Powerful COVID-19 portrait wins World Press Photo of the Year for 2021

19 April 2021
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The overall winner (World Press Photo of the Year) along with all the category winners have recently been announced in the 64th annual World Press Photo Contest, which showcases the world's best photojurnalism.

For the 2021 competition, 4,315 photographers from 130 countries entered 74,470 images. The independent jury selected 45 photographers from 28 countries in eight categories, as well as six nominees for the World Press Photo of the Year, and three nominees for the World Press Photo Story of the Year.

The World Press Photo Contest rewards the best visual journalism of the past year in eight categories: Contemporary Issues, Environment, General News, Long-Term Projects, Nature, Portraits, Sports, and Spot News.

The First Embrace. © Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken/Panos Pictures. WINNER: WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR. 

Danish photographer Mads Nissen’s photograph, The First Embrace, was chosen by the jury as the World Press Photo of the Year. In the image, Rosa Luzia Lunardi (85) is embraced by nurse Adriana Silva da Costa Souza, at Viva Bem care home, São Paulo, Brazil, on 5 August 2020.

The only Australian finalist this year was Adam Pretty, Australia, represented by Getty Images, for his image Log Pile Bouldering which won the sports: singles category.

Log Pile Bouldering. © Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Georg climbs a log pile while training for bouldering, in Kochel am See, Bavaria, Germany, on 15 September 2020. Bouldering entails climbing on small rock formations and boulders of usually no more than six meters in height, without ropes or harnesses. Historically, it began as a training activity for more ambitious climbing and mountaineering pursuits, but has evolved into a sport in its own right.
Log Pile Bouldering. © Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Georg climbs a log pile while training for bouldering, in Kochel am See, Bavaria, Germany, on 15 September 2020. Bouldering entails climbing on small rock formations and boulders of usually no more than six meters in height, without ropes or harnesses. Historically, it began as a training activity for more ambitious climbing and mountaineering pursuits, but has evolved into a sport in its own right.

“2020 was a difficult year, and today we recognize the visual storytellers that put their lives at risk to present us with important stories about our world. The stories and productions awarded today touched the jury because of the personal, human and hopeful angle that the visual storytellers gave to very difficult issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation.

The World Press Photo of the Year, the World Press Photo Story of the Year, the World Press Photo Interactive of the Year and the World Press Photo Online Video of the Year awards carry a cash prize of 5,000 euros.

World Press Photo of the Year

Kevin WY Lee, photographer, creative director and 2021 Photo Contest jury member describes the winning photograph: “This iconic image of COVID-19 memorializes the most extraordinary moment of our lives, everywhere. I read vulnerability, loved ones, loss and separation, demise, but, importantly, also survival—all rolled into one graphic image. If you look at the image long enough, you’ll see wings: a symbol of flight and hope.”

World Press Photo Story of the Year

The jury chose Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo as the World Press Photo Story of the Year. The winning series chronicles love stories set against the backdrop of one of the longest and most complicated contemporary conflicts, the Israeli-Palestinian war. The story shows the impact of the conflict on Palestinian families, and the difficulties they face in preserving their reproductive rights and human dignity.

Ahmed Najm, Managing Director of Metrography Agency and 2021 Photo Contest jury member, says about the story: “The photojournalistic perspective of the photographer, along with the uniqueness of the story, have created a masterpiece. This is a story of human struggle in the 21st century: a story about those unheard voices that can reach the world if we, the jury, act as a medium. It shows another side of the long contemporary conflict between Israel and Palestine.”

World Press Photo Interactive of the Year

The independent jury of the 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest selected Reconstructing Seven Days of Protests in Minneapolis After George Floyd’s Death by Holly Bailey/The Washington Post and Matt Daniels, Amelia Wattenberger/The Pudding, as the World Press Photo Interactive of the Year.

Reconstructing Seven Days of Protests in Minneapolis After George Floyd’s Death provides a full picture of the first week of protests in Minneapolis after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The piece makes unprecedented use of user-generated content and combines and maps out 147 live stream videos. 

