diff --git a/src/collections/Pages/aboutFields.ts b/src/collections/Pages/aboutFields.ts
index d5284f0..2d86ddf 100644
--- a/src/collections/Pages/aboutFields.ts
+++ b/src/collections/Pages/aboutFields.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ export const aboutFields: Field[] = [
         type: 'group',
         admin: sectionAdmin('Header copy and editor-selected winners for the photo grid.'),
         fields: [
+          uploadField('fallbackImage', 'Fallback winner image', `Current frontend fallback image: /images/${aboutContent.highlights.fallbackImageFilename}`),
           text('eyebrow', 'Eyebrow', aboutContent.highlights.eyebrow),
           textarea('heading', 'Heading', aboutContent.highlights.heading),
           ctaGroup('cta', 'CTA', aboutContent.highlights.cta.label, aboutContent.highlights.cta.url),
diff --git a/src/payload-types.ts b/src/payload-types.ts
index 2ff87b6..3941f10 100644
--- a/src/payload-types.ts
+++ b/src/payload-types.ts
@@ -1219,6 +1219,10 @@ export interface Page {
      * Header copy and editor-selected winners for the photo grid.
      */
     highlights?: {
+      /**
+       * Current frontend fallback image: /images/gala-saal-overview.jpg
+       */
+      fallbackImage?: (number | null) | Media;
       eyebrow?: string | null;
       heading?: string | null;
       cta?: {
@@ -4101,6 +4105,7 @@ export interface PagesSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
         highlights?:
           | T
           | {
+              fallbackImage?: T;
               eyebrow?: T;
               heading?: T;
               cta?:
diff --git a/src/scripts/preload-about-page-cms.ts b/src/scripts/preload-about-page-cms.ts
index 7f2a3f9..638bca6 100644
--- a/src/scripts/preload-about-page-cms.ts
+++ b/src/scripts/preload-about-page-cms.ts
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ async function main() {
   const page = pageResult.docs[0]
   if (!page) throw new Error('About page not found. Expected spaPath=/der-bmp or slug=der-bmp/about.')
 
-  const [heroImage, prizeImage, mittelstandImage, winnerResult] = await Promise.all([
+  const [heroImage, prizeImage, mittelstandImage, fallbackWinnerImage, winnerResult] = await Promise.all([
     mediaByFilename(payload, aboutContent.hero.backgroundImageFilename),
     mediaByFilename(payload, aboutContent.prize.imageFilename),
     mediaByFilename(payload, aboutContent.mittelstand.imageFilename),
+    mediaByFilename(payload, aboutContent.highlights.fallbackImageFilename),
     payload.find({
       collection: 'preistraeger',
       limit: 8,
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ async function main() {
   const { backgroundImageFilename: _heroFilename, ...heroContent } = aboutContent.hero
   const { imageFilename: _prizeFilename, ...prizeContent } = aboutContent.prize
   const { imageFilename: _mittelstandFilename, ...mittelstandContent } = aboutContent.mittelstand
+  const { fallbackImageFilename: _highlightFallbackFilename, ...highlightsContent } = aboutContent.highlights
 
   await payload.update({
     collection: 'pages',
@@ -73,7 +75,8 @@ async function main() {
           body: aboutContent.mittelstand.body.map((text) => ({ text })),
         },
         highlights: {
-          ...aboutContent.highlights,
+          ...highlightsContent,
+          fallbackImage: fallbackWinnerImage,
           selectedWinners: winnerResult.docs.map((winner) => winner.id),
         },
       },
diff --git a/src/spa/aboutContent.ts b/src/spa/aboutContent.ts
index a95be47..94fee6e 100644
--- a/src/spa/aboutContent.ts
+++ b/src/spa/aboutContent.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export const aboutContent = {
     ],
   },
   highlights: {
+    fallbackImageFilename: 'gala-saal-overview.jpg',
     eyebrow: 'Preisträger-Highlights',
     heading: 'AUSGEZEICHNETE 2025',
     cta: { label: 'Alle Preisträger', url: '/preistraeger' },
diff --git a/src/spa/pages/About.tsx b/src/spa/pages/About.tsx
index 1672207..5bb443b 100644
--- a/src/spa/pages/About.tsx
+++ b/src/spa/pages/About.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type AboutCms = Partial<typeof aboutContent> & {
   hero?: Partial<typeof aboutContent.hero> & { backgroundImage?: unknown }
   prize?: Partial<typeof aboutContent.prize> & { image?: unknown }
   mittelstand?: Partial<typeof aboutContent.mittelstand> & { image?: unknown }
-  highlights?: Partial<typeof aboutContent.highlights> & { selectedWinners?: unknown[] | null }
+  highlights?: Partial<typeof aboutContent.highlights> & { fallbackImage?: unknown; selectedWinners?: unknown[] | null }
 }
 
 type TextRow = { text?: string | null }
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ function HighlightedText({ text, highlight }: { text: string; highlight: string
   )
 }
 
