İstanbul Photo Awards announces jury for 10th year of the contest

- Prestigious jury members including Pulitzer and World Press Photo prize winners, continue participating in this year’s jury


- First prize winners in all categories will get Sony cameras besides the awards   



The jury for the İstanbul Photo Awards, organized this year for the tenth time by Anadolu, Türkiye’s premier news source, has been announced.

This year’s jury for the prestigious international photo contest includes NOOR Agency photojournalist Yuri Kozyrev, The Globe and Mail photojournalist Goran Tomasevic, National Geographic photographer, filmmaker Ami Vitale, photojournalist Carol Guzy, visual storyteller Marion Mertens, visual media consultant Michel Scotto, Getty Images Chief Sports Photojournalist Cameron Spencer, photojournalist Ahmet Sel, and Firat Yurdakul, Visual News director of Anadolu.

Information on the jury members, all of whom are featuring star-studded figures from the photography world including Pulitzer and World Press Photo prize winners, can be accessed at istanbulphotoawards.com/Jury/.

There is no requirement for applicants to be affiliated with a press organization to apply for the contest, which is open only to the participation of professional photographers. Photographers can take part in the contest with newsworthy photographs taken between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.

Entries are being accepted in 10 categories: Single News, Story News, Single Sports, Story Sports, Single Nature and Environment, Story Nature and Environment, Single Daily Life, Story Daily Life, as well as Single Portrait and Story Portrait.

Every photographer eligible to send four different pictures in single categories and two different series in the story categories. Each applicant has the opportunity to send a total of 120 photos to the contest, where each work in story categories must consist of 10 photos. Terms and conditions for applications can be found on the contest website.

The jury will award three submissions in each category besides two separate prizes especially for the decennial of the contest. The total amount of the prize is $60,000 for the 10th year contest. In addition to the awards, this year the first prize winners of all categories will be awarded SONY Alpha A7 III Body cameras.

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

The contest jury, will award the best photos in April. Free applications are only available at istanbulphotoawards.com through Jan. 17. 

Fourth Exhibition Opens in Ankara

12-day exhibition welcomes visitors at Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Ada Ankara till Dec. 30



The Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 exhibition kicked off on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 in the Turkish capital Ankara, with Anadolu's President and CEO Serdar Karagoz attending the opening ceremony.

The 12-day exhibition of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2023, an international news photography competition organized by Anadolu, opened in Ankara's Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Ada Ankara concert hall.

Speaking at the ceremony, Karagoz said the exhibition brings together the award-winning photographs from the Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 to share them with photography enthusiasts.

When international photo competitions examined, it becomes evident that images captured in war zones, conflicts, and crises often garner more attention compared to non-dramatic photos, he said.

Highlighting the preference for photos depicting distress over those displaying joy and hope, Karagoz said: "Although we know they might affect us negatively, we cannot help but look at these photos. Connecting with people and building strong empathy often comes from feeling their pain. This bond is most evident in photographs."

Karagoz recalled the intense attacks by Israel on Gaza since Oct. 7, emphasizing that revealing the reality of the war and establishing a connection among people with the suffering caused by this conflict is one of Anadolu's significant responsibilities.

Drawing attention to the significant number of casualties among journalists and media workers in Gaza, Karagoz emphasized the severity of the situation. "We are talking about a conflict where a total of 96 journalists lost their lives. Among these journalists is our colleague, cameraman Montaser Al-Sawaf, who was working in Gaza," he said.

Last week, Israeli forces assaulted Anadolu photojournalist Mustafa Alkharouf, who was working in occupied East Jerusalem, he said.

"On behalf of both Montaser Al-Sawaf and all our colleagues who lost their lives and were subjected to violence in the attacks of the Israeli government in Gaza, we will continue our struggle to ensure that those who carried out these attacks are held accountable under international law," he added.

Presenting the book titled Evidence, published by Anadolu, which features photos and visuals that vividly expose Israel's crimes in Gaza, Karagoz said the book, available in three languages – Turkish, English, and Arabic – has been distributed to national and international lawyers advocating for Palestinian rights.

Regarding the exhibition, Karagoz highlighted the diversity of submissions, saying he believes that the Istanbul Photo Awards, highly regarded by professional photographers, will reach even more photographers in 2024.

"Until now, photographers from around the world, including Brazil, Nepal, Canada, Nigeria, Japan, and Palestine, have applied to our competition," he said.

