Tony North; First place, Breathing Spaces; Overall Winner; Blue Tajinaste, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. “Echium thyrsiflorum is endemic to the mountains of La Palma island – from high up, there was a magnificent view of both the caldera below, and the stars above. The Unesco La Palma biosphere reserve encompasses the entire island, with the Caldera de Taburiente containing mountains with a highest peak of 2,426 metres – the Roque de los Muchachos”. (Photo by Tony North/IGPOTY)

A woman wears glasses in support of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a caravan to carry Chavez's cadet saber and his dagger to the mausoleum where the politician's remains are laid to rest, in Caracas on March 15, 2023. The caravan traveled some 9 kilometers through the streets of Caracas to the Cuartel de la Montaña, also known as the Cuartel 4 de Febrero, as a reminder of the date of the failed coup led by Chavez on February 4, 1992. (Photo by Miguel Zambrano/AFP Photo)

Brazilian singer Anitta performs during the “Ensaios de Anitta” show, an event that is part of a pre-carnival tour that makes its way through several Brazilian cities, paying tribute to a samba school in each performance at the Jockey Club of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21 January 2024. Anitta only performs this time of year in her country and said that experiencing a carnival is the best way to get to know the Brazilian people because all the energy of its people is concentrated on a single topic. (Photo by Andre Coelho/EPA/EFE)

A follower of the Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda pays tribute for Iemanja, goddess of the sea, in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 29, 2017. Hundreds of practitioners of Brazil's Afro-Brazilian Candomble and Umbanda faiths have gathered at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach to honor Yemanja. Worshippers were mostly dressed in white as they launched their offerings to Iemanja: small boats with flowers and bowls with candles and fruits. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

Two men look at the sea while taking part in the annual New Year's dive into the North Sea in Scheveningen, Netherlands on January 1, 2020. (Photo by Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

Ballet dancer Anoushka Zoe James dances in the water at the Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 29, 2020. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Victoria of Bulgaria performs during the second semi-final of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 20, 2021. (Photo by Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

A man rides a skateboard at Radical Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, June 24, 2021. Hundreds of joggers, dog walkers, skateboarders and picnicking families come each day. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)