Istanbul Photo Awards jury gather to pick 2023 winners

ISTANBUL (AA) - The jury of the international news photography contest Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 gathered on Thursday to decide the winning photos.

Organized by Anadolu Ajansı for the ninth time this year, professional photographers applied to the contest until Jan. 15 with their photos covering global events of the past year.

Over 21,000 photos were sent by 1,971 professional photojournalists from 116 different nationalities to the competition, which was held to support press photography around the world.

This year the competition accepted applications in these categories: Single News, Story News, Single Sports, Story Sports, Single Nature and Environment, Story Nature and Environment, Single Portrait, Story Portrait, Single Daily Life, Story Daily Life.

The best photos of the year will be selected in online sessions, where jury members will participate from six different countries.

The winners will be announced on June 15 after a three-day selection process done through a platform specially prepared for the contest by Anadolu’s dedicated tech team.

The jury session, which was planned to be held in March, was postponed due to the major earthquakes that hit southeastern Türkiye in February, causing great losses in 11 Turkish provinces.

This year's jury brings together prestigious figures from the world of photography, including National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale, photojournalist Carol Guzy, NOOR Agency photojournalist Yuri Kozyrev, The Globe and Mail photojournalist Goran Tomasevic, visual storyteller Marion Mertens, visual media consultant Michel Scotto, Getty Images chief sports photojournalist Cameron Spencer, photojournalist Ahmet Sel, and Firat Yurdakul, the editor-in-chief of Anadolu’s Visual News Department.

Anadolu Ajansı Deputy Director General Oguz Enis Peru thanked the Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 jury for their "invaluable contribution" in his opening speech.

This year’s contest is supported by Nikon, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and Turkish Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier.

The winner of the Photo of the Year – the Single News category first prize winner – will be awarded $6,000.

Winners in other categories will be awarded $3,000 for first prize, $1,500 for second prize, and $1,000 for third. A total of $58,000 will be awarded in the contest. In addition to the awards, this year the first prize winners will be awarded Nikon cameras.

The contest, now a dedicated platform with 16,000 users, contributes to photography with exhibits and photo albums containing award-winning photos, as well as the prize money it gives out.

Information on all jury members of the contest and winning photos from previous years is available at istanbulphotoawards.com.