2024 World Press Photo contest winners announced
Source: Rappler
Author: Leanne Jazul
MANILA, Philippines -- An image of Inas Abu Maamar cradling the body of her niece Saly, who was killed along with four other family members when an Israeli missile struck their home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 17, 2023, taken by Mohammed Salem of Reuters, was adjudged Photo of the Year.
The image was composed with care and respect, offering both a metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss, according to the jury.
More than 61,000 entries by nearly 4,000 photographers from 130 countries were judged first by six regional juries, and the winners were then chosen by a global jury consisting of the regional jury chairs plus the global jury chair.
"All of the winning images have such power to convey a specific moment, while also resonating beyond their own subject and time. This is what we were hoping to find. Our Photo of the Year truly encapsulates this sense of impact; it is incredibly moving to view and at the same time an argument for peace, which is extremely powerful when peace can sometimes feel like an unlikely fantasy," Global jury chair Fiona Shields, the Guardian's head of photography, said.
In Madagascar, lack of public awareness surrounding dementia means that people displaying symptoms of memory loss are often stigmatized. For years, Paul Rakotozandriny, "Dada Paul," 91, who lives with dementia, has been cared for by his daughter Fara Rafaraniriana, 41. Their story illustrates the Malagasy principle of valim-babena - the duty of grown children to help their parents. With its dignified, intimate approach, Lee-Ann Olwage's project presents another perspective on the issue, resonating with families across the world, while at the same time challenging conflict-focused stereotypes of Africa.
Since 2019, Mexico's immigration policies have undergone a significant shift, transforming from a nation historically open to migrants and asylum seekers at its southern border to a country that enforces stringent immigration policies.
Drawing from his own first-hand experience of migrating from his native Venezuela to Mexico in 2017, photographer Alejandro Cegarra initiated this project in 2018. The jury felt that this photographer's own position as a migrant afforded a sensitive human-centered perspective that centers on the agency and resilience of migrants.
Amid tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine.
While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, photographer Julia Kochetova has created a website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality.
This project weaves together photographic images with poetry, audio clips, and music in collaboration with a Ukrainian illustrator and DJ.
South East Asia and Oceania, Stories: Battle for Sovereignty
North and Central America, Singles: A Day in the Life of a Quebec Fire Crew
North and Central America, Stories: Saving the Monarchs
South America, Singles: Drought in the Amazon
South East Asia and Oceania, Singles: Fighting, Not Sinking
World Press Photo Executive Director, Joumana El Zein Khoury said, "Each of these winning photographers is intimately and personally familiar with their topics. This helps them bring a deeper understanding to the rest of us, which hopefully leads to empathy and compassion." - Rappler.com