Muyi Xiao, reporter and video producer in The New York Times Visual Investigations team and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury chair, says about the production: “It shows that the situation was more complicated and nuanced than people initially understood. What stands out the most is how they utilize user-generated content to provide accountability. The approach is innovative.”

World Press Photo Online Video of the Year

The jury chose Calling Back From Wuhan by Yang Shenlai/ Tang Xiaolan as the World Press Photo Online Video of the Year. Told through a series of recorded phone conversations, Calling Back From Wuhan gives an account of one family at the first epicenter of COVID-19. 

The World Press Photo Online Video of the Year award celebrates a video produced for the web, which through skillful editing and audio-visual design tells a compelling story with an impact.

About the winning production, Sanchai Chotirosseranee, deputy director, Film Archive and 2021 Digital Storytelling jury member remarks: “The story is quite complete in itself, it feels that they told not only trauma but the story around it, connecting with others and from that, you can see the big picture as well.”

Category winners

Contemporary issues

The Contemporary Issues category celebrates single pictures or stories documenting cultural, political or social issues affecting individuals or societies.

Singles

1st Prize

Yemen: Hunger, Another War Wound by Pablo Tosco, Argentina

“This photograph of Fatima and her son fishing will stay with me as a powerful image of agency and resilience,” says NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, 2021 Photo Contest jury chair and co-founder and director of photo.circle, about Pablo Tosco’s winning picture.

Yemen: Hunger, Another War Wound. © Pablo Tosco, Argentina. FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Fatima and her son prepare a fishing net on a boat in Khor Omeira bay, Yemen, on 12 February 2020.
Yemen: Hunger, Another War Wound. © Pablo Tosco, Argentina. FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Fatima and her son prepare a fishing net on a boat in Khor Omeira bay, Yemen, on 12 February 2020.

2nd Prize

Doctor Peyo and Mister Hassen by Jérémy Lempin, France

3rd Prize

Resting Soldier by Vaghinak Ghazaryan, Armenia

Stories

1st Prize

Sakhawood by Alexey Vasilyev, Russia

Kevin WY Lee, jury member, photographer and creative director, explains why the 1st prize winning story stood out for him: “‘Sakhawood’ was one of my favorites in the category. When you tell a story, whether in pictures or words, you’re essentially creating a world to engage and sustain our interest and belief in that world, consistently and with rhythm, throughout the entire sequence. The photographer does this very well—I find myself experiencing the atmosphere, smells, sounds, and conversations the subjects might be having.”

Sakhawood. © Alexey Vasilyev, Russia. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. The people of Sakha, a republic in the far northeast of the Russian Federation, live in a remote area with extreme weather conditions: temperatures can drop as low as -50°C in winter. Although Sakha, which is also known as Yakutia, extends over more than three million square kilometers, its population numbers barely 950,000 people, around 50 percent of which are ethnic Sakha (or Yakuts). Twins Semyon and Stepan perform in the roles of dulgancha, mythical swamp creatures, in The Old Beyberikeen With Five Cows, in Sakha, Russian Federation, on 9 August 2019. It is their first part in a film.
Sakhawood. © Alexey Vasilyev, Russia. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. The people of Sakha, a republic in the far northeast of the Russian Federation, live in a remote area with extreme weather conditions: temperatures can drop as low as -50°C in winter. Although Sakha, which is also known as Yakutia, extends over more than three million square kilometers, its population numbers barely 950,000 people, around 50 percent of which are ethnic Sakha (or Yakuts). Twins Semyon and Stepan perform in the roles of dulgancha, mythical swamp creatures, in The Old Beyberikeen With Five Cows, in Sakha, Russian Federation, on 9 August 2019. It is their first part in a film.

2nd Prize

Islamic State’s Yazidi Survivors by Maya Alleruzzo, United States, Associated Press

3rd Prize

The Aftermath of the North East Delhi Riots by Zishaan A Latif, India

Environment

The Environment category rewards single pictures or stories documenting human impact, positive or negative, on the environment.

