Athens Photo World, with a donation by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, is organising for the fourth consecutive year its annual Photojournalism Award for professional photographers living and working in Greece and/or Cyprus.

Athens Photo World will award a 5,000€ cash prize to an ongoing or complete project of photojournalism or documentary photography, created after January 2018. The awarded project will be exhibited at the next Athens Photo World at an individual exhibition of the photographer. Always aiming to promote the work of photographers and photojournalists and familiarise the public with contemporary photojournalism and its contribution to recording history as it is written, APW contributes in its own way to encouraging and enhancing their vocation and their ability to remain committed to their work and vision.

A new jury is appointed every year and for 2022 the committee consist of photojournalist Maro Kouri, photo editor Nasia Diamantidis and photography professor Nick Apostolopoulos. Those interested are requested to submit a portfolio of up to twelve (12) photographs, an explanatory text and a brief bio note. The winner of the Athens Photo World 2022 Award will be announced at the closing event of APW 2022 on May 27, 2022 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.

More information on Terms and Conditions and the Frequently Asked Questions, below. Participation in the Athens Photo World Award contest is free.

Nick Apostolopoulos / Assistant Professor

Nick Apostolopoulos is an Assistant Professor at the Photography and Audiovisual Arts Dept. at the University of West Attica. He has received a Degree in Biology from the University of Athens and attended the Diploma in Medical Photography course at Sandwell College with a scholarship from “Alexander Onassis Foundation”. He is also awarded the equivalent of Master of Arts in Photography title by the Institute of Technogical Education (I.T.E.) of Greece.
A professional Press Photographer since 1982, he has also practised Medical and Scientific Photography since 1989. He teaches various Photography subjects such as “Press Photography”, “Photography & Law” and “Scientific Photography” since 1992. Frequent lecturer on Copyright issues at several private Photography Schools and Organisations.
Curator and participant in several photo exhibitions all over Greece and abroad (European Parliament, Brussels), was the first Greek Press Photographer that was invited and exhibited in Turkey (Dikili Festival-1989).
He received the FUJI AWARD for his sports pictures in 1996.
Author of the books “Capturing Time” (in Greek, ed.NEW MEDIA ART, 2018) “Medical Photography” (in Greek, ed.ION Publications, 2004), “Cyclades & Dodecanese” (Bilingual Greek-English, ed.South Aegean Prefecture, 2008).
Designer and organizer of the research programs implemented by NEW MEDIA ART «AKRITES I-Castelorizo» και «SYMI» with the co-operation and support of Ministries of Education and Economics respectively.
Founding member and former Vice-President and General Secretary of the Board of the Union of Press Photographers of Greece.
Founding member and President of the Greek Pyramid, a non-profit society working on the protection of photographers’ intellectual property rights, member of “Le Groupe de la Pyramide Europe”.
Founding member and former General Director of the Photographers’ Collecting Society “Foebus”. Scientific Co-ordinator of the Non-Profit Organisation “Center for Design and Development of Cultural Activities – NEW MEDIA ART”.
Founder of the Visual Arts Group “ZEUXIS”.
Founding member and President of the Society “Friends of the Photography Museum of the City of Athens”. Former member of the Board of Directors of Thessalonica Photography Museum.
Member of Hellenic Photographic Society.
His clientele includes many Greek Government Institutions and Organisations as well as publishing and advertising companies.

Maro Kouri/ Freelancer photojournalist

Maro Kouri is a Freelancer photojournalist for 30 years based in Athens, represented by Polaris Images, NY. Since 2013, she facilitates people through Photo-coaching workshops in inspiring places worldwide. The first dawn of 2000 found Maro gazing through her lens at the Maori sacred mountain Hikurangi in New Zealand. In 2004, she photographed above Athens flying on the Olympic zeppelin. In 2006, she had the honor to photograph and interview Ms Cesaria Evora being her guest at her home in Mindelo, Cape Verde. In 2007, she covered the life of the mentally disturbed, drug-addicts and homeless in Athens. Since 2010, she has been covering the consequences of the economic crisis in Greece. In 2011, she travelled to Tunisia to cover the Revolution of Dignity. She has travelled in India and Bangladesh to reveal the e-waste and shipbreaking yards. Since 2015, she is covering the refugee crisis in Greece and Europe, by travelling along with groups of refugees: Syrian refugees' journey to Europe, Refugee children art therapy, interview of Maro Kouri on Huffington Post.

Maro shares her experience of photojournalism including mindfulness techniques, dream-coach and meditation in workshops around the world.

Maro has just published the Greek and English photo book "The Ethiopian" with photographs of her workshop group in Omo Valley's tribes.

She facilitated HR members such as 3E-Coca Cola, Alstrom, Novo Nordisk, through Photo workshops to find their common dream, team building and team-empowerment.

She lives in Athens with her daughters.

"There is an imaginary world behind our everyday reality and I am constantly looking for it. The source of my inspiration is the ability to observe the world and myself, the passion for travel, art and self-awareness. Above all what motivates me, is the unconditional love for people. Photography for me is a practice to stay in the Hear and Now, in the bliss of emptiness, an agent of growth for my soul. After all, we are all helpless against the events' flow. I hope I can photograph and mirror people's joy, sorrow, loneliness, pain and hunger around the planet"

Nasia Diamantidis / Photo Editor

Nasia Diamantidis was born in Piraeus, Greece. Driven by her passion from an early age for the world of print media and magazines, she studied Visual Identity and Art and Crafts at the Vakalo Art & Design College in Athens, and recently graduated in a course on European Civilisation Studies at the Hellenic Open University.
Nasia has worked full-time for the Kathimerini press company since 2003. Previously, she was a member of the editorial account department at Apeiron Photos, an Athens-based photo agency specializing in the syndication of some of the best known international photographers and agencies for the Greek press.
From 2003 to 2011, she worked on the syndication of photographic portfolios and features from a range of international titles (New York Times, El Pais, and Stern) for the Greek press, including regular editions of Kathimerini.
In June, 2008, Nasia took part as the Greek representative on an international judging panel for a photojournalism competition, hosted by Gamma Press in Shenyang, China. More recently, she has worked as a photo features and video producer for monthly supplements, sites, and corporate magazines.
Nasia firmly believes that the digitalisation of portfolios by agencies and photographers since the start of the new millennium has diminished the true meaning and value of an original hardcopy. Without doubt, the power and vitality of the image has strengthened in recent years, playing a crucially important role in telling the story of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and ensuring the continuous dialogue within society about concepts of freedom in the current Covid-19 pandemic.

FAQ

1. Who can enter?

   The competition is open to any professional photographer / photojournalist, regardless of their nationality, who lives and works in Greece and/or Cyprus.

2. What projects are eligible?

   Any documentary / photojournalism project

3. How many photos should be submitted?

   The desired number of photos is a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 so that they create a complete photographic body of work.

4. What are the technical specifications of the photographs?

   The photos are submitted in jpeg format, at 72dpi and 3000 pixels on their large side. In case of qualifying for the finalists, the jury reserves the right to request the RAW Files.

5. Which is the time frame of the submitted photographic project?

   The submitted photos must have been shot within the previous four years (from January 2018 onwards). However, a maximum of 3 photographs of the project that have been shot at a previous point in time may be included in the entry.

6. Can the winners of the previous competitions participate in the competition again?

   Yes

7. What is the submissions’ deadline?

   The deadline for submissions is set for Sunday, April 10, 2022, at 23:59 Athens time, 20:59 GMT, 16.59 ET

8. When will the results of the contest be announced?

   Sunday, May 29th, 2022

Cover Image © Angelos Tzortzinis, 1st runner up #APWA2021