World Press Photo Story of the Year nominees
The World Press Photo Story of the Year award honors the photographer whose visual creativity and skills produced a story with excellent editing and sequencing that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance that year. The three nominees for World Press Photo Story of the Year are:
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions
Chris Donovan, Canada
The Flint Jaguars basketball team in Flint, Michigan, United States, embodies efforts to nurture stability, encourage mutual support and strengthen community spirit in a city struggling to survive. Basketball is an integral part of Flint culture, and the city once produced dozens of big names at collegiate and professional levels. For decades, four high school teams battled as fierce rivals. Now there is only one high school in town. In 2020, the team fought to turn around what had up until then been a nearly winless history. By March, they were prepared to head to the division finals with an 18-4 record, having won more games in 2020 than in the previous three years combined. Their play-off run ended prematurely when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the season.
“This story is beautifully shot in black and white frames and wonderfully edited. What I liked about this story is that it gives another nuanced look about Black lives in America,” said Kevin WY Lee, photographer, creative director, and 2021 Photo Contest jury member about the story.
Habibi
Antonio Faccilongo, Italy, Getty Reportage
Habibi, which means ‘my love’ in Arabic, chronicles love stories set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the longest and most complicated in modern history. The photographer aims to show the impact of the conflict on Palestinian families, and the difficulties they face in preserving their reproductive rights and human dignity.
“The visuals are beautiful, but when you view it all together it’s about crisis, about human rights, and how people are suffering because they can’t have their own babies. They have so many barriers,” said Ahmed Najm, managing director, Metrography Agency, and 2021 Photo Contest jury member.
Paradise Lost
Valery Melnikov, Russia, Sputnik
Conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh resumed in September, after a lull of 30 years. Renewed hostilities, which each side blames the other for starting, began on 27 September in what became known as the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Conflict continued until 9 November, the worst fighting the area had seen since the 1990s. In a settlement brokered by Russia, Azerbaijan regained possession of territory lost in the 1990s, but the regional capital, Stepanakert, was left under Armenian control.
“This is a story of a tragedy of people who lost their homes, their land. It doesn’t matter which war it is, it happens in every war. People lose their homes, their lands, their hope,” said Andrei Polikanov, visual director, Takie Dela, and 2021 Photo Contest jury member.
“It’s about the fragility of people who suffer,” he added.
See the full story in our collection
World Press Photo of the Year nominees
The World Press Photo of the Year honors the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance that year. The six nominees for World Press Photo of the Year are:
Emancipation Memorial Debate
Evelyn Hockstein, United States, for The Washington Post
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. Those against removal say it is a positive depiction of people being freed from the shackles of slavery, and that removing such monuments can amount to an erasing of history.
“It represents a conversation that is very current at the moment in the United States but it has been a global conversation that has been relevant for many communities that are thinking about history, and legacy, and new ways forward,” said NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, co-founder and director, photo.circle, and 2021 Photo Contest jury chair, about why this image was chosen.
Leaving Home in Nagorno-Karabakh
Valery Melnikov, Russia, Sputnik
Azat Gevorkyan and his wife Anaik are pictured before leaving their home in Lachin, on 28 November. Many Armenians left areas that were to return to Azerbaijani control following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Lachin district was the final district (out of three) given up by Armenia on 29 November 2020.
“When we are thinking about war pictures, we see soldiers, fire, guns. Here you see how much this family was impacted from the war,” said Mulugeta Ayene, photographer and 2021 Photo Contest jury member.
The First Embrace
Mads Nissen, Denmark, Politiken/Panos Pictures
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. This was the first hug Rosa had received in five months. In March, care homes across the country had closed their doors to all visitors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing millions of Brazilians from visiting their elderly relatives. Carers were ordered to keep physical contact with the vulnerable to an absolute minimum. At Viva Bem, a simple invention, ‘The Hug Curtain', allowed people to hug each other once again.
“This extremely powerful image shows us how you can cure loneliness, how you can bring hope to people,” said Pilar Olivares, photographer at Reuters and 2021 Photo Contest jury member.
“This image speaking about COVID-19 was different and it was very powerful, with a hug. The photographer shows us that it is possible to survive,” she added.
Read more
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. Ignat opened up to the psychologist about his gender identity—the first stranger to whom he had told everything—but asked to keep it a secret. The whole school found out, and the insults and humiliations became permanent.
“On the one hand it was so tender, so personal, you almost felt like you needed to look away, that you had walked in on them,” said Kathy Moran, deputy director of Photography,
National Geographic, and 2021 Photo Contest jury member.
“It’s one of these topics that we need to highlight, it’s very much about human rights, equal rights,” she added.
Read more
Fighting Locust Invasion in East Africa
Luis Tato, Spain, for The Washington Post
Henry Lenayasa, chief of the settlement of Archers Post, in Samburu County, Kenya, tries to scare away a massive swarm of locusts ravaging grazing area, on 24 April 2020. Locust swarms devastated large areas of land, just as the coronavirus outbreak had begun to disrupt livelihoods.
“We were all drawn to not only the energy but this sense that this was humanity engaged in this particular instance against nature. It had a very different take on environmental photography,” said Moran.
Read more
Injured Man After Port Explosion in Beirut
Lorenzo Tugnoli, Italy, Contrasto for The Washington Post
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.
“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 encapsulating the pain of the situation,” said Gurung Kakshapati.
Read more
2021 Photo Contest category nominees
The jury also selected nominees in eight categories: Contemporary Issues, General News, Environment, Long-Term Projects, Nature, Spot News, Sports, and Portraits.