Organized with the support of Nikon Türkiye, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and Turkish Airlines, the contest delivered awards across 10 categories in this year's edition after the jury made its selection among 21,000 photo submissions.

The coveted Photo of the Year award went to Sergey Kozlov, a photographer from the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), for his work titled Ukraine-Russia War, as recognized by the international jury.

The exhibition, supported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, will be open for visits until Dec. 30 at Ada Ankara concert hall.



Exhibition opens in London

The third exhibition of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2023, an international news photography contest, opened in London. The exhibition features the selection of works of 29 award-winning photographers in the contest organized by Anadolu until Dec. 15.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Turkish Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertas defined the photos as powerful images that are impacting "all our daily lives and globally as well."

Saying that it is very difficult to reach the truth and the truth is "quite blurry," he added that the field of information has become another field of fighting in addition to conventional wars.

"In such environments, we are proud as a nation that we have a powerful, respectful and truthful news agency, not only for our country and people but globally serving for unleashing the truth," said Ertas.

Speaking about the situation in Gaza, he said that one part of the world turned a blind eye to what is happening, adding: "We are grateful to Anadolu to have a wide coverage of the plight of the Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli state."

He also conveyed his condolences over the death of Montaser Al-Sawaf, an Anadolu freelance cameraman, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Friday. 


'Every photograph is also a piece of evidence' 

Speaking at the event, Anadolu's President and CEO Serdar Karagoz said: "As Anadolu, we have believed in the power of photography since our foundation in 1920."

He said that the agency has a 103-year visual archive of around 13 million photographs on its Anadolu Images platform while offering an average of 4,000 photos per day to the world.




Karagoz said that the Istanbul Photo Awards, which has been organized since 2015, is the biggest indicator of the agency's impact in the field of photography.

"We utilize the power of photography to reward and encourage photojournalists who work hard to practice their work in a variety of difficult circumstances," he stated.

Karagoz went on to say that the contest, in its 9th year, has grown to be "one of the most prominent news photography contests in the world," with 16,000 photographers having registered.

"The award-winning photographs span a wide range of subjects from the tragedy in Palestine, developments in Nigeria, to environmental changes related to lithium resources, natural wildlife conservation efforts in Thailand, the World Cup in Qatar, bullfighting in Portugal, icebreakers in the Arctic Ocean, and albinos in the African continent," he added.

Karagoz also pointed out that they have also included in the exhibition the previously awarded photographs showing "the bloody face of war in Palestine," following the Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

"Because every photograph is also a piece of evidence. As Anadolu, when lies are louder than the truth, we consider it our duty to defend the truth," he added.

He vowed to keep documenting and sharing every vicious act that disregards international law and human rights.

"International justice will prevail sooner or later, and when those who kill babies, children, and civilians are taken to court, these photographs will be the most significant proof," he underlined.

Karagoz also reminded that the applications for the 10th Istanbul Photo Awards have begun which will continue until Jan. 17. He invited all professional photographers to participate in Istanbul Photo Awards. 


'Recording such moments extends their impact thousands fold'

For his part, Mehmet Karakus, director of Yunus Emre Institute London, said that they feel "very privileged to host such a prestigious exhibition" in their center.

Reminding a proverb, "(spoken) words fly away, written ones remain," he said that this is not just a personal reminder of the power of words, but an indicator of the importance of recording "what occurs around us."




Referring to the selected photos at the exhibition, Karakus said that recording such moments extends their impact "thousands-fold, creating the potential for inspiration, change, and progress."

Speaking to Anadolu at the exhibition, photographer Alex Broadway, who won the 3rd Prize in the Single Sports category in this year’s contest, said it is a “prestigious” and “great competition.”

The coveted Photo of the Year award went to Sergey Kozlov, a photographer from the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), for his work titled Ukraine-Russia War, as recognized by the international jury.

Organized with the support of Nikon Türkiye, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and Turkish Airlines, the contest delivered awards across 10 categories in this year's edition after the jury made its selection among 21,000 photo submissions.

For more information about the competition and to view the winning photos, please visit https://istanbulphotoawards.com/.


Applications open for 10th annual İstanbul Photo Awards


Prizes worth $60,000 to be distributed in contest that would feature newsworthy photos taken in 2023

Applications for the 10th year of the İstanbul Photo Awards, where the photos that define the world agenda compete, have opened.

