Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Filipina photographers Hannah Reyes Morales and Kimberly dela Cruz are part of the Southeast Asia and Oceania winners of the 66th edition of the World Press Photo Contest.
The World Press Photo Contest has been recognizing the work of professional photographers since 1955. The full list of winners was announced on April 29, with Morales and dela Cruz among 30 photographers (including honorable mentions) from 23 countries, including the Philippines, China, Germany, Ukraine, and South Africa.
“Selecting these arresting winning images from tens of thousands of entries was a huge task for our independent jurors, all of whom demonstrated profound care, expertise and passion in reaching their decisions, delivering a stunning and globally balanced view of the past year,” said Executive Director of the World Press Photo Foundation, Joumana El Zein Khoury.
‘ ‘3’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:54c98db3-b5da-43cb-8dcc-0c73f0abc885’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Members of the Golden Gays community unwind at home after a show, in Manila, on 24 July 2022. Photo by HANNAH REYES MORALES for THE NEW
Hannah Reyes Morales’ photos have been seen in The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Geographic, and Al Jazeera, among other publications. She was born in the Philippines and works all around Asia, garnering awards for her work including the 2020 Infinity Award for Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism from the International Center of Photography. In 2021, she was commissioned as the Nobel Peace Prize photographer to present an exhibition on the work of Maria Ressa.
Morales is a regional winner of the “stories” category of the competition, which counts stories containing four to 10 single frame photos shot in 2021 or 2022, with at least four of those photos from 2022. She wins the prize for her work on “Home for the Golden Gays,” published in The New York Times.
‘7’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:e997b624-7f4c-4097-bfa0-c1a5696f9164’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Nestor and Alma Hilbano watch the evening news, in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Sept. 8, 2019. Exactly three years earlier, their son Richard was killed during a police operation. Photo by KIMBERLY DELA CRUZ, W. EUGENE SMITH MEMORIAL FUND, VII MENTOR PROGRAM courtesy of WORLD PRESS
Kimberly dela Cruz started out as a photo correspondent for The Philippine Daily Inquirer and has since contributed to The Washington Post, Time Magazine, and Buzzfeed. She began documenting the war on drugs in 2016, working with the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism to co-produce the children’s book “Si Kian,” which was based on the killings of minors as part of the drug war.
Dela Cruz’s “Death of a Nation” project, a collection of photos that chronicled crime scenes connected to the war on drugs in Manila and the lives of the families affected by the killings, earns her the prize for the “long-term project” category. The category includes projects covering a single theme, 24-30 single frame photos shot over at least three different years, with a minimum of six photos shot in 2022. Her project was previously shortlisted for Magnum Foundation’s Inge Morath Award in 2019 and was awarded the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund for Humanistic Photography in 2021.
A previous winner from the Philippines was Ezra Acayan in 2021. The two photographers will receive a monetary prize of €1,000 (around ₱58,000), and an invitation to the Winners’ Program in Amsterdam in May. Their photos will also be included in a traveling exhibition from April 22 to July 30. Global winners will be selected from the regional winners, with the announcement on April 20.
Read some of Morales and Cruz’s works for CNN Philippines Life below.
The photographs we take, the homes that we carry
LOOK: How the children of Sampaloc, Manila dressed up for Halloween