Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award

With this Award, the IWMF celebrates the courageous work of women photojournalists. The Award recognizes the importance of visual journalistic work that inspires them to take action and compels them to better understand the world.

Prize Information

• The Award winner will be publicly honored, have her work showcased, and receive a cash prize of $20,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• The award is open to women, nonbinary and gender nonconforming journalists.
• The candidate must be working as a journalist full-time, and journalism must be their primary profession.
• Both freelance journalists and those affiliated with media organizations are eligible.
• For Work Sample:
  • The required work samples are 12 photographs that best represent the scope and style of the candidate’s work, within the context of challenging reporting environments.
  • The submission cannot include videos, art photography, illustrations, images with watermarks, photo grids (multiple photos within one image), text overlaid onto or next to the photograph, and photographs not taken by the photographer. Submissions with these elements will not be considered.
  • Image size: minimum 1500px on the longest dimension (72 dpi, JPG format).
  • Each photograph must be accompanied by a caption in English describing the date, place, and situation captured.
  • Six (6) of the photos must have been taken within the past two years (2022-2023). The other six can be taken at any time during the candidate’s career.
  • Limit one award submission per photographer.

Requirements

• Additional Requirements for the Contest:
  • The photographer must be the author of the pictures submitted in her/their name.
  • Photographs must not be manipulated in any way, except for basic color and contrast correction, along with minor lightness and darkness adjustments. Digitally enhanced or altered photographs, beyond the basics noted above, are unacceptable. The IWMF values authenticity and deceptive images will be disqualified.
  • Photographers must not intentionally alter the scene they picture by re-enacting or staging events and must ensure the editing provides an accurate and fair representation of the photograph’s context.
  • The photographer must not have paid their subject(s), either in goods or money, or promise of favor or influence.
  • Each photo submitted in a series of photographs must be accompanied by a caption in English that is complete and accurate, sufficient to convey the circumstances in which each photograph was taken, and include the date created and geographical location. Disguising or misrepresenting the origin of the content is cause for disqualification.
  • Each photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the IWMF, contain objectionable or inappropriate content.
  • Watermarks are not accepted.
  • If you are chosen as a winner or honoree, you agree to engage with the IWMF on communications activities including allowing fair use of the images in your portfolio.

For more information, visit IWMF.