Neil Leifer (*28.12.1942, New York City) is an American filmmaker and former photographer. Neil Leifer’s photographic career spans over 60 years. Starting in 1960, his images regularly appeared in all major national magazines, including »Saturday Evening Post«, »Look«, »LIFE«, »Newsweek«, and »Sports Illustrated» and »Time«.

Neil Leifer was honored with the prestigious Lucie Award for outstanding achievement in sports photography in 2006. In 2008, he was awarded the Britton Hadden Lifetime Achievement Award by Time Inc. for his outstanding contributions to journalism. In June 2014, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame alongside legendary boxing champions Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. He became the first photographer elected to a professional sports Hall of Fame.

Leifer has published 17 books, 9 of which are collections of his sports photographs. In May 2016, the University of Texas Press released Leifer’s memoir »Relentless«. In December 2020, TASCHEN published Leifer’s latest book, »LEIFER/BOXING 60 Years of Fights and Fighters« which is a collection of his photos from the past six decades of boxing. His image of Muhammad Ali standing over the knocked-out Sonny Liston in 1965 is considered by many the most outstanding sports photo of all time.