Singles

1st Prize

California Sea Lion Plays with Mask by Ralph Pace, United States

About the 1st prize picture, Kathy Moran, jury member and deputy director of Photography at National Geographic, says: “I love the double-take nature of this photograph. At first glance, it seems to be a curious sea lion investigating trash. Then it hits; this discarded mask has turned an unsightly but mostly benign encounter into a COVID moment. Even underwater we can’t escape the pandemic.”

California Sea Lion Plays with Mask. © Ralph Pace, United States. ENVIRONMENT - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A curious California sea lion swims towards a face mask at the Breakwater dive site in Monterey, California, USA, on 19 November 2020.
California Sea Lion Plays with Mask. © Ralph Pace, United States. ENVIRONMENT - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A curious California sea lion swims towards a face mask at the Breakwater dive site in Monterey, California, USA, on 19 November 2020.

2nd Prize

Temple and Half-Mountain by Hkun Lat, Myanmar

3rd Prize

Climate Crisis Solutions: Collecting Drinking Water in Kalabogi by K M Asad, Bangladesh

Stories

1st Prize

Pantanal Ablaze by Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, Panos Pictures, for Folha de São Paulo

Pilar Olivares, jury member and photographer at Reuters, explains why the 1st prize winning story stood out: “This is the story about fires that impacted me the most. Each photo shows us a sad situation of devastation without losing the aesthetic sense. This series of photos is perfectly edited; I don't feel like I need to see more, and I don't feel like I'm seeing too much either.”

Pantanal Ablaze. © Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, Panos Pictures, for Folha de São Paulo. Nearly a third of Brazil’s Pantanal region—the world’s largest tropical wetland and flooded grasslands, sprawling across some 140,000 to 160,000 square kilometers—was consumed by fires over the course of 2020. Fires in the Pantanal tend to burn just below the surface, fueled by highly combustible peat, which means they burn for longer and are harder to extinguish. Firefighters combat a fire outbreak at the São Francisco de Perigara farm, which is home to one of the largest populations of Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in Brazil, on 14 August 2020. About 92 percent of the farm area, mostly dedicated to preservation, was destroyed by the fire.
Pantanal Ablaze. © Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, Panos Pictures, for Folha de São Paulo. Nearly a third of Brazil’s Pantanal region—the world’s largest tropical wetland and flooded grasslands, sprawling across some 140,000 to 160,000 square kilometers—was consumed by fires over the course of 2020. Fires in the Pantanal tend to burn just below the surface, fueled by highly combustible peat, which means they burn for longer and are harder to extinguish. Firefighters combat a fire outbreak at the São Francisco de Perigara farm, which is home to one of the largest populations of Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in Brazil, on 14 August 2020. About 92 percent of the farm area, mostly dedicated to preservation, was destroyed by the fire.

2nd Prize

One Way to Fight Climate Change: Make Your Own Glaciers by Ciril Jazbec, Slovenia, for National Geographic

3rd Prize

Inside the Spanish Pork Industry: The Pig Factory of Europe by Aitor Garmendia, Spain

General News

The General News category recognizes single pictures or stories reporting on news topics and their aftermaths.

Singles

1st Prize

The First Embrace by Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken/Panos Pictures

The First Embrace is also nominated for the World Press Photo of the Year award. “I see this photo as one of the rare positive photos about the COVID-19 era. It is a symbolic scene, conveying the effort frontline workers made, and the hardship they experienced. The photographer had to be there in the right place at the right moment,” said Ahmed Najm, jury member and managing director of Metrography Agency, about the winning image.

The First Embrace. © Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken/Panos Pictures. WINNER: WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR. Rosa Luzia Lunardi (85) is embraced by nurse Adriana Silva da Costa Souza, at Viva Bem care home, São Paulo, Brazil, on 5 August.
The First Embrace. © Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken/Panos Pictures. WINNER: WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR. Rosa Luzia Lunardi (85) is embraced by nurse Adriana Silva da Costa Souza, at Viva Bem care home, São Paulo, Brazil, on 5 August.

