With the Russian war in Ukraine constantly in the news, Photo of the Year goes to Evgeniy Maloletka for his confrontational image of the siege of Mariupol, which perfectly captures in a single image the human suffering caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The story of the year, nine haunting but beautiful photos by Mads Nissen, does not let us forget the people of Afghanistan, now living under the Taliban and without international aid.
The Long-Term Projects Award goes to Anush Babajanyan for her years of work highlighting a subject rarely reported on outside of Central Asia: the effects of water management after the end of the Soviet Union, exacerbated by the climate crisis - but most importantly, showing the strong spirit of people forced to adapt to new circumstances.
The Open Format Award goes to Mohamed Mahdy, who worked with the residents of Al Max in Alexandria, Egypt, to preserve the memory of their rapidly disappearing fishing village and invited the whole world to participate through an interactive website.
The four global winners were selected from 24 regional winners submitted from more than 60,000 entries (photos and multimedia) by 3,752 participants from 127 countries. Entries were initially judged by six regional juries, and all winners were selected by a global jury composed of regional jury chairs and the global jury chair.
Global jury chair Brent Lewis, photo editor at The New York Times and co-founder of Diversify Photo, said, "Our four global winners represent the best photos and stories on the most important and pressing issues of 2022. They also help continue the tradition of what's possible with photography and how photography helps us see the universality of the human condition."
The haunting image of the siege of Mariupol was unanimously chosen as the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year. As the vote took place on the first anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, the jury noted the power of the image and the history behind it, as well as the atrocities it depicts. The death of the pregnant woman and her child encapsulates so much of the war, as well as Russia's possible intentions. As one juror put it, "It's like they're trying to kill the future of Ukraine."World Press Photo Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury: "Millions of people around the world will look at these photos and see death, despair, loss and crisis. My wish is that they will also see what I see. The hope that through documentation there is a chance for justice and a better future, that through remembering we honor what was lost, and that we are inspired by the courage and dedication of these photographers."
The World Press Photo winning works will be shown to an audience of millions as part of WPP's annual exhibition in more than 60 cities around the world - including Amsterdam (opening April 22), Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Zurich, Tel Aviv, Taipei, Singapore, Mexico City, Jakarta, Sydney and Toronto - and viewed online by millions more.
The 24 winners will be invited to Amsterdam for a program of events May 9-13. The program will consist of presentations, workshops, networking events, an awards ceremony and a viewing of the winning images, which will be on display in the World Press Photo exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk. Also planned for May 13 is The Stories that Matter - a day of photographer talks, discussions and workshops that look at the pressing issues of our time through the eyes of photojournalists and critical thinkers.