Kacper Kowalski, a photo from "Toxic Beauty", IInd prize in Nature category, photo. Kacper Kowalski / Forum
This year, 5754 photographers of 132 nationalities submitted 98,671 photos to the contest. Their work was evaluated in eight categories - Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, General News, Nature, Observed Portraits, Sports, Spot News, and Staged Portraits. In each, a single and a set of photographs are awarded with separate prizes. Apart from winners in each category, the title of Picture of the Year is also awarded.
In 2014, the jury awarded the Picture of the Year prize to John Stanmeyer, an American photojournalist and co-founder of the famous VII agency, for his Signal. His image shows African migrants on the shore of the city of Djibouti at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighbouring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad. As the members of the jury assessed, this work shows the grand and universal problem of the modern world - the need for migration - in an aesthetic, gentle way.
The World Press Photo competition also appreciated images by Polish photographers. Maciek Nabrdalik, placed second in the Contemporary Issues – single image category for his photo Nicolette. It depicts a young girl sitting in the corner of the meeting room of an orphanage in Warsaw, Poland. Her mother was was serving time in prison for stealing electricity, and her father was not considered fit to take care of his children on his own.
Andrzej Grygiel, IInd prize in the category of Sports Action – singles., photo. press materials of World Press Photo
Andrzej Grygiel of the Polish Press Agency, was awarded second place in the category of Sports Action – singles. He photographed a contestant of a ski competition in Szczyrk (a town in southern Poland). Both Maciek Nabrdalik and Andrew Grygla were awarded for the first time this year.
Kacper Kowalski, of the Panos Pictures Agency, was awarded with second place in the Nature stories category. His series of photographs entitled Toxic Beauty depicts the by-products of the copper extraction process at the mine at Polkowice. Kowalski photographs various landscapes and events from a bird’s eye view by using a paraglider. He had previously been recognised by the World Press Photo Awards in 2008, when he received second prize in the category Arts and Entertainment for his series showing crowds on the beach at Władysławowo (a Polish city).
On 18th April, an exhibition presenting all winning images will begin its world tour. It will be shown in a hundred cities in forty-five countries. The opening will be held in Amsterdam, where the foundation that organizes the competition has its office. In addition, the prizes will be awarded during the Award Days event, held from 24th to 25th April.
Autorka: Anna Cymer, 14.02.2014, translated: Katarzyna Maksimiuk, 17.02.2014