2nd Prize

The Human Cost of COVID-19 by Joshua Irwandi, Indonesia

3rd Prize

Ceremony to Mourn Qasem Soleimani in Tehran by Newsha Tavakolian, Iran, Magnum Photos

Stories

1st Prize

Paradise Lost by Valery Melnikov, Russia, Sputnik

Paradise Lost is also nominated for the World Press Photo Story of the Year award, and one of the images included in this story is nominated for the World Press Photo of the Year. “The story captures the most recent conflicts that have taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is one of the most human representations of war that I have seen in a while. It really gives you a sense of what daily life, and what daily loss looks like, in quiet ways—in ways that are away from the eyes of the world,” explains Gurung Kakshapati.

Paradise Lost. © Valery Melnikov, Russia, Sputnik. GENERAL NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. Conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh resumed in September, after a lull of 30 years. Azat Gevorkyan and his wife Anaik are pictured before leaving their home on 28 November 2020 in Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh, the final district to be returned to Azerbaijani control following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Paradise Lost. © Valery Melnikov, Russia, Sputnik. GENERAL NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. Conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh resumed in September, after a lull of 30 years. Azat Gevorkyan and his wife Anaik are pictured before leaving their home on 28 November 2020 in Lachin, Nagorno-Karabakh, the final district to be returned to Azerbaijani control following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

2nd Prize

Cross-Border Love by Roland Schmid, Switzerland

3rd Prize

COVID-19 Pandemic in France by Laurence Geai, France

Long-Term Projects

The Long-Term Projects category celebrates a project on a single theme that has been shot over at least three different years.

1st Prize

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo, Italy, Getty Reportage

Habibi is also nominated for the World Press Photo of the Year award. “The photojournalistic perspective of the photographer, along with the uniqueness of the story, have created a masterpiece. This is a story of human struggle in the 21st century: a story about those unheard voices that can reach the world if we as a jury act as a medium. It shows another side of the long contemporary conflict between Israel and Palestine,” says Najm.

Habibi. © Antonio Faccilongo, Italy, Getty Reportage. LONG-TERM PROJECTS - FIRST PRIZE. Nearly 4,200 Palestinian security detainees are being held in Israeli prisons, according to a February 2021 report by human rights organization B’Tselem. Some face sentences of 20 years or more. Habibi, which means ‘my love’ in Arabic, chronicles love stories set against the backdrop of one of the longest and most complicated conflicts in modern history. Amma Elian, whose husband has been serving a life-sentence since 2003, sits with twins born following IVF, in Tulkarm, Palestine, on 25 January 2015.
Habibi. © Antonio Faccilongo, Italy, Getty Reportage. LONG-TERM PROJECTS - FIRST PRIZE. Nearly 4,200 Palestinian security detainees are being held in Israeli prisons, according to a February 2021 report by human rights organization B’Tselem. Some face sentences of 20 years or more. Habibi, which means ‘my love’ in Arabic, chronicles love stories set against the backdrop of one of the longest and most complicated conflicts in modern history. Amma Elian, whose husband has been serving a life-sentence since 2003, sits with twins born following IVF, in Tulkarm, Palestine, on 25 January 2015.

2nd Prize

Reborn by Karolina Jonderko, Poland

3rd Prize

Trapped in Greece by Angelos Tzortzinis, Greece, partially funded by the Magnum Foundation

Nature

This category rewards single pictures or stories showing flora, fauna and landscapes in their natural state.

Singles

1st Prize

Rescue of Giraffes from Flooding Island by Ami Vitale, United States, for CNN

"As with all of nature, the giraffe is full of majesty, but also vulnerability, as illustrated beautifully in this photograph,” said Lee about the 1st prize winning image.

