The Illume Awards 2026 announce Snow Category Winner

French photographer Louis Garnier has won the Snow Category of The Illume Awards 2026 with his photo of skier Kevin Rolland captured in front of a fire fountain in Tignes, France.

“The energy around the whole project was incredible. We only had three attempts with the flames, and it is still my favorite photo I’ve ever made with Kevin”, he recounts about the day the winning photo was taken.

The combination of careful planning and an apparently effortless final image also stood out to the Judging Panel. Among the Judges were world champion snowboarder Anna Gasser, Donny O’Neill, content director at Protect Our Winters, photographer Lorenz Holder, former Alpine ski racer Marco Büchel, and Marc Calvin, editor at Snowboard Magazine. Büchel was particularly impressed by how the complexity behind the shot disappears in the finished photograph: “What impresses me most is that all the planning and complexity disappear in the final image. It looks effortless, even though I am sure it was anything but. That is a huge achievement. Congratulations.”

As Snow Category Winner, Garnier receives a prize package that brings together photography equipment, gear and recognition from The Illume’s partners.

The prize includes a Leica D-Lux 8, a complete Angelbird storage package, a full set of Fischer skis and the opportunity to collaborate on a shooting assignment by Fischer Sports, as well as a COOPH camera strap. His winning photograph will also be published in The Illume Photobook 2026.

The Snow Category Winner was announced in Ketchum, ID, United States. The winner was revealed physically by Gavin McClurg, athlete and The Illume Judge, and skier Sander Hadley, at the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum while the Category Finalists joined the announcement live via an online call, connecting them with the event in the United States.

Fischer and Protect Our Winters support Snow Category

The Snow Category is supported by Fischer and Protect Our Winters, two partners connected by a shared commitment to winter sports and the environments in which they take place.

Founded in Austria in 1924, Fischer has been shaping winter sports for more than a century. This passion, combined with a relentless commitment to innovation, performance, and quality, has made Fischer one of the world's leading ski brands – and the perfect Snow Category partner.

Protect Our Winters brings another important perspective to the partnership, working to protect the outdoor places and winter environments that make the sport possible in the first place. Through advocacy, education and community engagement, Protect Our Winters connects the outdoor sports community with action on climate and the future of winter.

Together, Fischer and Protect Our Winters reflect the different sides of the Snow Category: celebrating the sport and the people who capture it while recognizing the importance of protecting the environments where winter sports take place, a commitment that is also at the heart of The Illume.

Category Winner announcements continue

The Category Finalists were revealed earlier this month and can be viewed in The Illume Gallery. Follow @theillumeawards and keep an eye on the-illume.com for the next Category Winner announcement: Trail on October 26.