Norwegian Andrea Gjestvang has won the top prize in the 2013 World Photography Awards, while Australian Adam Pretty has won the Sport Photographer of the Year title.
Thirty-two year-old Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang has won the top prize in the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards. Taking the title "L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year", Gjestvang beat over 122,000 entries from 170 countries to win US$25,000 in prize money and Sony digital imaging equipment.
Judges unanimously voted for Gjestvang’s work "One Day in History", a series of portraits of young people who survived Norway's tragic massacre on the island of Utoeya, outside Oslo, on 22 July 2011.
Chair of the Honorary Jury, Catherine Chermayeff, Director of Special Projects at Magnum Photos, praised the work for its sensitivity and honesty: "'One Day in History' is a quiet, thoughtful and ultimately powerful voice for the children and survivors of the massacre in Norway. We were all moved by the dignity and beauty of these images.”
Accepting the award at a ceremony in London, Gjestvang said: “I feel so honoured, grateful and proud to receive this fantastic recognition and prize. I am grateful the important stories of these young people are reaching out and moving people the way they move me.”
Also announced at the ceremony were the winners of 15 professional category awards. Australian photographer Adam Pretty won the Sport Photographer of the Year title for his work covering the 2012 London Olympics. Pretty, who works for Getty images, was flown to London by the World Photography Organisation and presented with his award and a Sony Alpha A99.
His winning series of black and white images titled “Olympic Journey 2012”, present a unique view of the London Games. “It was a real surprise to pick up a prize in the Sony World Photography Awards this year, and just a huge honour to be recognised for some Olympic imagery," said Pretty. "Being a sports photographer, the Olympics is maybe the best event you can photograph (or cover) but also one of the hardest. To actually have the privilege to work at an event like the Olympics is amazing enough and winning an award for the same work is icing on the cake.”
Fellow Australian and Getty Images colleague Ryan Pierse placed second in the sport category for his series of images of the Australian men’s Olympic waterpolo team in an empty Bondi Icebergs pool.
The 15 Professional category winners announced at the awards were:
• Architecture – Fabrice Fouillet, France
• Arts and Culture – Myriam Meloni, Italy
• Campaign – Christian Åslund, Sweden
• Conceptual – Roman Pyatkovka, Ukraine
• Contemporary Issues – Valerio Bispuri, Italy
• Current Affairs – Ilya Pitalev, Russia
• Fashion – Klaus Thymann, Denmark
• Landscape – Nenad Saljic, Croatia
• Lifestyle – Alice Caputo, Italy
• Nature & Wildlife – Satoru Kondo, Japan
• People – Andrea Gjestvang, Norway
• Portraiture – Jens Juul, Denmark
• Sport – Adam Pretty, Australia
• Still Life – Vanessa Colareta, Peru
• Travel – Gali Tibbon, Israel
Other winners announced at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony:
• L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year – Andrea Gjestvang, Norway
• Open Photographer of the Year – Hoang Hiep Nguyen, Vietnam
• Student Focus Photographer of the Year – Natalia Weirnik, Poland
• Youth Photographer of the Year – Alecsandra Dragoi, Romania
• Outstanding Contribution to Photography – William Eggleston
I bear my scars with dignity, because I got them standing for
something I believe in," said Ylva Schwenke, 15. "I hid by a path called
'The love path'." Schwenke was shot in the shoulder, stomach and in
both thighs during an attack on the island of Utoeya, Norway, on 22
July 2011. The attacks claimed 69 lives and left many people seriously injured. Photo from the series "One Day in History" by Andrea
Gjestvang (Moment Agency), Norway. Winner of the 2013 L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year.
"In the period after Utoeya I had a really hard time sleeping. I was
afraid of the dark and suffered from dreadful nightmares. My mom and I
decided that getting a dog might help me, so I got Athene. Now she
sleeps on top of my stomach every night." Iselin Rose Borch, 15, was hiding behind a rock during the attack on the island of
Utoeya, Norway, on July 22, 2011. Photo from the series "One Day in
History" by Andrea Gjestvang (Moment Agency), Norway. Winner of the 2013 L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year.
Australian diver Melissa Wu practices during a diving training session
ahead of the London Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park
on 25 July 2012. Photo from the series 'Olympic Journey 2012' by Adam
Pretty (Getty Images), Australia. Winner of the 2013 Sony World Photo Awards Sport Photographer of the Year.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica races ahead of Ryan Bailey of the United
States, Yohan Blake of Jamaica, Justin Gatlin of the United States and
Tyson Gay of the United States to win the Men's 100m Final on Day 9 of
the London 2012 Olympic Games. From the series "Olympic Journey 2012" by
Adam Pretty (Getty Images), Australia. Winner of the 2013 Sony World Photo Awards Sport Photographer of the Year.