-const normalizeWinner = (doc: CmsRouteDoc | undefined): Winner | undefined => {
+const normalizeWinner = (doc: CmsRouteDoc | undefined, fallbackImage: string): Winner | undefined => {
   if (!doc) return undefined
   return {
     id: String(doc.id),
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ const normalizeWinner = (doc: CmsRouteDoc | undefined): Winner | undefined => {
     category: String(doc.category || 'Preisträger'),
     year: Number(doc.year || aboutContent.highlights.year),
     type: String(doc.awardType || 'Auszeichnung'),
-    img: mediaUrl(doc.image, '/images/gala-saal-overview.jpg'),
+    img: mediaUrl(doc.image, fallbackImage),
     shortDesc: String(doc.shortDesc || doc.description || doc.meta?.description || ''),
     longDesc: String(doc.longDesc || doc.description || doc.meta?.description || ''),
     quote: String(doc.quote || ''),
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@ const normalizeWinner = (doc: CmsRouteDoc | undefined): Winner | undefined => {
   }
 }
 
-const winnerFromRelationship = (entry: unknown, allDocs: CmsRouteDoc[]) => {
-  if (entry && typeof entry === 'object') return normalizeWinner(entry as CmsRouteDoc)
+const winnerFromRelationship = (entry: unknown, allDocs: CmsRouteDoc[], fallbackImage: string) => {
+  if (entry && typeof entry === 'object') return normalizeWinner(entry as CmsRouteDoc, fallbackImage)
   const doc = allDocs.find((item) => String(item.id) === String(entry))
-  return normalizeWinner(doc)
+  return normalizeWinner(doc, fallbackImage)
 }
 
 const About: React.FC = () => {
@@ -98,16 +98,20 @@ const About: React.FC = () => {
   const hero = { ...aboutContent.hero, ...(cms.hero || {}) }
   const prize = { ...aboutContent.prize, ...(cms.prize || {}) }
   const mittelstand = { ...aboutContent.mittelstand, ...(cms.mittelstand || {}) }
-  const highlights = { ...aboutContent.highlights, ...(cms.highlights || {}) }
+  const highlights = useMemo(() => ({ ...aboutContent.highlights, ...(cms.highlights || {}) }), [cms.highlights])
   const testimonials = { ...aboutContent.testimonials, ...(cms.testimonials || {}) }
   const history = { ...aboutContent.history, ...(cms.history || {}) }
   const goals = { ...aboutContent.goals, ...(cms.goals || {}) }
   const values = { ...aboutContent.values, ...(cms.values || {}) }
   const cta = { ...aboutContent.cta, ...(cms.cta || {}) }
+  const highlightFallbackImage = mediaUrl(
+    highlights.fallbackImage,
+    `/images/${aboutContent.highlights.fallbackImageFilename}`,
+  )
 
   const highlightWinners = useMemo(() => {
     const selected = fallbackArray<unknown>(highlights.selectedWinners, [])
-      .map((entry) => winnerFromRelationship(entry, cmsWinners))
+      .map((entry) => winnerFromRelationship(entry, cmsWinners, highlightFallbackImage))
       .filter((winner): winner is Winner => Boolean(winner))
 
     if (selected.length) return selected.slice(0, 8)
@@ -116,12 +120,12 @@ const About: React.FC = () => {
       Boolean(winner) && winner?.year === Number(highlights.year || aboutContent.highlights.year)
 
     const cmsByYear = cmsWinners
-      .map(normalizeWinner)
+      .map((winner) => normalizeWinner(winner, highlightFallbackImage))
       .filter(isWinnerFromYear)
       .slice(0, 8)
 
     return cmsByYear.length ? cmsByYear : FALLBACK_HIGHLIGHTS
-  }, [cmsWinners, highlights.selectedWinners, highlights.year])
+  }, [cmsWinners, highlightFallbackImage, highlights])
 
   return (
     <div className="animate-fade-in">