The organizing committee of the tenth Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest has announced its shortlist for the 2023 Contest for young photojournalists.

Traditionally, the annual photo contest kicks off on martyred Russian journalist Andrei Stenin's birthday, December 22.

As per yearly customs, the shortlist is expanded, and this year, 2023, it includes artworks from Burundi, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total, the shortlist included individual portraits and a series of young photojournalists from 16 countries, including China, India, Britain, France, Russia, Greece, Egypt, and more.

The total number of artworks submitted to the international jury in 2023 reached 3,000 works from 50 countries.

📷 #AndreiStenin International #Photojournalism Competition has announced the shortlist for 2023

Stay tuned to see the amazing photojournalism works that made it to the final round!#photography #beauty #art #photo #photographer #photooftheday pic.twitter.com/zGi0nmfxQf

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) June 16, 2023

The contest attracts worldwide attention

On her account, Oksana Oleinik, the curator of the photo contest and the head of the Photo Projects Desk at Rossiya Segodnya, said, "For both the contestants and the organizers, this is a crucial and eagerly anticipated event. Every year, while we wait and empathize with the artworks that we receive, we, the members of the International Jury, the Organizing Committee, and the whole working group, are eager. Every year, we sincerely hope that things will go well and even improve."

"Our contest has become so well-known, as many photographers from different countries seek to participate in this international event," she added.

Oleinik affirmed that the 2023 contest will continue the tradition of road shows or touring exhibitions of the winning photos in Russian and foreign cities, inviting everyone to visit the contest's website and view the "remarkable and intriguing shortlist."

It is worth noting that roadshows provide an opportunity for young photojournalists to showcase their photos around the world and draw attention to the most pressing problems and challenges of our time, as per the organizers. Since the launch of the contest in 2014, the exhibitions traveled to over 40 cities in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

All about the contest

The organizer chose to name the competition after the Russian photojournalist Andrei Stenin, in honor of his memory, having worked in red zones in the Arab World, such as Egypt, Syria, Libya, and Gaza and was martyred in August 2014 while covering the war in Ukraine, after winning the "Silver Camera" award in 2010 and 2013.

Professional photographers aged 18-33 can submit their work through https://stenincontest.ru in Russian, https://stenincontest.com in English, and https://cn.stenincontest.com in Chinese.

As in previous years, photo series and single photos can be submitted in four categories: Top News, Sport, My Planet, and Portrait: A Hero of Our Time.

One single photo and one photo series can be submitted for each of the four categories. The submission deadline was on February 28, 2023.

The organizing committee of the ninth Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest has opened entries for its 2023 edition. pic.twitter.com/G1Z5QzA3pT

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 26, 2022

In 2023, the contest will award 125,000, 100,000, and 75,000 rubles for first, second, and third places in each category, respectively. The winner of the contest’s highest award – the Grand Prix – will receive 700,000 rubles.

The annual contest, launched in December 2014, sees its mission in supporting young photographers and drawing public attention to the challenges of photojournalism today. It is a platform for young photographers – talented and sensitive individuals open to all things new – to highlight the people and events around the world.

The 2023 Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest will be held with support from major Russian and international media outlets, news agencies, and the photo community. The Al Mayadeen pan-Arab Media Network and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were its partners in several categories.

The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, organized by Rossiya Segodnya under the patronage of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, serves as a platform for young photographers – talented and sensitive individuals open to all things new – to highlight surrounding people and events.

General media partners: VGTRK (National State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company) (Russia), SMOTRIM online platform (Russia), Rossiya-Kultura TV channel (Russia), Moskva-24 TV channel (Russia).

International media partners: Sputnik news agency and radio (International), RT TV channel and Al Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) Al Mayadeen website (International), Independent Media (South Africa), ANA (South Africa), Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG) (China), China Daily (China), and The Paper (China). 

Industry partners: Russian Union of Journalists (Russia), Young Journalists (Russia), Russian Photo (Russia), Photo-study.ru (Russia).