guzman, Judge
Among the Annual Top 10 photography winners, F. Dilek Yurdakul earned recognition for Carpet Fields, an aerial composition that turns long rows of dyed textiles into a striking abstract landscape with a strong sense of rhythm and cultural texture. Another standout was Smoking Skull by Daniel, a rare aerial capture of a volcanic plume that briefly formed a skull shape, drawing remarks from judges about timing, symbolic power, and the theatrical impact unique to the elevated perspective of platforms like the DJI Avata series.
Handheld Honors and a Growing Aerial Community
In the Handheld Category, AYANG took the top prize for Elsewhere The Gaze Can Always Arrive, a piece that weaves together aerial and ground footage into a single poetic visual flow. Ryan Hosking praised the variety of shots and the consistent style across the film, while Benjamin Harman highlighted the narrative and the balance between tight and wide framing throughout the piece.
Other notable winning videos included NO BORDERS FROM ABOVE by Michael Putzer, an aerial meditation on unity and peace, Eden After by KM DC, which blends land art with environmental commentary, and UNLIMITED The Perfect Ride by David Karg, a kinetic look at extreme sports. The full list of winners is available on the official SkyPixel contest page, where awarded entries will now enter a public review period before final confirmation.
SkyPixel itself has grown into a significant hub for aerial creators, with more than 55 million registered users and thousands of new images and videos uploaded each day. Across its history, the SkyPixel contest has gathered more than 500,000 entries from over 140 countries and regions, underlining how widely drones and aerial imaging tools have spread among hobbyists, filmmakers, and working professionals.
