Dear Music Therapy Community,
On behalf of the Public Relations Commission of the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), I am delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 World Music Therapy Week Photo Competition.
The WFMT Photo Competition is a recurring initiative of World Music Therapy Week, designed to showcase music therapy practice worldwide through visual storytelling and community engagement.
This year’s theme, “Connecting Borders: Creating Networks and Enhancing Identities through Music Therapy,” highlights how music therapy fosters connections across cultures, strengthens professional and social networks and supports identities through meaningful musical experiences.
The theme also resonates with the upcoming 18th World Congress of Music Therapy, which will take place this July in Bologna, Italy.
We are pleased to report strong global participation in this year’s edition. The competition received 46 photo submissions from around the world, and more than 447 people participated in the voting process, selecting their favorite images through the official voting form.
Following the voting phase, the three most-voted photographs were reviewed by our panel of judges, who determined the final ranking based on the official criteria outlined in the competition guidelines: creativity of the photo, quality in raising awareness or advocacy for music therapy, and votes received.
You can review the official guidelines here
🥇 1st Place: Photo No. 13 – Entering the other’s world
“In this moment, a mother and her child explore sound together through play and imagination. Music becomes a shared space where connection can grow beyond words.”
[Valentina Giacosa, Italia – studio AltaLuna]
🥈 2nd Place: Photo No. 30 – The Rhythm that connects
“The sound of the drum guides the children through a shared path of movement and listening. Through the Dalcroze music and movement approach, music therapy creates connections beyond the borders of body, space, and relationship.”
[Tiziana Aquilani, Italy – Scuola di Musica Ponte Linari]
🥉 3rd Place: Photo No. 19 – (No title)
“The touching moment when an elderly living with dementia listens to a young band performing the theme song they had composed for him about his life.”
[Leung Yu Ting, Hong Kong – Christian Family Service Centre]
Panel of Judges
We extend our sincere gratitude to the members of the judging panel for their time, expertise, and thoughtful contribution to the selection process:
- Mitsi Akoyunoglou – WFMT Europe Regional Liaison
- Aksana Kavaliova-Moussi – WFMT Secretary
- Hannah Estrella – WFMT Assembly of Student Delegates (Canada & the USA)
Their collaboration ensured a fair and meaningful evaluation of the shortlisted entries.
We warmly congratulate the winners and sincerely thank all participants for their contributions. Each submitted photograph plays an important role in illustrating the diverse and impactful ways music therapy is practiced across the world, contributing to greater awareness and understanding of the field. You will see them soon on our Facebook Business Page!
We also thank the global community for its engagement and voting participation, helping to bring visibility to this initiative.
Stay connected with us as we continue to share content throughout World Music Therapy Week (April 10–15, 2026) across our platforms.
Facebook page:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/worldfederationofmusictherapy
Instagram account:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/worldfederationmusictherapy/
Twitter account:
👉 https://x.com/WFMTinfo
World Congress of Music Therapy Instagram:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/wcmt2026/
With appreciation,
Martina Scognamiglio
Chair, WFMT Public Relations Commission
