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Jury profile

Selection of jury members for the World Press Photo Contest

The winners of the annual World Press Photo Contest are chosen by both regional and global juries. Regional juries, made up of five professionals from and/or working in that region, first make a selection of entries per region. From this selection, a global jury, made up of the six regional jury chairs and one additional member – the global jury chair – then awards the regional and global winners.

When selecting jury members for the annual contest, World Press Photo takes into consideration different factors regarding the jury members' backgrounds, such as their nationality, gender, professional experience, and approach to photography.

Professional background of jury members

In each of the six regional juries, World Press Photo aims to have 40-60% photographers represented - a mixture of news and documentary photographers, freelance and staff, from a different variety of publications, news wires, and agencies.
 
The remaining 40-60% should consist of editors from agencies, newspapers or magazines, alongside professionals including (but not limited to) curators, museum directors, researchers, educators, critics, and artistic directors. Each regional jury must contain at least one member with a deep understanding of the Open Format category.

There should also be an even gender balance, aiming for a minimum of half of the jury identifying as female or non-binary.

Professional background of jury chairs

In order to facilitate conversation and encourage discussion within the jury, the jury chair should be someone who gives space for others to speak their mind without judgment or intimidation. They should be able to express their opinions clearly, while showing the ability to change their mind if presented with valid arguments.

The global jury

The global jury consists of the six regional jury chairs and the global jury chair. The global jury should include three to four photographers, and represent a mix of news and documentary photography backgrounds. At least one member should have experience with multimedia photographic work (deep understanding of the Open Format category). 

Commitment

Before assuming the role of jury member for the annual World Press Photo Contest, each jury member is required to sign three documents:

  • The anti-harassment policy
  • A non-disclosure agreement
  • An agreement to the judging procedures
World Press Photo conducts thorough research on jury members to ensure alignment with the organization's values and standards, as well as to verify any conflict of interest. In the event that new information surfaces indicating otherwise, World Press Photo retains the discretion to determine the appropriate course of action.

If you have any questions about the selection process or would like to nominate yourself or a colleague to be on the jury, please get in touch with contest@worldpressphoto.org. 

Are you looking for more specific information? Visit one of the following pages to find out more about: 

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