Photo Contest global winners

From the 24 regional winners, the 2023 Contest jury selected the four global winners: the World Press Photo of the Year, World Press

Photo Story of the Year, World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award, and World Press

Photo Open Format Award.

For over two decades, the World Press Photo Exhibition has visited Taipei, thanks to the hard work of the people at the Thermos Foundation. Upon my arrival at the exhibition venue, Studio94, I was greeted by the lush greenery of Yangmingshan and the warmest, most caring community that made me feel at home in Taiwan.

As I travel around the world, I carry with me the powerful stories featured in our exhibition, which shed light on significant but often overlooked global events of the last years. And every time I come to a new destination, I try to share these stories with the local audiences to connect them to the global issues that we showcase in the exhibition. My hope is that these stories can inspire people to connect with the world around them and spark some curiosity in them. I strongly believe that by engaging with global events, we can build stronger bridges of solidarity and understanding, and feel more committed to contributing to a better world.

At the end of my trip, I felt very inspired to see that Studio94's dedication and sense of community gave me the opportunity to engage with a wide range of people, from high school and university students to strangers at open mic nights! Everyone was equally willing to listen, learn, and share — so I have to thank them all, at Studio94 and all the visitors for wanting to learn more and connect with the world around them.

Martha Echevarria González Exhibitions Manager and Curator World

World Press Photo Story of the Year

World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award

“The four global winners represent the best photos and stories from the most important and urgent topics of 2022. They also help to continue the tradition of what it is possible to do with photography, and how photography helps us to see the universality of the human condition,” said 2023 Contest global jury chair Brent Lewis, photo editor at The New York Times, co-founder of Diversify Photo.

World Press Photo Open Format Award

“I have been organizing World Press Photo in Taipei for 20 years. In the first few years, it was just because WPP is a high-quality photojournalism exhibition. Year by year, I came to realize that this exhibition is also good instructional material for us to learn more about what happens in the world. The images tell us that stories matter. The story shows us that people matter. People from different corners and situations guide us to rethink what we should and should not do, and where we should head to make the world a better place. I appreciate all of the photojournalists who show us the stories that few of us care about or know, because they help us to develop curiosity, knowledge, and empathy, which could lead to action.

I feel truly blessed to have organized WPP in Taipei for 20 years. I have learned a lot. At the same time, I get to practice what I believe in sharing, and gather many young people to engage in researching social issues or creating communities to support each other. Yes! This is the purpose of doing Word Press Photo here – opening people’s eyes and minds, building communities and hope, being responsible for the earth and cultivating compassion to do something meaningful for many others.”

Sarina Yeh, Director The Thermos Foundation 玉溪有容教育基金會

https://www.worldpressphoto.org/calendar/2023/taipei-taiwan