See collection
World Press Photo Interactive of the Year nominees
The World Press Photo Interactive of the Year award celebrates the production that creates engaging interactive storytelling, through skilful editing and design, and effective synergy of form and content. The three nominees for World Press Photo Interactive of the year are:
Birth in the 21st Century
Barret Cooperativa/Lab RTVE/À Punt Mèdia
Birth in the 21st Century is an interactive documentary that follows the stories of five women during their pregnancy and childbirth, before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Participatory elements, such as an interactive birth plan, render Birth in the 21st Century an educational tool that offers vital insight into contemporary birth practices.
“The project knows exactly what women need and want to know about birth. It provides information with very compelling characters, rich data and very knowledgeable experts,” said Muyi Xiao, video producer, The New York Times Visual Investigations team, and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury chair, about the production.
Reconstructing Seven Days of Protests in Minneapolis After George Floyd’s Death
Holly Bailey/The Washington Post & Matt Daniels, Amelia Wattenberger/The Pudding
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 through an unprecedented use of user-generated content, which combines and maps out 147 live stream videos.
“Through this content collection, the audience can dive deep into the protesters’ emotions, feelings, actions. It also takes us to witness the reaction from the police and from the local government,” said Fábio Erdos, filmmaker, photographer, and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury member, about the interactive piece.
Experience interactive
Ukraine: Grey Zone
Benas Gerdziunas/Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT)
Ukraine: Grey Zone is an immersive three-part interactive story that gives the account of a cluster of mining communities divided by war in eastern Ukraine. Many locals back the Russian-led separatists, whilst others fight for Ukraine on the frontlines.
“This is a guided experience of life along the frontlines of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. (...) Very often you find interactives using a lot of video and I didn’t miss that at all here, and I think it’s because of the excellent audio design,” said Nyier Abdou, video journalist, editor, multimedia producer, and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury member.
Experience interactive
World Press Photo Online Video of the Year nominees
The World Press Photo Online Video of the Year award celebrates a video produced for the web, which through skilful editing and audio-visual design, tells a compelling story with an impact.
The jury nominated the nine productions over the three categories: Interactive, Short, and Long. All productions nominated in the Interactive category are nominated for the World Press Photo Interactive of the Year. All productions nominated in the Short and Long categories are nominated for the World Press Photo Online Video of the Year.
The nominees for World Press Photo Online Video of the Year are:
A Racist Attack Was Caught on Camera. Nearly 45 Years Later, It Still Stings.
The New York Times
A Racist Attack Was Caught on Camera. Nearly 45 Years Later, It Still Stings. traces the present and lasting trauma of racism, even decades on. In 2019, a video clip from the 1970s of a racist attack by white children on a group of black children in New York City surfaced online. The witnesses, victims, and perpetrators, were later found and interviewed–gathering many painful first-hand accounts.
“I think this production is important for the audience to see because back in the 1970’s, when this was filmed, it would have just disappeared and been hidden away. But now, because we are in the age of social sharing, this kind of issue is highlighted and being talked about,” explained Frank Hulley-Jones, visual designer and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury member.
Blood Rider
Jon Kasbe/The New Yorker
A blood-shortage crisis and standstill traffic most hours of the day in Nigeria means that it can take over 24 hours to transport blood to patients in critical need. Blood Rider is a tribute to the delivery people who work tirelessly to make a vital impact.
“Not only does it draw the audience deeply into the story, it also makes us ask hard questions about larger issues in the country,” said Xiao.
Watch film
Good Morning, My Wife in Heaven
Yingfei Liang/Shumin Wei/Caixin
Good Morning, My Wife in Heaven, follows the personal story of Lao Hei, a Wuhan local, as he mourns the loss of his wife of 42 years, who passed away after contracting COVID-19.
“It was so touching to see this man’s experience (...). The storytellers who documented the story really took time to spend with him and got him to reveal what he was going through and I think that was very powerful,” said Nyasha Kadandara, journalist, filmmaker and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury member.
Watch film
The Eternity of Tomorrow
Cristóbal Olivares/Magnum Foundation
The Eternity of Tomorrow illustrates the acute violence against the Mapuche, the largest indigenous group in Chile, and its serious and specific consequences on children and teenagers.
“The Eternity of Tomorrow is a beautiful film. The artistry with which these horrible stories are told is so careful,” said Chloe Gbai, director, IF/Then Shorts, and 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest jury member.
Watch film
To Calm the Pig Inside
Old Fool Films
To Calm the Pig Inside is a contemplation on the effects a typhoon leaves on a seaside city in the Philippines. Myths are woven in to try to understand how people cope with the devastation and trauma.
“It’s the very intimate voiceover, the striking visuals, the thoughtful sound design that makes it a very remarkable experience to watch,” said Erdos.
Watch film
Winners announced on 15 April
The winners of the 2021 Photo Contest and the 2021 Digital Storytelling Contest will be announced on 15 April during an online awards ceremony, as part of the
World Press Photo Festival 2021.
The World Press Photo of the Year, World Press Photo Story of the Year, World Press Photo Interactive of the Year, and World Press Photo Online Video of the Year awards carry a cash prize of 5,000 euros. The nominees in each category are published in World Press Photo’s online collection and promoted on World Press Photo's platforms. They are also included in the annual World Press Photo Exhibition tour and featured in the World Press Photo yearbook. In addition, nominees are invited to the World Press Photo Festival 2021 (which will take place online in April 2021).
