Ukrainian photojournalist wins World Press Photo prize

Ukrainian photojournalist Julia Kochetova was announced as one of the 2024 World Press Photo Contest winners on April 3 for her multidisciplinary project "War Is Personal."

The World Press Photo is an annual contest for professional photographers in photojournalism and documentary photography.

An international independent jury selects the best pieces in global and regional nominations.

Kochetova's project was selected as the winner of the Open Format prize in the Europe regional category. Kochetova created a website that combines photojournalism with elements of a personal diary, showing the reality of everyday life during a war.  

The jury praised the story's insider perspective, visual symbolism, and engaging use of audio and illustration.

"The emotive images make for a standout presentation amidst many entries about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine," the jury said.

Kochetova said on Instagram she wanted to dedicate the award "to all my people who keep fighting every day," as well as "all Ukrainian photographers" and "all women in the industry."

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The other winners included German photographer Johanna-Maria Fritz for her photography of the flooded Ukrainian towns and villages following Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on June 6, 2023.

The jury noted "how these images highlight the environmental impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine" and Fritz's ability to evoke "empathy in her documentation of a breaking news event."

World Press Photo came under criticism in Ukraine in January after the organization announced that Russian photographer Maria Gelman was one of five members of the European jury.

Critics pointed to the fact that Gelman has not covered Russia's war in Ukraine and had photos from Yalta, a city in occupied Crimea, published in the Russian-language outlet Bird in Flight in 2015.

"Since 2014, Russia’s unprovoked, aggressive, cruel, and unjust war in Ukraine has been going on, and we assume that the participation of the Russian Federation representative Maria Gelman brings up many ethical questions," the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers said.

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