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2021 Best of Photojournalism Winners

SONY Best of Show Award Winner by the Associated Press' Julio Cortez.

Today we announce the winners of NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism contest. Congratulations to all of you. Stay tuned early next week for our expansive display of all of the winning entries on bop.nppa.org.

If the events of 2020 confirmed anything with more certainty, it’s that visual storytelling is a necessary lynchpin of impactful journalism. The sights, sounds, and emotions of what we collectively experienced last year largely brought our society together – but in other ways it widened social chasms. You captured it all – the good and the bad, the triumphs and the defeats. The special moments that matter. We thank you.

This competition is supported through a partnership with the University of Georgia’s College of Journalism and Mass Communication and presented by Sony as its primary sponsor.

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STILL PHOTOJOURNALISM DIVISION

Photojournalist of the Year (Large Market)

First Place - Jacob Ehrbahn, Politiken
Second Place - Felipe Dana, Associated Press
Third Place - Mads Nissen, Politiken/ Panos Pictures
Honorable Mention - Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Honorable Mention - Rodrigo Abd, Associated Press
Honorable Mention - Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle

Photojournalist of the Year (Small Market)

First Place - Jake May, The Flint Journal
Second Place - Michael G. Seamans, Morning Sentinel
Third Place - Kent Porter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Honorable Mention - Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News
Honorable Mention - Ronald Erdrich, Abilene Reporter-News
Honorable Mention - Andrew Whitaker, The Post and Courier

Magazine Photojournalist of the Year

First Place - Lynsey Addario, Freelance

Emerging Vision

First Place - Alex Kormann, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Second Place - Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News
Third Place - Alexander Lourie, Independent
Honorable Mention - Isaac Ritchey, Central Michigan Life

Sports Photojournalist of the Year

First Place - Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times
Second Place - Cooper Neill
Third Place - Dustin Satloff, Freelance
Honorable Mention - Vegard Wivestad Grott, Bildbyran

Cliff Edom New America Award

First Place - Mckenzie - Christina House, Los Angeles Times
Second Place - Standing Rock Fights Back - Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Third Place - Theo: Homeless at age 7 - Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle
Honorable Mention - In the Refinery Shadows - Loren Elliott, Reuters
Honorable Mention - Basketball Queens - Madeline Gray, Independent

Breaking News

First Place - Burning Racial Fire Julio Cortez, Associated Press
Second Place - Evacuation Hassan Ammar, Associated Press
Third Place - Heated Confrontation Leads to Deadly Consequences Helen Richardson, The Denver Post
Honorable Mention - George Floyd Minneapolis John Minchillo, Associated Press
Honorable Mention - Skyhawk Engulfed Kent Nishimura, Los Angeles Times
Honorable Mention - Fleeing Fire Petros Giannakouris, Associated Press

Breaking News Story

First Place - The First Responders John Moore, Getty Images
Second Place - Minneapolis Unrest: George Floyd John Minchillo, Associated Press
Third Place - Taal Volcano Eruption 2020 Ezra Acayan, Getty Images
Honorable Mention - Explosion Chaos in Beirut Hassan Ammar, Associated Press

General News

First Place - Remote Learning Frustrations Sharon Cantillon, The Buffalo News
Second Place - The Human Cost of COVID-19 Joshua Irwandi, Independent
Third Place - Murder By Suicide Paul Hanse, Dagens Nyheter
Honorable Mention - Burial in Peru Angela Ponce, Bloomberg
Honorable Mention - The End of Moria Camp Alkis Konstantinidis, Reuters
Honorable Mention - Lunch with a Kick Kelly Wilkinson, Indianapolis Star

General News Story

First Place - Country Doctor Gabriele Micalizzi, Cesura
Second Place - The Epicenter Victor Blue, Independent
Third Place - Fleeing War Nariman El-Mofty, Associated Press

Politics

First Place - Final Bloody Sunday Speech Joshua Lott, Independent
Second Place - SCOTUS Erin Schaff, The New York Times
Third Place - Torn Jonathan Ernst, Reuters
Honorable Mention - Rudy Melts on Live TV Rod Lamkey Jr., Independent
Honorable Mention - Your Turn Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press
Honorable Mention - John Lewis Funeral Alyssa Pointer, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Politics Story

First Place - Buttigieg - Matt McClain, The Washington Post

Environment

First Place - Locust Invasion in East Africa Luis Tato, Independent
Second Place - Pyrocumulus Air Drop Josh Edelson, Independent
Third Place - Flight of the Night Hunter Neil Aldridge, Independent
Honorable Mention - Lightning and Rainbow Pete Caster, Lewiston Tribune
Honorable Mention - Industrial Water Jorge Saenz, Associated Press
Honorable Mention - FIRE Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise

Environment Story

First Place - Agroclimatic Grand Tour Alessandro Gandolfi, Parallelozero Agency
Second Place - Illegal Logging and Trafficking in the Solomon Islands Monique Jaques, National Geographic
Third Place - California Still Burning Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle
Honorable Mention - Locust Invasion in East Africa Luis Tato, Independent
Honorable Mention - A Crisis Right Now: Manila Faces Rising Sea Chang W. Lee, The New York Times

Sports Action

First Place - Face to Faces Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle
Second Place - Face Plant Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle
Third Place - Final Preparations Vegard Wivestad Grott Bildbyran

