It’s not everyday you see a protester on fire. That’s probably why this year’s World Press Photo of the Year captures that exact scene.
“It just gives you that sense of more power to the people. To the ones who speak out.” #WPPh2018 jury member @emanmohammedD on @rschemidt‘s World Press Photo of the Year, and 1st Prize ‘Spot News, Singles’: https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT pic.twitter.com/Ytcu3JoFL8
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
Venezuelan photographer Ronaldo Schemidt received the prestigious award Thursday in Amsterdam at the 61st World Press Photo Awards Show for the fiery photo he captured during the 2017 protests in Caracas.
Officially called the “World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest,” this year’s rendition accepted 73,044 entries from 4,548 photographers across 125 different countries
The contest jury of 19 photography and design professionals narrowed down the top entries, which include both singular photos and photo series, among eight categories: contemporary issues, environment, general news, long-term projects, nature, people, sports and spot news. For the first time in the contest’s history, the jury nominated six photos for the distinguished “photo of the year” award.
“The photo of the year has to tell an event, that is important enough,” said director of photography at Geo France and the chair of the contest jury, Magdalena Herrera, of this year’s decision. “It also has to bring questions… it has to engage and has to show a point of view on what happened in the world this year.”
The winner receives 10,000 euros and a selection of camera equipment from Canon, according to World Press Photo.
Like the photo of the year, every other prize-winning photo is also remarkably captivating. From gruesome scenes at the Las Vegas shooting to the symbolism of a bald eagle eating from a dumpster, here’s some of the 1st place winners in their respective categories.
The 1st Prize in ‘Spot News, Stories’ of the #WPPh2018 Photo Contest was awarded to @davidjaybecker for ‘Massacre in Las Vegas’: https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT
See the full gallery of 2018 Photo Contest winners: https://t.co/7ReygtXnrW pic.twitter.com/7JG9AWavMQ
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
Neil Aldridge (@AldridgePhoto) ‘Waiting For Freedom’ was awarded 1st Prize in #WPPh2018 Photo Contest’s ‘Environment, Singles’ category: https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT
See the full gallery of 2018 Photo Contest winners: https://t.co/7ReygtXnrW pic.twitter.com/e6tG2eaZjk
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
The 1st Prize in ‘General News, Stories’ of the #WPPh2018 Photo Contest was awarded to @ivorprickett for ‘The Battle for Mosul’: https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT
See the full gallery of 2018 Photo Contest winners: https://t.co/7ReygtXnrW pic.twitter.com/OZb6Ovs08f
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
The 1st Prize in ‘Nature, Singles’ of the #WPPh2018 Photo Contest was awarded to Corey Arnold (@coreyfishes) for ‘Dumpster Diver’: https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT
See the full gallery of 2018 Photo Contest winners: https://t.co/7ReygtXnrW pic.twitter.com/avvjR9ek9M
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
.@AFergusonPhoto‘s ‘Boko Haram Strapped Suicide Bombs to Them. Somehow These Teenage Girls Survived’ was awarded 1st Prize in #WPPh2018 Photo Contest’s ‘People, Stories’ category https://t.co/mZZvr6AoVT
See the full gallery of 2018 Photo Contest winners: https://t.co/7ReygtXnrW pic.twitter.com/gBOQMhw882
— World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 12, 2018
The top selections can be viewed at World Press Photo’s site.