Awarded to an individual who has served as an outstanding mentor, either to a specific individual or to photojournalism in general. Nominations for this award are to come from working photojournalists. The recipient of the award may have, but not need to have, any formal connection to photojournalsim.
Over the years, John Durniak was executive editor of Popular Photography magazine, picture editor at Time magazine and The New York Times, and managing editor of Look, himself an enthusiastic mentor who nurtured some of the most prominent photojournalists of the 20th Century. Durniak died in 1997.
2021
Ben Brody
2020
Elizabeth Cheng Krist
2019
Steve Northup
Joe Little
2018
Jose R. Lopez
2017
Brett Akagi
2016
John Larson
2015
Jim Colton
2014
Danese Kenon
2013
Lisa Krantz
2012
Leighton Grant
2011
Cortney Kintzer
2010
Colin Mulvany
Brian Immel
2009
Mark Dolan
2008
Jim McKnight
2007
J. Bruce Baumann
2006
Eddie Adams
2005
John Freeman
2004
Shelly Katz
2003
Bob Lynn
2002
Charles J. McCarthy
2001
Rich Clarkson
2000
Carlo Mastricolo
1999
John White
1998
Arnold Drapkin