Global winners of The World Press Photo Awards 2024 announced

A powerful image from the Israel-Palestine conflict is named World Press Photo Contest 2024 global winner

Photography News|18.04.2024

AWARDS|3 min read

A powerful image from the Israel-Palestine conflict is named World Press Photo Contest global winner

In celebration of the enduring power of visual journalism, the World Press Photo Foundation has unveiled the global winners of the 2024 World Press Photo Contest.

Celebrated for shining a light on pressing global issues through the lens of photography, this year’s selection underscores stories of conflict, migration, family, and health, reflecting both the turmoil and the resilience found across the globe.

The winning photographs were selected from 61,062 entries by 3,851 photographers from 130 countries. Following judging by six regional juries, the regional shortlist was then passed to a global jury for final selection.

Below we provide a rundown of the global winners.

World Press Photo of the Year

“A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece” by Mohammed Salem, Palestine, Reuters

Mohammed Salem’s heartrending photograph captures Inas Abu Maamar holding the body of her niece Saly, a victim of an Israeli missile strike in Gaza. Taken shortly after the birth of Salem’s own child, the image poignantly encapsulates the profound personal grief associated with war.

The jury praised the photo for its respectful composition, offering a window into the unimaginable loss endured by those caught in conflict zones.

World Press Photo Story of the Year

“Valim-babena” by Lee-Ann Olwage, South Africa, for GEO

An elderly man with a hat and a young girl with a headband stand in a modestly furnished room. The man is buttoning his jacket while the girl looks down, adjusting her own. A calendar, religious imagery, and family photographs decorate the room, imbuing it with a sense of history and everyday life.

Outside a building with signs and vegetation, a woman in a floral dress and a child in a matching outfit walk by. The woman looks ahead confidently while the child seems pensive. In the background, the elderly man from the first photo walks away, creating a narrative connection between the images.

Inside a home with warm tones, a woman in a floral dress stands near a table while an elderly man, sitting beside her, peels vegetables. The scene conveys domestic life and care, with family photos and religious icons adding layers of personal and cultural context.

Lee-Ann Olwage’s series from Madagascar brings to light the stigmatisation surrounding dementia on the island.

The photographs, especially of “Dada Paul” and his granddaughter preparing for church, are celebrated for their warmth and tender depiction of family care in times of health crises.

The jury lauded the story for its empathetic approach to a universal issue, emphasising the necessity of love and support amidst global unrest.

World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award

“The Two Walls” by Alejandro Cegarra, Venezuela, The New York Times/Bloomberg

A man steps across the gap between freight train carts as he walks along the top of a train

A black and white photo of migrants seated in a tiered fashion on a truck full of goods. Various expressions of fatigue and concern are visible among the group

Two individuals are seen climbing a tall, vertical metal barrier using a rudimentary ladder. The stark black and white contrast highlights the effort and determination involved in overcoming physical and metaphorical boundaries.

A crowded scene in black and white, depicting numerous people wading through a shallow river. The chaos and urgency of movement are palpable as individuals carry belongings and help one another navigate the waters, illustrating the intensity and scale of human migration.

Alejandro Cegarra’s project, born from his own migration experience, critically examines the shift in Mexico’s immigration policies.

Highlighting the resilience and agency of migrants, Cegarra’s work is a personal and sensitive exploration of the changing dynamics at Mexico’s southern border.

The jury was particularly moved by his ability to convey a migrant’s perspective with authenticity and empathy.

World Press Photo Open Format Award

“War Is Personal” by Julia Kochetova, Ukraine

A young woman journalist sits thoughtfully on the floor, surrounded by her equipment, in a hotel room, capturing a moment of repose amidst the chaos of reporting.

In the image, firefighters are seen at night battling a fierce blaze that engulfs what appears to be a collapsed building in a war zone. The flames illuminate the scene with an intense orange glow against the night sky, while silhouettes of the firefighters are depicted working amidst the destruction, highlighting their courage in the face of danger.

Julia Kochetova’s innovative project transcends traditional news coverage of the Ukraine war by integrating photojournalism with elements of a personal diary.

This multidimensional portrayal, enriched with poetry, audio clips, and music, offers a visceral understanding of the war’s impact on daily life.

The jury commended Kochetova for her unique approach to storytelling, emphasising the personal toll behind the ongoing conflict.

Highlighting the risks of photojournalism

Joumana El Zein Khoury, Executive Director of World Press Photo, praised the winning photographers, saying, “Each of these winning photographers is intimately and personally familiar with their topics. This helps them bring a deeper understanding to the rest of us, which hopefully leads to empathy and compassion.”

He went on to highlight the risks photojournalists take to tell such important stories to the world.

“I am thankful for their dedication, courage, professionalism and skill. The work of press and documentary photographers around the world is often done at high risk. This past year, the death toll in Gaza pushed the number of journalists killed to a near record high.

“It is important to recognise the trauma they have experienced to show the world the humanitarian impact of the war.”

All the winning images will be on show at the World Press Photo Exhibition as it tours over 60 countries worldwide, stopping at London’s Borough Yards from May 3-27, 2024.

For further details and to view all the winning images, visit the World Press Photo Foundation’s official website.