Rescue of Giraffes from Flooding Island. © Ami Vitale, United States, for CNN. NATURE - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A Rothschild’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is transported to safety in a custom-built barge from a flooded Longicharo Island, Lake Baringo, in western Kenya, on 3 December 2020. Rothschild’s giraffes are a subspecies of the northern giraffe, and are classified as endangered. The giraffe is the world’s tallest land mammal and the Rothschild’s giraffe is one of the loftiest subspecies, growing up to six meters in height.
Rescue of Giraffes from Flooding Island. © Ami Vitale, United States, for CNN. NATURE - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A Rothschild’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is transported to safety in a custom-built barge from a flooded Longicharo Island, Lake Baringo, in western Kenya, on 3 December 2020. Rothschild’s giraffes are a subspecies of the northern giraffe, and are classified as endangered. The giraffe is the world’s tallest land mammal and the Rothschild’s giraffe is one of the loftiest subspecies, growing up to six meters in height.

2nd Prize

Path of the Panther by Carlton Ward Jr., United States

3rd Prize

New Life by Jaime Culebras, Spain

Stories

1st Prize

Pandemic Pigeons—A Love Story by Jasper Doest, the Netherlands

“What does a wildlife photographer do when stuck at home thanks to COVID-19? In this case they documented nature outside–and occasionally inside–their home. This story is a charming reminder that wildlife is all around us. We just have to open our eyes and our doors and reconsider the familiar,” said Moran about Pandemic Pigeons—A Love Story.

Pandemic Pigeons—A Love Story. © Jasper Doest, The Netherlands. NATURE - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. A pair of feral pigeons befriended the photographer’s family, who were isolated in their apartment in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ollie and Dollie, as the family named them, were regulars in the house, their daily visits a reminder that humans are not alone on this planet, even while living isolated in urban areas. The photographer’s daughter Merel cowers after Dollie flies past and perches on the balcony, before entering the house, in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, on 6 April 2020.
Pandemic Pigeons—A Love Story. © Jasper Doest, The Netherlands. NATURE - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. A pair of feral pigeons befriended the photographer’s family, who were isolated in their apartment in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ollie and Dollie, as the family named them, were regulars in the house, their daily visits a reminder that humans are not alone on this planet, even while living isolated in urban areas. The photographer’s daughter Merel cowers after Dollie flies past and perches on the balcony, before entering the house, in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, on 6 April 2020.

2nd Prize

Taal Volcano Eruption by Ezra Acayan, the Philippines, for Getty Images

3rd Prize

Locust Invasion in East Africa by Luis Tato, Spain

Portraits

The Portraits category rewards single pictures or stories of individuals or groups either in observed or posed portraits.

Singles

1st Prize

The Transition: Ignat by Oleg Ponomarev, Russia

The Transition: Ignat is one of the World Press Photo of the Year nominees. “The first impressions I had when I saw this photograph were of dignity and love. Ignat, the transgender man in the picture, passed through a living hell throughout his school years, being the victim of insults and humiliation. His life has been a struggle for a basic right: the right to exist. Despite everything, Ignat preserved dignity and love. But at the same time he is not sure what to expect from people, and there is a look in the eyes that says: ‘Can I trust you? Will you hurt me?’” explains Andrei Polikanov, jury member and visual director at Takie Dela.

The Transition: Ignat. © Oleg Ponomarev, Russia. Ignat, a transgender man, sits with his girlfriend Maria in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 23 April 2020. Ignat was bullied throughout his school years, and confronted by the school psychologist following rumors that he spoke about himself using the masculine gender.
The Transition: Ignat. © Oleg Ponomarev, Russia. Ignat, a transgender man, sits with his girlfriend Maria in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 23 April 2020. Ignat was bullied throughout his school years, and confronted by the school psychologist following rumors that he spoke about himself using the masculine gender.

