Getty Images 2017 editorial grants winners announced

Recently, Getty Images announced the recipients of its annual Grants for Editorial Photography programme. It provides five pioneering photojournalists a grant of $10,000 as well as the support of Getty Images, enabling them to pursue project of both individual and universal importance.

The winning photojournalists and their projects are as follows:

• Alejandro Cegarra – Living with Hugo Chavez’s Legacy
• Paula Bronstein – The Cost of War
• Antonio Faccilongo – Habibi
• Barbara Peacock – American Bedroom
• Alessandro Penso – The Deal

“The recipients of the 2017 Getty Images Editorial Photography Grants are working at the cutting edge of photojournalism, ensuring that often ignored global issues are brought to the forefront of public consciousness,” said Hugh Pinney, Vice President of News, Getty Images. “The projects selected explore a range of complex and thought-provoking subjects and we are thrilled that, through the Getty Images Editorial Photography Grant, we are able to support such talent as they continue to shed light on some of the most moving and significant moments of our time.”

This year, Getty received more than 480 applications from photographers in 75 countries. The projects covered a wide range of subject matter, from the European refugee crisis to the cost of war in the Middle East.

This year’s judges included:

• Alice Gabriner, International Photo Editor, Time Magazine
• Damon Winter, Photographer, The New York Times
• Chelsea Matiash, Photo Editor, The Intercept
• Thomas Simonetti, Photo Editor, Washington Post
• Jean-Francois LeRoy, Director of the Visa pour l’Image festival

Recipient projects

Alejandro Cegarra – Living with Hugo Chavez’s Legacy

In the latter years of Hugo Chavez’s presidency, Venezuela enjoyed an oil-fueled economic boom that made his vision of a more equitable, wealthier, and safer society seem almost attainable. But by the time of his death, in 2013, he left his successor an economy in shambles, tenuous political support, and rising violence. Four years on, the country has been plunged back into a state of poverty and conflict, with citizens struggling to afford food and the youth clashing with the security forces on a regular basis. This project seeks to give a voice to the frustrated and disappointed people of Venezuela who feel consistently ignored by those above them.

Paula Bronstein – The Cost of War

Following the US-backed military operation against ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul, the threat to civilians in the region remains high. The use of mines in the city poses a serious problem for civilians, who are the most common victims of such devices. More worrying still is the revelation that, according to the Mines Advisory Group, these mines contain 60 times more explosives than a standard anti-personnel mine, drastically increasing the likelihood of death or severe and permanent injury. This project aims to document the silent victims of a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and left many more maimed.

Antonio Faccilongo – Habibi

The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are typically portrayed as places ravaged by conflict, however for the citizens of these regions they are also home – a place where they must build a live amidst the turmoil. This project focuses on the phenomena of ‘sperm smuggling’ by Palestinian women, a practice which allows them to conceive children with their husbands who are serving long term sentences in Israeli prisons. Family remains the most important social structure for many Palestinians and for many of these women this is their only hope for a family.

Barbara Peacock – American Bedroom 

The transformation of the pedestrian into objects of artistic merit has long been one of the aims of photography and it is this tradition that the project seeks to continue. In focusing on the commonplace this project hopes to unveil the idiosyncrasies latent in everyday life. The expansive nature of the project invites us to introspect on the complexity of humankind in the west, particularly in America.

Alessandro Penso – The Deal

The refugee crisis in Europe has dominated the media over the last few years, with xenophobia and closed mindedness often leading the debate. It is therefore vital that we ask, what are the consequences of such attitudes? This project explores the way in which EU regulation have failed to adequately welcome refugees by depicting the exploitation and long-term displacement faced by many of these already extremely vulnerable people.