Pictures of the Year Asia 2021

Pictures of the Year Asia (POY Asia) is pleased to announce the results of our inaugural competition which was judged 9 — 11 April 2021.

The 10 judges awarded the 2021 Photographer of the Year, Asia to Ezra Acayan, a Filipino photojournalist with Getty Images.

Modelled after the prestigious Pictures of the Year International (POYi), POY Asia was created in 2020 by and for photographers from Asia. POY Asia is an official program of POYi.

Inspired by POYi’s guiding principle of “Show truth with a camera,” POY Asia is committed to seeing the world from an Asian perspective.

Kay-Chin Tay of Singapore is the Co-Director of POY Asia. Prashant Panjiar of India, Tanya Habjouqa of Jordan and Maye-E Wong, a Singaporean based in USA, are the Founding Advisors. POYi Director Lynden Steele is also POY Asia Co-Director and serves in a supporting role.

Since the beginning of 2020, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has grown exponentially with no end in sight. No one has been spared the impact of COVID-19. The aggressive spread of this pandemic means we are required to spend more time in isolation and maintain a wider distance from others, even at times of great need. Occasionally, it can feel as if we are all alone in this, even though we are told that we are in this together. Three categories in POY Asia’s first competition are related to COVID-19.

The premier category in this competition is the Photographer of the Year, Asia award.

First created in 2021, the Pictures of the Year, Asia competition is the annual hallmark event of POY Asia, an initiative committed to promoting Asia-based photographers and stories.

An official program of Pictures of the Year International, POY Asia was created by and for photographers working and living in Asia. Kay-Chin Tay of Singapore is serving as a Co-Director. Prashant Panjiar of India, Tanya Habjouqa of Jordan and Maye-E Wong, a Singaporean based in USA, are the Founding Advisors. POYi Director Lynden Steele is a Co-Director and will serve in a supporting role.

Inspired by POYi’s guiding principle of “Show truth with a camera,” POY Asia is committed to seeing the world from an Asian perspective.

The first competition in 2021 started with nine categories with the Photographer of the Year, Asia being the premier prize. In 2022, a new category — Recreational & Traditional Sports — was added.