2nd Prize

COVID-19 First Responder by Iván Macías, Mexico

3rd Prize

In Flight by Tatiana Nikitina, Russia

Stories

1st Prize

The ‘Ameriguns’ by Gabriele Galimberti, Italy, for National Geographic

The ‘Ameriguns’. © Gabriele Galimberti, Italy, for National Geographic. Torrell Jasper (35) poses with his firearms in the backyard of his house in Schriever, Louisiana, USA, on 14 April 2019. A former US Marine, he learned to shoot from his father as a child. According to the Small Arms Survey– an independent global research project based in Geneva, Switzerland–half of all the firearms owned by private citizens in the world, for non-military purposes, are in the USA. The survey states that the number of firearms exceeds the country’s population: 393 million guns to 328 million people.
The ‘Ameriguns’. © Gabriele Galimberti, Italy, for National Geographic. Torrell Jasper (35) poses with his firearms in the backyard of his house in Schriever, Louisiana, USA, on 14 April 2019. A former US Marine, he learned to shoot from his father as a child. According to the Small Arms Survey– an independent global research project based in Geneva, Switzerland–half of all the firearms owned by private citizens in the world, for non-military purposes, are in the USA. The survey states that the number of firearms exceeds the country’s population: 393 million guns to 328 million people.

2nd Prize

Nowhere Near by Alisa Martynova, Russia

3rd Prize

Niewybuch by Natalia Kepesz, Poland

Sports

The Sports category recognizes single pictures, stories or portfolios that capture individual or team sports.

Singles

1st Prize

Log Pile Bouldering by Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images

Moran says about the 1st prize winning picture: "A great sports action image defining of the COVID-19 year and of man’s spirit to survive, compete and excel beyond odds and limits."

Log Pile Bouldering. © Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Georg climbs a log pile while training for bouldering, in Kochel am See, Bavaria, Germany, on 15 September 2020. Bouldering entails climbing on small rock formations and boulders of usually no more than six meters in height, without ropes or harnesses. Historically, it began as a training activity for more ambitious climbing and mountaineering pursuits, but has evolved into a sport in its own right.
Log Pile Bouldering. © Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. Georg climbs a log pile while training for bouldering, in Kochel am See, Bavaria, Germany, on 15 September 2020. Bouldering entails climbing on small rock formations and boulders of usually no more than six meters in height, without ropes or harnesses. Historically, it began as a training activity for more ambitious climbing and mountaineering pursuits, but has evolved into a sport in its own right.

2nd Prize

Home Training by Stephen McCarthy, Ireland, Sportsfile

3rd Prize

Tour of Poland Cycling Crash by Tomasz Markowski, Poland

Stories

1st Prize

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions by Chris Donovan, Canada

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions is also nominated for the World Press Photo Story of the Year. “This story is beautifully shot in black and white frames and wonderfully edited. What I also like about it is that it gives another nuanced look into Black lives in America, beyond the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement,” explains Lee.

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions. © Chris Donovan, Canada. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIESJaguars player D'Angelo Mays plays with a basketball in his bedroom at home, on 27 February 2020. The Flint Jaguars basketball team in Flint, Michigan, USA, embodies efforts to nurture stability, encourage mutual support and strengthen community spirit in a city struggling to survive. Flint, the birthplace of General Motors, is striving against outmigration caused by a precipitous decline in its motor industry, a health crisis brought about by the authorities switching water-supply sources without proper safeguards, and the systemic neglect of high-poverty, predominantly Black neighborhoods. Basketball is an integral part of Flint culture, and the city once produced dozens of big names at collegiate and professional levels
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions. © Chris Donovan, Canada. SPORTS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIESJaguars player D'Angelo Mays plays with a basketball in his bedroom at home, on 27 February 2020. The Flint Jaguars basketball team in Flint, Michigan, USA, embodies efforts to nurture stability, encourage mutual support and strengthen community spirit in a city struggling to survive. Flint, the birthplace of General Motors, is striving against outmigration caused by a precipitous decline in its motor industry, a health crisis brought about by the authorities switching water-supply sources without proper safeguards, and the systemic neglect of high-poverty, predominantly Black neighborhoods. Basketball is an integral part of Flint culture, and the city once produced dozens of big names at collegiate and professional levels

2nd Prize

Faces of Bridge by Henrik Hansson, Sweden

3rd Prize

Thoughts of Flight by Fereshteh Eslahi, Iran, Podium Photos

Spot News

The Spot News category rewards single pictures or stories witnessing news moments or immediate events.

