WORLD PRESS PHOTO YEARBOOK 2024
Independent photojournalism and documentary photography are indispensable tools of political education for a democratic society and an essential part of shaping public opinion—especially in our so-called ‘post-factual’ times. In recognition of this, the independent non-profit organization World Press Photo Foundation, based in Amsterdam, has been presenting the World Press Photo Awards for more than six decades.
Today, the organisation announced the four main prize winners of the 2024 World Press Photo Contest–the World Press Photo of the Year, the World Press Photo Story of the Year, the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award, and the World Press Photo Open Format Award. The winning images in the various categories tell bold stories and provide invaluable insights into the state of our world today.
A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece © Mohammed Salem, Palestine, Reuters
This year's Photo of the Year and therefore the cover of the Yearbook is called A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece by Mohammed Salem from Palestine for news agency Reuters. The photographer describes this photo, taken just days after his own wife gave birth, as a “powerful and sad moment that sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip”.
It shows Inas Abu Maamar (36) cradling the body of her niece Saly (5) who was killed, along with her mother and sister, when an Israeli missile struck their home, in Khan Younis, Gaza. The jury commented on how the image was composed with care and respect, offering at once a metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss.
We are proud to publish the World Press Photo Yearbook 2024 in German, English and French. Featuring work by 33 photographers, the Yearbook showcases the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography from around the world. Inside, you will find harrowing stories of deprivation, desperation, war and loss, but also of perseverance, courage, love, family, and dreams. Chosen from over 61,000 entries by 3,851 photographers from 130 countries, these visually stunning works invite viewers to step outside the news cycle and look more deeply at both prominent stories that we know, and those that go overlooked.
The publication has been designed by photobook designer Sybren Kuiper. In addition to the winning works, the book also contains jury reports and essays for in-depth context and reflection.
The Yearbook will be published on April 30, 2024.
April 18, 2024
