ABOUT THE CONTEST

For over 55 years the World Press Photo contest has encouraged the highest standards in photojournalism.

The contest creates a bridge linking the professionals with the general public. As the announcement of the winners makes headlines around the world, so the inspirational role of photojournalism is highlighted to an audience of hundreds of millions.

All the prize-winning photographs are assembled into an exhibition that travels to 45 countries over the course of a year, and published in our yearbook. Over two million people go to a hundred different venues to see the images, and our yearbook is published in seven languages and distributed worldwide.

The contest is judged by leading experts in visual journalism who represent various aspects of the profession. The composition of the jury is changed from year to year, they operate independently, and a secretary who has no vote safeguards our fair and balanced judging procedure.

Our archive of winning images is not only a record of more than half a century of human history, but a showcase of successive styles in photojournalism.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

World Press Photo is committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary photography worldwide. We strive to generate wide public interest in and appreciation for the work of photographers and for the free exchange of information.

Our activities include organizing an annual contest, exhibitions, the stimulation of photojournalism through educational programs, and creating greater visibility for press photography through a variety of publications.

We believe in the power of visual journalism to inspire and shape us.

World Press Photo is run as an independent, non-profit organization with its office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where World Press Photo was founded in 1955.

World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon.

World Press Photo holds the official accreditation for good practices from the Central Bureau on Fundraising (CBF).