43rd annual ‘Press Photographer of the Year awards’ to go virtual
The 43rd annual ‘Press Photographer of the Year Awards’, the annual awards of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland, will be broadcast live online on 26th February, in a specially directed awards ceremony presented by broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan.
The awards, which are open to press photographers from across the island of Ireland, are traditionally announced at a gala awards ceremony in February. However, due to the current pandemic, this year the awards will be announced online, showcasing the very best of Irish press photography to a worldwide audience.
The virtual awards will feature recorded messages from a host of popular Irish figures and stars highlighting the importance of press photography in journalism and, indeed, our society as a vital visual tool in news, views and information sharing.
This year has seen an increase in award entries, with 109 photographers entering over 2,000 images across the nine award categories. Judging for the awards, which generally takes place in Dublin in January, was deliberated online led by chair of the judging panel, former Irish Times picture editor, Frank Miller, alongside judges Eddie Keogh, international photographer and Edmond Terakopian, international photographer and multimedia category judges Philip Bromwell, broadcaster and Michael Lee, former RTÉ cameraman.
COVID-19, A VISUAL RECORD
To mark the profound and tragic events of the past year, shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, members of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland are forming a historic visual record of Ireland during the past unprecedented year. The collection, which will be shortlisted by the judging panel, will go on display online as well as being offered to the National Archives and National Library System. This stark collection of historic images will pay homage to those who have sadly lost their lives, those working tirelessly on the front line and all effected by the pandemic.
Commenting on the awards, Crispin Rodwell, President, Press Photographers Association of Ireland, said: “It has been an extraordinary past twelve months in the country’s history, during which the members of the PPAI have served their vital role in producing a visual record of the pandemic, which will be preserved in the nation’s archives.
“But while Covid-19 has touched every corner of the country and every aspect of Irish society, life goes on and the work and professionalism of our press photographers continues. Our awards recognise and reward the very best press photography from a truly momentous year and this collection of images will stand as a memorial to those that lost their lives and to those that saved many more”.
The ‘ Press Photographer of the Year Awards’ reward, celebrate and promote the very best of Irish press photography. The awards run across ten categories; news, daily life and people, nature and the environment, politics, sports action, sports feature, portrait, art and entertainment multimedia and reportage, as well as the overall title of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland ‘ Press Photographer of the Year 2021’.
The 43rd annual Press Photographers Association of Ireland ‘ Press Photographer of the Year Awards’ will be broadcast at 7pm on Friday, 26th February via www.ppai.ie/livestream