Sports Feature

First Place - Fans Watch the World Series in their Cars Ringo Chiu , Independent
Second Place - Dust Trail Bernat Armangue, Associated Press
Third Place - Archery Luis Tato, Independent
Honorable Mention - Pandemic Workout Al Bello, Getty Images
Honorable Mention - December 25th 2020. A football game in Yemen. Giles Clarke, Independent

Feature

First Place - Braving a Snowy Table Hiroko Masuike, The New York Times
Second Place - Blessing Lyudmila Alexander Zemlianichenko, Associated Press
Third Place - Caught in a Highly Political Power Game Between Turkey and the EU Jacob Ehrbahn, Politiken
Honorable Mention - Homeless Struggle Renée Byer, The Sacramento Bee
Honorable Mention - COVID Playdate Benjamin Norman, Independent
Honorable Mention - Reunited Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press

Feature Story

First Place - The Body Collectors Rodrigo Abd, Associated Press
Second Place - Theo: Homeless at Age 7 Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle
Third Place - COVID Burials in Peru Rodrigo Abd, Associated Press
Honorable Mention - Serenity Jonathan Levinson, Oregon Public Broadasting/Guns & America
Honorable Mention - Drive-In Nation Laura Morton, Independent

Portrait/Personality

First Place - Betty Wetter Erika Schultz, The Seattle Times
Second Place - Joseph R. Biden Jr. Damon Winter, The New York Times
Third Place - Pandemic Prom Portrait 1 Tyrone Turner, WAMU/NPR
Honorable Mention - Bernabe Ivan Kashinsky, Independent

Portrait Series

First Place - Essential Workers Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle
Second Place - Freedom Fighters Kerem Yucel, AFP
Third Place - Game Changers: A Celebration of Women in Sports Christina House, Los Angeles Times
Honorable Mention - Legacies of Lives Lost David Goldman, Associated Press

Presidential

First Place - Biden's Bid Jessica Rinaldi, The Boston Globe
Second Place - Buttigieg Event Matt McClain, The Washington Post
Third Place - Joe Biden Erin Schaff, The New York Times
Honorable Mention - Trump Arrives Evan Vucci, Associated Press
Honorable Mention - Lining Up to See Trump Damon Winter, The New York Times
Honorable Mention - Nominees Andrew Harnik, Associated Press

Presidential Story

First Place - Warren is Loved, but She Still Lost Melina Mara, The Washington Post
Second Place - Bernie 2020 Salwan Georges, The Washington Post
Honorable Mention - Re-Election Carlos Barria, Reuters

Contemporary Issues

First Place - COVID Evictions John Moore, Getty Images
Second Place - Untitled Jonah Haviland-Markowitz, Independent
Third Place - Birthday Brais Lorenzo, Efe Agency
Honorable Mention - Pandemic Revolt Joshua Bickel, The Columbus Dispatch
Honorable Mention - Untitled Jonah Haviland-Markowitz, Independent
Honorable Mention - Pregnant with COVID Rodrigo Abd, Associated Press

Contemporary Issues Story

First Place - COVID-19's Toll on the Latino Community Mario Tama , Getty Images
Second Place - The Danger in Our Salad Bowl Suzanne Kreiter , The Boston Globe
Third Place - Small AG during COVID: Independent farmers and Labor Left to Cope in a Pandemic Melina Mara , The Washington Post
Honorable Mention - Life Is Now Alessandro Gandolfi , Parallelozero Agency
Honorable Mention - Beyond 'Stay Safe': COVID-19 and Inequality in Kenya Luis Tato , Independent
Honorable Mention - Covid Evictions John Moore , Getty Images

Sports Picture Story

First Place - A Season Without Fans Kevin Dietsch, United Press International
Second Place - The 'i' in Team Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times
Third Place - Till L Freezes Over Jessica Rinaldi, The Boston Globe

PICTURE EDITING DIVISION

Magazine Cover

First Place - Stopping Pandemics Todd James National Geographic
Second Place - You'll Miss Them When They're Gone Alexa Keefe National Geographic
Honorable Mention - Silence Alessandro Gandolfi National Geographic
Honorable Mention - End of Policing As We Know It Mark Murrmann Mother Jones

Magazine General News Story

First Place - A World Gone Viral: Belgium James Wellford National Geographic
Second Place - The End of Trash James Wellford National Geographic
Third Place - The Black Hill Are Not for Sale Mark Murrmann Mother Jones
Honorable Mention - Anti-System Virus? Robert Csere, Creative Director and Visual Editor; Vladimira Pcolova, Picture Editor .tyzden
Honorable Mention - Erdogan's Human Shields Robert Csere, Creative Director and Visual Editor; Vladimira Pcolova, Picture Editor .tyzden
Honorable Mention - Floyd's America Robert Csere, Creative Director and Visual Editor; Vladimira Pcolova, Picture Editor .tyzden

Magazine Contemporary Issues Story

First Place - A World Gone Viral: Belgium James Wellford National Geographic
Second Place - Our Country is full Mark Murrmann Mother Jones
Honorable Mention - The Last Reponder Mark Murrmann Mother Jones

Magazine Feature Story

First Place - Arctic Dreaming Kurt Mutchler N

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2021 Best of Photojournalism Winners

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