The Cultural Foundation of the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia-Thrace announced the awards of the 5th Photojournalism Contest Exhibition held in Greece, under the title #PRESS_photostories.

Forty-six photojournalists and journalists submitted more than 334 photos, taken in 2021 in all parts of Greece, to the contest proclaimed by the Cultural Foundation of the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia-Thrace. The photos were divided into the following categories: 1. Politics, 2. Society, 3. Culture (arts, sciences, technology), 4. Sports, 5. Climate Crisis, 6. Drone Photos.

The selection of the photos that are to take part in the exhibition, as well as of those bestowed with awards or accolades, was carried out as a “blind” contest. The jury members received the photos with no clue as to the identity of the photographers (as metadata had been removed from the digital files) and were asked to vote individually, selecting the photos to be included in the exhibition. The votes were collected and sorted, forming a preliminary group of photos that qualified to the next stage. An online deliberation followed, where the jury decided on each category’s final line-up and granted the awards.

The jury was composed of: Lemonia Vasvani (Press of Thessaloniki journalist and member of the Cultural Foundation’s Board of Directors), Louisa Gouliamaki (Agence France Presse photojournalist), Olga Deikou (photographer), Iro Katsaridou (MOMus-Thessaloniki Photography Museum director), and Kyriaki Tsolaki (Sunday Macedonia journalist).

The 107 photographs selected by the jury will be included in the exhibition, which will be hosted at Warehouse D of the Port of Thessaloniki, from May 27^th to June 17^th 2022. All awards and accolades will be bestowed to the photographers at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, on Friday May 27^th 2022, at 12pm.

The Awards

In each of the following categories two photos were selected. The award-winner photo is granted a 1,000-euro cash prize, while the runner-up receives an accolade.

The photo named PRESS_photo 2022 receives a cash prize of 2,000 euros.

Here’s the full list of awards (along with the caption of each photo):

#PRESS_photo 2022

Konstantinos Tsakalidis / BLOOMBERG

Panagiota Kritsiopi, aged 81, is dreaded to see the fire approaching her house, in the village Gouves of Evia, on August 8^th 2021.

Politics category Award

Dimitris Tosidis (Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency)

Policemen arrest a demonstrator taking part in a protest against the creation of the university police force, on February 22nd 2021, during the occupation of the administration building at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Politics Category Accolade

Giannis Dimitropoulos

Snapshot from the Greek Communist Party rally at Syntagma Square, on May 27^th 2021.

Society category Award

Dimitris Tosidis (Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency)

Women refugees take part in an makeshift fashion show, wearing dresses sown by themselves, in Vagiohori, Volvi, on April 9th 2021.

Society category Accolade

Aggelos Barai / VICE GREECE

Tasia is the widow of Nikos Sampanis, a Roma shot to death by policemen in Perama, Piraeus. Their two children, who are at a loss as to their father’s absence, still wait for him to return.

Culture category Award

Kostas Mantziaris / FORMEDIA

“Divinities”. A picture from the Thessaly Theatre premiere in Larissa, featuring Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan, on December 23^rd 2021.

Culture category Accolade

Nicolas Economou / REUTERS

The dance of the helicopters. Water refueling amidst the wildfire extinguishing operation in Evia, on August 10^th 2021. 

Sports category Award

Aggelos Barai / VICE GREECE

Olympic Dreams.

Sports category Accolade

Lefteris Partsalis / CNN GREECE

Family watching the Air Show in Tanagra, from the trunk of their car, on September 5th 2021.

Climate Crisis category Award

Alexandros Michailidis / SOOC

Inside view of a burnt restaurant in Varympompi, while the fire is rampaging out of control, in the northern suburbs of Athens, on August 4th 2021.

Climate Crisis category Accolade

George Moutafis / REUTERS

Thrakomakedones residents are evacuating the area, moving their animals away from the forest wildfire, on August 7th 2021. 

Drone Photos category Award

Sakis Gioumpasis

New Waterfront of Thessaloniki, on April 21st 2021.

Drone Photos category Accolade

Nikos Paleologos / SOOC

Picture from the mixed martial arts tournament, Vendetta-MMA Quest 2, in Goudi, on July 8th 2021.