Welcome to Pictures of the Year Asia
POY Asia 2021 Winners’ List
POY competitions traditionally award First, Second, Third places and Awards of Excellence for each category. The judges for each category have full discretion on the final awardees. Photographer of the Year, Asia is the premier category.
First
Joshua Irwandi
Independent
Indonesia
Second
Zhang Youqiong
Nanfang Daily
China
Third
Lauren DeCicca
Independent
USA/Thailand
Award of Excellence
Karim Mottaghi
Mamaat Art Collective
Iran
Award of Excellence
Younes Mohammad
Independent
Iraq
Award of Excellence
Rafiq Maqbool
AP
India
First
Danish Siddiqui
Reuters
India
Second
Hassan Ammar
AP
Lebanon
Third
SL Shanth Kumar
The Indian Express
India
Award of Excellence
Chan Long-hei
Independent
Hong Kong
Award of Excellence
Ahmad Hasaballah
IMAGESLIVE
Palestine
Award of Excellence
Anas Alkharboutli
DPA
Syria
First
Supratim Bhattacharjee
Independent
India
Second
Oded Wagenstein
Independent
Israel
Third
Lee Heehoon
ohmynews
South Korea
Award of Excellence
Sergei Stroitelev
Independent
Russia
Award of Excellence
Zohre Sabagh Nejad
Middle East Images Agency
Iran
First
Sebnem Coskun
Anadolu News Agency
Turkey
Second
Ezra Acayan
Getty Images
Philippines
Third
Andre Malerba
Independent
USA/Thailand
Award of Excellence
Moniruzzaman Sazal
Independent
Bangladesh
First
Drama of Block 65
Karim Mottaghi
Mamaat Art Collective
Iran
Second
The Exhausted Holocaust
SL Shanth Kumar
Times of India
India
Third
Time To Be Together
Alexey Palvov
Independent
Russia
Award of Excellence
The Final Days of the Lockdown in Wuhan
Roman Pilipey
EPA
Ukraine/China
First
The Last Portrait
Mehrdad Vahed
Independent
Iran
Second
When War Comes Home
Amit Chakravarty
Independent
Indian Express
Third
Portrait of My Mother
Anuj Arora
Independent
India
Award of Excellence
Safety Card
Arseniy Neskhodimov
Independent
Russia
First
Afghan Asylum Seekers in Iran
Zobair Movahhed
Middle East Images Agency
Iran
Second
Red is the Colour of Spring
Prasiit Sthapit
Independent
Nepal
Third
The Land of Soul
Ksenia Ivanova
Independent
Georgia
Award of Excellence
TB in Prison
Jes Aznar
Independent
Philippines
Award of Excellence
Hong Kong, Times of Dissent
Ivan Abreu
Independent
Brazil/Hong Kong
First
Living Lullabies
Hannah Reyes Morales
Independent
Philippines
Second
Lost Legacy
Santanu Dey
Independent
India
Third
Dacha
Kristina Rozhkova
Independent
Russia
Award of Excellence
Right To Believe
Fyodor Telkov
Independent
Russia
Winner
Ezra Acayan
Getty Images
Philippines
Finalist
Sebnem Coskun
Anadolu News Agency
Turkey
Finalist
Dar Yasin
AP
India
Quick links: Introduction / Categories / Rules / Judges / Moderators / Awards / Key Dates / Who Can Participate? / How to Participate? / FAQs
Pictures of the Year International is proud to announce the creation of Pictures of the Year Asia, a program aimed at promoting Asia-based photographers. Inspired by POYi’s guiding principle of “Show truth with a camera,” POY Asia is committed to seeing the world from an Asian perspective.
POY Asia is created by and for photographers working and living in Asia and USA. Kay-Chin Tay of Singapore is serving as a Co-Director. Prashant Panjiar of India, Tanya Habjouqa of Jordan and Maye-E Wong, a Singaporean based in USA, are the Founding Advisors. POYi Director Lynden Steele is a Co-Director and will serve in a supporting role.
In 2021, the group launched its first competition modelled after POYi. Please click here to go to the contest microsite.
Quick links: For Asians, By Asians / Mission Statement / Founding Advisors / Staff / The POY Family / Contact Us
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to increase the representation of Asian photographers and stories by celebrating and sharing excellence in documentary and artistic visual storytelling throughout Asia. Through POY Asia, we hope to strengthen the growing photo community via competitions, exhibitions, publications and educational programs.
“Show truth with a camera,” as stated by POYi founder Cliff Edom in 1944, remains our guiding principle. We believe it is critical for people to see the news and issues that are shaping Asia through the eyes of those who live here every single day.
Quick links: For Asians, By Asians / Mission Statement / Founding Advisors / Staff / The POY Family
On The Record
Interview with Cindy Liu
The Accidental Photojournalist
With a computer science degree, things could have been simpler if she had gone to work in Silicon Valley like many of her classmates. Instead, Cindy Liu, who feels like she’s still learning how to navigate the world of photojournalism, finds herself collecting stories in Phnom Penh.
Quick links: Bryan van der Beek / Yehyun Kim / Prashant Panjiar / Cheryl Wee & Byeongsik Lim / Cindy Liu
The Covid Experience
Dispatches from Asia
Quick links: Introduction / Who Can Submit? / How to Submit? / Dispatches from Asia / Submissions by Country/Territory
Since the beginning of 2020, the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide has grown exponentially with no end in sight. No one has been spared the impact of Covid-19. The aggressive spread of this pandemic means we are required to spend more time in isolation and maintain a wider distance from others, even at times of great need. Occasionally, it can feel as if we are all alone in this, even though we are told that we are in this together. As a precursor to our first POY Asia competition in February 2021, we would like to invite photographers all over Asia to share one image that summarize your own Covid Experience.