/ 2026 / Press / Sports

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Shigeki Nakashoji, Japan
• Date of Photograph
  2026/6/18
• Studio
  Free
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/shigeki_nakashoji/

Mixed martial arts is often remembered for its violence, but what drew me to the sport was something beyond the fight itself.
This series explores the moments before, during, and after competition—where determination, fear, pain, relief, and respect exist simultaneously. Blood, exhaustion, silence, and embraces are not symbols of brutality, but traces of the physical and emotional price athletes willingly pay in pursuit of excellence.
Rather than documenting winners and losers, these photographs seek to reveal the humanity that emerges when people push themselves beyond their limits.
This seri

I am a Japanese documentary and sports photographer whose work explores the relationship between the human body, the mind, and culture through sport.
For more than a decade, he has documented athletes competing and training in extreme environments, with long-term projects focusing on sumo, CrossFit, and lifesaving. His photography goes beyond competition to reveal the emotions, rituals, discipline, and humanity that define each sport.
In 2026, he held his solo exhibition "ULTIMATE" at the Canon Gallery Ginza and Canon Gallery Osaka, presenting a documentary series on CrossFit.

Awards ・Gold Winner, PX3 – Prix de la Photographie Paris
・Finalist, World Sports Photography Awards (Martial Arts Category)
・Honorable Mention, International Photography Awards (IPA)
・Excellence Award, Number Sports Photo Award