The international news photography contest, organized by Anadolu for the 10th time, aims to support press photography.

Every year, about 20,000 photos are sent to the İstanbul Photo Awards, which is recognized as one of the world’s top photography contests.

There is no requirement for applicants to be affiliated with a press organization to apply for the contest, which is open only to the participation of professional photographers.

Photographers can take part in the contest with newsworthy photographs taken between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.

Entries are being accepted in 10 categories: Single News, Story News, Single Sports, Story Sports, Single Nature and Environment, Story Nature and Environment, Single Daily Life, Story Daily Life, along with Single Portrait and Story Portrait.

Contestants have the right to apply in all categories and they may submit both published and unpublished photos.

Extensive information about the application requirements of the contest, which provides accurate information about the photographers' personal information and details about the photo, can be accessed from the website.

The Photo of the Year Award will be given to the photo that stands in first place in the Single News category, and the photojournalist will receive a $6,000 prize.

The first-place winners in each category will be awarded $3,000, the second-place winners $1,500, and the third-place winners $1,000.

Two separate prizes worth $1,000 will be awarded to the works on discrimination among the applications made in all serial categories and the works of young photographers under the age of 28, especially for the decennial of the contest.

The contest jury, featuring star-studded figures from the photography world, will award the best photos in April.

The jury members will evaluate the submitted photos from many different points of view, such as technical proficiency, perspective, movement, and emotion.

Applications are only available at istanbulphotoawards.com through Jan. 17.

Furthermore, information about the photos, exhibitions, photo albums, and jury members who have received awards in the past years can also be reached at the contest website.


2023 New York exhibition opens

Exhibition will run through Nov. 8 at Blue Gallery




The second edition of the 2023 Istanbul Photo Awards, an international news photography competition organized by Anadolu, opened on Nov.1, 2023 in New York. The exhibition will run through Nov. 8 at the Blue Gallery.


It was attended by the president and CEO of Anadolu, Serdar Karagoz, New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs Edward Mermelstein and Reyhan Ozgur, the Turkish Consul General in New York, as well as foreign representatives, academics and prominent figures in the photography world.


Notable attendees included Aaron Jackson, photo desk manager at the Associated Press’s headquarters in New York, and award-winning photographer Alain Schroeder, who had been recognized in previous editions of the competition.

Organized with support from Nikon Türkiye, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Turkish Airlines, the exhibition showcases the works of 29 photographers who secured awards in the 9th edition of the competition.

In addition, it features previous award-winning photographs highlighting the theme of Palestine.

Visitors to the exhibition had the opportunity to explore a diverse array of photographs ranging from the Ukraine-Russia war to events in Palestine, child trafficking in Nigeria, environmental changes induced by lithium, wildlife studies in Thailand, the World Cup in Qatar, bullfights in Portugal, icebreakers in the Arctic Sea and albinos on the African continent, providing a comprehensive overview of global events from the past year.


A total of 29 photographers received awards across 10 categories in this year's competition. The coveted "Photo of the Year" award went to Sergey Kozlov, a photographer from the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), for his work titled "Ukraine-Russia War," as recognized by the international jury.


'Power of photography'

During the exhibition's opening, Karagoz said the 165 photographs on display represent a "paused version of each moment."

He emphasized that Anadolu "has always believed in the power of photography since its establishment, recognizing photography as a vital component of news."

"In its 9th year, our competition has evolved into a global platform with 16,000 registered photographers, establishing itself as one of the most esteemed news photography competitions internationally," said Karagoz.

He added that photographers from around the world participate in the competition, presenting single and serial photographs across categories such as news, sports, environment, portraits and daily life.

The next exhibit will take place in London in the coming days, according to Karagoz.


Mermelstein extended his congratulations to the organizers, participants and winners of the competition. He said the exhibit stands as a significant art form in illuminating crucial issues.

Mermelstein said Anadolu's photography competition plays a crucial role in narrating important global stories and fostering a deeper cultural understanding.


Ozgur, the consul general, highlighted the significant purpose served by the competition and exhibition, emphasizing that "the photographs are etched into history."

He said that "over the years, Anadolu has rightfully earned its unique position among global news agencies," adding the company evolved into a brand, maintaining reliability and credibility as a news source.


For more information about the competition, which will soon begin accepting applications for 2024, and to view the winning photos, visit https://www.istanbulphotoawards.com/.