Discover the impactful winning image by John Stanmeyer at the World Press Photo 2013, capturing the stark realities faced by African migrants. This nuanced photo inspires deep discussions on migration and globalization.
This year’s World Press Photo of the Year 2013 was won by American Photographer John Stanmeyer of the VII agency for National Geographic.
John’s extraordinary photograph shows African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad. Djibouti is a common stop-off point for migrants in transit from such countries as Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, seeking a better life in Europe and the Middle East. This was the 57th annual World Press Photo Contest.
For an overview of all the winners visit: http://www.worldpressphoto.org/awards/2014
The international jury gave prizes in nine themed categories to 53 photographers of 25 nationalities from: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the USA.
The members of the jury announced the winners at a press conference held at the World Press Photo offices in Amsterdam on 14 February.
Comments on the winners by the jury
Jillian Edelstein, jury member from the UK/South Africa said:
“It’s a photo that is connected to so many other stories—it opens up discussions about technology, globalization, migration, poverty, desperation, alienation, humanity. It’s a very sophisticated, powerfully nuanced image. It is so subtly done, so poetic, yet instilled with meaning, conveying issues of great gravity and concern in the world today.”
Susan Linfield, jury member from the USA said:
“What we’re looking for in the winning image is the same quality you would look for in a great film or in literature—the impression that it exists on more than one level, that it makes you think about things you haven’t thought about. You begin to explore the layers not only of what’s there, but of what isn’t there. So many pictures of migrants show them as bedraggled and pathetic…but this photo is not so much romantic, as dignified.”
David Guttenfelder, jury member from the USA said:
“The photo is like a message in a bottle, it is one that will last for all of us. People will bring their own life experiences to it as they stand in front of it.”
The judging was conducted at the World Press Photo office in Amsterdam. All entries were presented anonymously to the jury, who discussed their merits over a two-week period. The jury operates independently and a secretary without voting rights safeguards the fairness of the procedure. The contest drew entries from professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers across the world. By the mid-January deadline, 98,671 images had been submitted by 5,754 photographers from 132 countries.
2014 Photo Contest Jury
A group of 19 internationally recognized professionals in the fields of photojournalism and documentary photography convened in Amsterdam from 1 to 13 February 2014 to judge all entries.
The final rounds were judged by:
Chair:
Gary Knight, UK, founder photographer VII Photo Agency
Members:
• Daniel Beltrá, Spain/USA, photographer
• Jillian Edelstein, UK/South Africa, photographer
• David Guttenfelder, USA, chief Asia photographer The Associated Press
• Hideko Kataoka, Japan, director of photography Newsweek Japan
• Koyo Kouoh, Cameroon, founder and artistic director Raw Material Company
• Susie Linfield, USA, associate professor and director of the cultural reporting and criticism program, New York University
• Kerim Okten, Turkey, photographer
• Francesco Zizola, Italy, photojournalist Noor Images
The first round in News and Documentary was judged by:
Chair: Gary Knight, UK, founder photographer VII Photo Agency
• Adrees Latif, Pakistan/USA, photographer and editor in charge US pictures Reuters
• Daniel Merle, Argentina, picture editor and curator
• Marie Sumalla, France, photo editor Le Monde
• Newsha Tavakolian, Iran, photographer
The first and second rounds in Sports were judged by:
Chair: Kerim Okten, Turkey, photographer
• Tom Jenkins, UK, sports photographer
• Miriam Marseu, USA, photo editor Sports Illustrated
The first and second rounds in Nature were judged by:
Chair: Daniel Beltrá, Spain/USA, photographer
• Rosamund Kidman Cox, UK, editor
• Luciano Candisani, Brazil, nature photojournalist
The first and second rounds in Portraits were judged by:
Chair: Jillian Edelstein, UK/South Africa, photographer
• Alessia Glaviano, Italy, senior photo editor Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue
• Terence Pepper, UK, senior special advisor National Portrait Gallery.