World Press Photo 2018 Gallery

In the world of 2018, photojournalism is more important than ever. From the aftermath of an ISIS car bomb to delicate meditations on our relationship with the planet, the annual World Press Photo of the Year contest celebrates and honours the industry’s finest. We present a selection of our favourite images from among this year’s winners.

 

-  Lucy Fulford

An Arresting image of a masked protestor being engulfed by flames, shown overleaf, beat 73,000 entries to win the prestigious prize in this year's World Press Photo of the Year.

Photographer Ronaldo Schemidt captured the moment José Víctor Salazar Balza was enveloped by a cloak of fire during violent clashes between protestors and riot police in Caracas, Venezuela, last May. The 28-year-old was protesting against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro when a motorbike gas tank exploded in his face.

Incredibly, he survived the incident with first-degree burns. Ronaldo, a staff photographer for Agence France-Presse, was also awarded first prize in the Spot News single category for the image, which judges praised for both its energy and emotion.

This year’s contest drew entries from 4,548 photographers around the world – 42 of whom went on to be awarded 45 prizes across eight categories, including People, Contemporary Issues and Environment. The winning images in the news categories document some of the year’s most devastating events, including the battle to win back Mosul from ISIS, the Westminster Bridge London terror attack, and the Las Vegas music festival mass shooting. A notable exception was the ongoing war in Syria, where it has become increasingly dangerous for photographers to work independently.

An emotive series titled ‘The Battle for Mosul’, documenting the Iraqi army’s fight for one of its key cities and the human cost of this liberation, won Ivor Prickett first prize in the General News stories category and two nominations for Photo of the Year.