Winners

The winner’s collection celebrates the work of all award-winning photographers capturing life in its most vivid forms. These unique and international artists constitute the best of the photographic scene and we are delighted to share their work.

Winning Photographer Tommaso Vecchi

Winning Photographer Tommaso Vecchi
“Before the migration” - Siberia
Nenets are indigenous Siberian people whose traditional economy has long been rooted in nomadic reindeer-herding, fishing, and hunting. They live in chums: small huts made of reindeer skins, in order to ensure a minimum of thermal insulation, especially during the winter. In this picture Roman looks out of the chum, with his red cheeks worn by the cold, -50°C. © Tommaso Vecchi
Second Prize Adam Docker

Second Prize Adam Docker
“Sebastian” - Northern Sri Lanka
I met Sebastian on a remote beach in North Sri Lanka. He was homeless and picking up litter on the beach. I asked him to pose for me in front of the crashing waves. © Adam Docker
Third Prize Kelsey Eliot

Third Prize Kelsey Eliot
“Reindeer Rider” - Northern Mongolia
A young man rides his reindeer across the broad river near his home after riding out to check on the well-being of the heard. He is one of the few remaining reindeer riders in the northern part of Mongolia. Orphaned at a young age, he was adopted by a neighbor and travels around the valley with their family. © Kelsey Eliot
Finalist Leo Kwok

Finalist Leo Kwok
“How to train your dragon” - Meizhou, China
Fire dragon dance in Meizhou, China on the first full moon day of Chinese New Year. This traditional celebration has been performed since the Qing Dynasty and was listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in China in 2008. © Leo Kwok
Finalist Mauro De Bettio

Finalist Mauro De Bettio
“Life in balance” - Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya
Wearing brightly-colored dresses, children dance through the labyrinth of shacks and narrow alleys in Kibera, the largest urban slum and one of Africa’s most desperate areas. Nairobi’s slums, with over 2.5 million people, represent more than half of its population, occupying only 5% of its area. And because of their constant population growth, there is an increase in unemployment, poverty, crime, scarcity of water, and infections. Due to this heartbreaking scenario, children are the only ones who can afford to dream. © Mauro De Bettio
Finalist Daniela Constantini

Finalist Daniela Constantini
"Nadine"
My most recent portraiture work is an ode to the women in my life. Women in my family have always been strong figures, hard workers, feral, outspoken, and pillars of the family. I became a photographer when most of the women I looked up to and grew up with were no longer in this world. I decided to honor the women of my past by honouring the women in my present whom I met since I moved to Bern, Switzerland, who are new acquaintances, family, or close friends, and muses to my work. I occasionally include garments or pieces that belonged to my grandmother, great-aunt, and great-grandmother. This work balances past and present, desire, and memories © Daniela Constantini
Finalist Jiajie Lin

Finalist Jiajie Lin
“Longyan Boys” - Longyan, China
Longyan Boys is a self-portrait series I created with my identical twin brother, a story of us reconnecting after years of being apart, through an intimate lens of my own. Growing up I was constantly linked and compared with my identical twin brother, tired of being ‘one of the two’, I was desperate for a way out to carve my own identity. At 16, I journeyed solo to New Zealand while my twin remained in China. After years of separation, after I finally found the independence that I was seeking, after realizing it had cost me our relationship, in an attempt to reconnect and bond again, the series Longyan Boys was created. © Jiajie Lin
Finalist Kasia Trojak

Finalist Kasia Trojak
“Untitled” - Accra, Ghana
Description: Two women sellers greet each other while passing through Agbogbloshie, an automobile, plastic and electronic waste dump and marketplace in Accra, Ghana. © Kasia Trojak
Finalist Lyra Lintern

Finalist Lyra Lintern
“Two faces of China” - Tibet
China during covid. There was more than one reality. While millions in Chinese cities were locked down, a parallel life continued for the Tibetan nomads. La-Ga and her grandson, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu province, Summer 2021. © Lyra Lintern
Finalist Biljana Jurukovski

Finalist Biljana Jurukovski
“The Me’en girl” - Ethiopia
This young girl belongs to Me’en or Bodi tribe, nomadic people that live in southern Ethiopia. After spending time and learning about their culture and rituals this young girl agrees to have her photo taken. What is very specific for the Me’en girls are the tribal beautification marks on their bodies. These beautification marks (scarifications) come in many forms as the bearer wants them to be. They adorn their body with beautiful tribal bracelets. © Biljana Jurukovski

– Theme PEOPLE / Competition Judge: Fiona Shields (Head of Photography, The Guardian)

Crossing borders, spanning cultures, and traversing the most remote corners of the world: the People Photography Award celebrates the diverse beauty of humanity.⁠

We are delighted to present the images of 10 visual artists whose work shows an exceptional level of talents: Congratulations to the winners and finalists!

Join us over on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where we’ll be sharing all our favorite images from the competition. Congratulations to all the talented photographers who made it to the final!

Finalists

Jury's Feedback

1ST PRIZE: Tommaso Vecchi

“This portrait captured my heart from the moment I saw it. Roman’s vivid little face glowing against the whiteout of the landscape shows life flourishing in an environment most would find totally inhospitable. It’s a tenderly observed paradox bright with hopefulness and pays respectful homage to the Nenets’ traditional way of life.. “ — Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian

2ND PRIZE: Adam Docker

“There’s something otherworldly about the way the photographer has chosen to make this portrait of Sebastian. The wave crashing behind him mirroring the wind in his hair makes him seem like he’s a part of the sea, like a mythical character. Choosing to make the image in black and white gives it a timeless, whimsical atmosphere that catches your imagination.” — Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian

3RD PRIZE: Kelsey Eliot

“A stunning image portraying a young man and his reindeer, set against the awe-inspiring landscapes of northern Mongolia. Thoroughly absorbing, thanks to the simple yet perfectly-executed framing and remarkable eye for texture and tone (which endows it with a painting-like quality) it conveys, with perfect clarity, the profound bond between subject and steed.” – The Independent Photographer Editors

© Linda Nylind

Judge: Fiona Shields

Fiona Shields has over twenty years of picture editing experience across a range of newspaper titles.

She was picture editor of the Guardian for ten years before taking up the role of Head of Photography for the Guardian News and Media Group. Throughout her career, she has been involved in the coverage of some of the most historic news stories of our time including the events surrounding 9/11, conflicts around the world, large-scale natural disasters, and the humanitarian crises resulting from the growing refugee numbers across the globe.

In addition, she has delivered talks at photo festivals, mentored students of photojournalism, and has enjoyed judging the Sony World Photography Awards, The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, and the Renaissance Photography Awards, to name a few. In 2019, she joined the panel for the Carmignac Photojournalism Award. She is also a regular nominator for the prestigious Prix Pictet Prize.

Open to All Photography

Be part of a vibrant community: The competition award is a unique opportunity to gain exposure and provides a platform to celebrate the very best of contemporary photography.

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Color photography portrait of woman with red gloves by Anna Karvounari

2023 Fashion AWARD

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In February, from studio portraiture to fine art, commercial editorial or personal projects, we aim to discover creative, inspiring work that captures the unique visual language of this fascinating genre.