Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017, National Portrait Gallery

Awarded annually since 1993, the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is one of the world’s most celebrated and competitive photography awards. This year's winner, announced last night, is on display at the National Portrait Gallery this autumn.

The winning photograph, captured by Spanish documentary photographer and journalist César Dezfuli, pictures a 16-year-old migrant Amadou Sumaila who was rescued in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast on the 1 August last year, one of 100 people to be saved from the waves on that particular mission.

The young man stares compellingly down the camera lens before a background of ocean and sky. According to the judges, the portrait was celebrated for 'the directness of Sumaila's gaze' as the picture 'powerfully conveys his loss, solitude and determination'.

César Dezfuli won a £15,000 award for his image of the teenager, beating the two other photographers shortlisted for the award: Abbie Trayler-Smith's image of a girl fleeing ISIS in Mosul and a Japanese android called Erica by Finnish artist Maija Tammi.

In past years, entries have ranged from formal portraits to more experimental images, submitted by both established professionals and emerging talent from all over the world. The diversity and international flavour of this exhibition makes it one of the year’s most inspiring open submission photography competitions.