20th Annual International Photo Awards
2023 was a milestone for the International Photo Awards, as it marked 20 years from its initial inception. To celebrate these 20 wonderful years, IPA has continued our dedication to supporting photographers globally by increasing the scope and diversity of winning imagery. We have seen some of the best and most innovative photos yet and can only imagine what 2024 holds for the world of photography. Let us look back on 2023 and all of the events, exhibitions, and award-winning photography that made last year so fantastic.
Photographer of the Year:
Thomas Broening
The End of the Dream
Completely self funded, The End of the Dream consists of 24 billboards and 900 posters spread across California. The images that Broening chose to display on these billboards consist of three issues that threaten the state: fire, housing, and drought.
Discovery of the Year:
Carlo Marrazza
Bakkarwals of Jammu and Kashmir 1
Through his intimate portraits, Marrazza explores the lives and culture of Himalayan sheep and goat herders. Despite the harsh winter that caused the loss of much of their livestock, their spirit stays strong and the Bakkarwals persist.
Below is an excerpt from our interview with Discovery of the Year Carlo Marrazza:
“The possibility to create and give life to an idea. The portrait in particular fascinates me a lot . A well done portrait goes beyond the external physical appearance, it can make you understand the emotions, the character and the story of a person.”
Read the full interview here.
Other 2023 IPA Winner Interviews can be found here.
IPA Best of Show and Winners Event
The 20th anniversary celebration of IPA culminated at the Winner’s Weekend at Splashlight Studios in New York City. The awards were handed out, speeches were given, and a symposium featuring the IPA jury was held to discuss AI in photography. The night ended in festivities with a cocktail party that gave time for people to pose with their awards at Splashlight’s photo booth and view the winning artwork hanging on the walls. From the pool of winners, the top photographers were narrowed down by the ‘Best of Show’ curator Susan Baraz. The ‘Best of Show’ images prove the breadth of photography talent worldwide and the intensity that many of these photographers put into their work.
“For 20 years I’ve been transported, front and center, to places, to events, to tragedies, to joy, to familiarities, to unseen microscopic intricacies and the humbling vastness of space.” states Baraz, co-chair of IPA and the Lucie Foundation, “I am awed and grateful to continue to be a witness. Thank you to all those thousands upon thousands of remarkable photographers who have been a part of IPA, and these photographers whose works have been selected for its 20th anniversary year.”
20th Annual Lucie Awards
The Lucie Awards, the sister organization of IPA, also celebrated the 20th anniversary this fall in New York City. The 20th Annual Lucie Awards took place on the night of October 30th at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. The black-tie event saw photographers from around the world come together to celebrate the lives and works of some of the greatest photographers in history. Not only do the awards honor achievements directly in the field of photography, such as Achievement in Fine Art Photography, and Documentary Photography, but in several industry support categories as well. Publishers, dark room printers, and even photography professors made up just some of the awards given out that night. Below is a message from Hossein Farmani, founder of IPA and the Lucie Awards, on the night of the awards:
“Tonight, as we have for twenty years, we pay tribute to the achievements of the winners and honorees whose extraordinary work brings so much meaning to our community and the world. We are thrilled to return to Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, and to be with friends and colleagues, as we spotlight these achievements. The Lucie Awards have become an anticipated annual event that celebrates our industry, the individuals, and our community. Tonight we gathered to honor some of the most admired and talented individuals in the field.”
2023 Lucie Honorees
Raymond Depardon
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jo Ann Callis
Achievement in Fine Art
Carol Guzy
Achievement in Photojournalism
Donald Miralle
Achievement in Sports
Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier
Humanitarian Award
Antwaun Sargent
Spotlight / Visionary Award
Jamel Shabazz
Achievement in Documentary
Ming Smith
Achievement in Portraiture
Firooz Zahedi
Achievement in Entertainment
OnePlus Global Photography Exhibition
In 2023, as a part of the 20th anniversary celebration, IPA partnered with OnePlus to put on the Global Photography Exhibition in Shenzhen, China. The exhibition featured the best photography from the last three years of OnePlus Photography Awards as well as the winners of IPA. OnePlus and IPA collaborated in the judging of the OnePlus Photography Awards to explore the world of mobile phone photography. The exhibition was free entry for all and allowed Shenzhen to be introduced to some of the world’s best photography condensed into one place.
Press Mentions
More than anything, IPA is committed to spreading and highlighting photography worldwide. We want to thank all of our partners and publications that assist in this mission. Below are press mentions from across the globe for IPA and IPA photographers.