Singles

1st Prize

Emancipation Memorial Debate by Evelyn Hockstein, United States, for The Washington Post

Emancipation Memorial Debate is also nominated for the World Press Photo of the Year award. “You can feel her pain, her understanding of her emotions. On the right side of her the guy, the arguing and we have the statue in the background. It’s very rare to capture everything to tell in one picture,” says Mulugeta Ayene, jury member and photographer, about the 1st prize winning image.

Emancipation Memorial Debate. © Evelyn Hockstein, United States, for The Washington Post. SPOT NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A man and woman disagree on the removal of the Emancipation Memorial, in Lincoln Park, Washington DC, USA, on 25 June 2020. The Emancipation Memorial shows Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation in one hand, with his other hand over the head of a Black man in a loincloth, kneeling at his feet. Critics argue that the statue is paternalistic, demeaning in its depiction of Black Americans, and that it doesn’t do justice to the role that Black people played in their own liberation.
Emancipation Memorial Debate. © Evelyn Hockstein, United States, for The Washington Post. SPOT NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, SINGLES. A man and woman disagree on the removal of the Emancipation Memorial, in Lincoln Park, Washington DC, USA, on 25 June 2020. The Emancipation Memorial shows Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation in one hand, with his other hand over the head of a Black man in a loincloth, kneeling at his feet. Critics argue that the statue is paternalistic, demeaning in its depiction of Black Americans, and that it doesn’t do justice to the role that Black people played in their own liberation.

2nd Prize

Waiting for Release at a Temporary Detention Center in Belarus by Nadia Buzhan, Belarus

3rd Prize

Forest Fire by Nuno André Ferreira, Portugal, Agência Lusa

Stories

1st Prize

Port Explosion in Beirut by Lorenzo Tugnoli, Italy, Contrasto

One of the images of Port Explosion in Beirut is also nominated for the World Press Photo Story of the Year. Gurung Kakshapati explains why the image made an impact on the jury: “I think this image of the Beirut Port explosion really captures a strong man but his deep fragility in this moment of crisis, in a beautiful way. But also really encapsulating the pain of the situation.”

Port Explosion in Beirut. © Lorenzo Tugnoli, Italy, Contrasto. SPOT NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. At around 6pm on 4 August, a massive explosion, caused by more than 2,750 tons of high-density ammonium nitrate, shook Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The explosive compound was being stored in a warehouse in the port. Some 100,000 people lived within a kilometer of the warehouse. The explosion, which measured 3.3 on the Richter scale, damaged or destroyed around 6,000 buildings, killed at least 190 people, injured a further 6,000, and displaced as many as 300,000. An injured man stands near the site of a massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, while firefighters work to put out the fires that engulfed the warehouses after the explosion, on 4 August 2020.
Port Explosion in Beirut. © Lorenzo Tugnoli, Italy, Contrasto. SPOT NEWS - FIRST PRIZE, STORIES. At around 6pm on 4 August, a massive explosion, caused by more than 2,750 tons of high-density ammonium nitrate, shook Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The explosive compound was being stored in a warehouse in the port. Some 100,000 people lived within a kilometer of the warehouse. The explosion, which measured 3.3 on the Richter scale, damaged or destroyed around 6,000 buildings, killed at least 190 people, injured a further 6,000, and displaced as many as 300,000. An injured man stands near the site of a massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, while firefighters work to put out the fires that engulfed the warehouses after the explosion, on 4 August 2020.

2nd Prize

Presidential Vacancy by Ernesto Benavides, Peru, Agence France-Presse

3rd Prize

Minneapolis Unrest: The George Floyd Aftermath by John Minchillo, United States, Associated Press

Head to the World Press Photo website to see the entire gallery of winners.

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