World Press Photo of the Year 1st prize singles only winners photos

Winners Gallery 2009

World Press Photo of the Year 1st prize singles only winners photos

World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest.

Spot News

Chen Qinggang, China, Hangzhou Daily.
Rescue crews carry a survivor through the rubble of collapsed buildings in Beichuan city, two days after the May 12 earthquake that devastated parts of central China. Officials said that 80 per cent of the old part of the city was destroyed.

General News
>Luiz Vasconcelos, Brazil, A Crítica/Zuma Press.
A woman tries to resist police eviction of squatters on private land near the city of Manaus, in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Eviction notices had been served on families living on the land some days earlier. The squatters, who were protesting against lack of housing in Manaus, were evicted after a clash that lasted two hours.
People in the News
>Yasuyoshi Chiba, Japan, Agence France-Presse.
Maasai warriors clash with members of the Kalenjin tribe using bows and arrows, in western Kenya in March. Old rivalries resurfaced between the tribes in the aftermath of Kenya's disputed general elections, held the previous December. Unlike the rioting in the rest of the country, conflicts were strictly codified according to age-old traditions. Archers fired salvos at each other in daily contests, seldom engaging in close combat.
Sports Action
>Paul Mohan, Ireland, Sportsfile.
Greek goalkeeper Spyridon Papathanasiou makes a dive for the ball as Gavin Gunning scores Ireland's first goal in a qualifier for finals of the UEFA men's under-17 football championship, at the Lissywollen Stadium in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland. Greece eventually won the match 2-1.
Sports Features
>Wu Xiaoling, China, Xinhua News Agency.
Blood drops from the forehead of Haitian judoka Ange Mercie Jean-Baptiste, during the women's 57kg preliminary round at the Beijing Olympics, on August 11.
Contemporary Issues
>Mashid Mohadjerin, Belgium, Reporters/Redux Pictures.
Coastguards spot a boat carrying migrants on their way to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Just off the coast of Tunisia, Lampedusa forms part of a much-used route for illegal immigration from Africa into Europe. Authorities on the island struggled to cope with an increase of 75% in migrant arrivals in 2008. Detention centers were filled beyond capacity, forcing hundreds to sleep outdoors.
Daily Life
>Lissette Lemus, El Salvador, El Diario de Hoy.
Children from El Matazano school in Ilopango, El Salvador, look at the body of Petrona Rivas, the mother of two of their classmates, who was killed 200 meters from the school gates. The police said the murder was committed by members of a gang. Around ten people a day are murdered in El Salvador. Authorities believe street gangs to be behind the crime wave.
Portraits
>Yuri Kozyrev, Russia, Noor for Time.
Rajiha Jihad Jassim (37) stands with her son Sarhan, in Baghdad, Iraq. Her husband, Gazie Swadi Tofan, was kidnapped in November 2006 and is still missing. For months she visited the city morgue, in case she could recognize her husband among the dead. With five children and no family income, she can no longer pay the bus fare so does not go to the morgue any more, but still hopes for Tofan's return.
Arts and Entertainment
>Giulio Di Sturco, Italy, Agenzia Grazia Neri.
A model hurries backstage during the show of New Delhi design house Gauri & Nainika, at the India Fashion Week, in Delhi, in October.
Nature
>Carlos F. Gutiérrez, Chile, Patagonia Press for La Tercera.
Electrical discharges sparked by the heat of ash plumes light the night sky above Chaitén volcano in the Patagonia region of Chile. The volcano began erupting in early May, for the first time in 9,400 years. Ash
World Press Photo of the Year: 2008
>Anthony Suau, USA, for Time.
Detective Robert Kole of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office enters a home in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 26, following mortgage foreclosure and eviction. He needs to check that the owners have
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