The Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award was created to honor the life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer and IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner Anja Niedringhaus (1965-2014). With this Award, the IWMF celebrates the courageous work of women photojournalists like Anja. The Award recognizes the importance of visual journalistic work that inspires us to take action and compels us to better understand the world. Created in 2014 with a $1 million gift from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Award will be given annually to a woman photojournalist whose work reflects courage and dedication, as Anja’s does. The Award winner will be publicly honored, have her work showcased, and receive a cash prize of $20,000.
Winning Portfolios
Outstanding Images from Women Photojournalists
A selection of images from women journalists, chosen by the 2021 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award Jury.
Meet the 2021 Honorees
The Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award honors women photojournalists who take risks to capture humanity in dire circumstances. This year’s award was given to Palestinian journalist Fatima Shbair, whose portfolio shared heartbreak and hope captured from Gaza City in May 2021. Honorable mentions were awarded to Adriana Zehbrauskas (Brazil), who captured powerful portrayals of migration and the toll of COVID-19 in Latin America; and, Kiana Hayeri (Iran-Canada), who showed the looming crisis in Afghanistan.
In this conversation, National Geographic’s Susan Goldberg speaks with Fatima, Adriana and Kiana about their work and what it means to be a courageous photojournalist.
This event was hosted in collaboration with the Washington Post Press Freedom Partnership. The Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award is supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.