Pictures of the Year Asia 2023
Quick links: Introduction / Categories / Rules / Judges / Moderators / Coordinators / Awards / Sponsors / Key Dates / Who Can Participate? / How to Participate? / Archives / FAQs
We are pleased to announce the results for Pictures of the Year Asia 2023 competition which was judged 7 — 9 April 2023.
The 10 esteemed judges awarded the 2023 Photographer of the Year, Asia to Sergei Stroitelev, a Russian photographer who also won First Place in Cultural Practices and Daily Life Picture Story.
In addition, the judges also recognised 9 other First Places, 22 Finalists and 30 Awards of Excellence in 12 categories.
The winners this year come from Bangladesh, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Palestine, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, UK and Vietnam.
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.
Quick links to award categories: Spot News / Portraits / Nature & Environment / Recreational & Traditional Sports / Sports Action / General News / Daily Life / Daily Life Picture Story / Portrait Series / Issue Reporting Picture Story / Cultural Practices / Photographer of the Year, Asia
Brief history of POY Asia
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.
As the world returns more and more to pre-pandemic ‘normalcy’, we decided not to have any COVID-19 categories in 2023.
In response to feedback from photographers in the region, we added five new categories in our third edition. They are Sports Action, General News, Daily Life, Daily Life Picture Story and Portrait Series.
First Place
Rafiq Maqbool
AP
India
Finalist
Andrea Verdelli
Independent
Italy/China
Finalist
Muhammad Zaenuddin
Independent
Indonesia
Award of Excellence
Zobayer Joati
Independent
Bangladesh
Award of Excellence
Dicky Bisinglasi
Independent
Indonesia
Award of Excellence
Hong-ji Kim
Reuters
South Korea
First Place
Elham Abbasloo
Independent
Iran
Finalist
Elif Ozturk
Anadolu Agency
Turkey
Finalist
Margaret Liang
Independent
China/UK
Finalist
Elham Abbasloo
Independent
Iran
Award of Excellence
Qiang Li
Independent
China/USA
Award of Excellence
Vân-Nhi Nguyen
Independent
Vietnam
First Place
Lisa Marie David
Reuters
Philippines
Finalist
Andrea Verdelli
Independent
Italy/China
Finalist
Ren Yong
Independent
China
Award of Excellence
Pratik Chorge
Independent
India
Award of Excellence
Samuel Ang
Independent
Singapore
First Place
Sudipta Chakraborty
Independent
India
Finalist
Doni Wilson Apriel
Independent
Indonesia
Award of Excellence
Erçin Ertürk
Anadolu Agency
Turkey
First Place
Gilad Kavalerchik
Independent
Israel
Finalist
Yong Teck Lim
Getty Images
Singapore
Finalist
Elif Ozturk
Anadolu Agency
Turkey
Award of Excellence
Aizuddin Saad
New Straits Times
Malaysia
Award of Excellence
Fei Maohua
Xinhua
China
First Place
Ezra Acayan
Getty Images
Philippines
Finalist
Lisa Marie David
Reuters
Philippines
Finalist
Pratik Chorge
Independent
India
Award of Excellence
Matichai Teawna
The101.world
Thailand
Award of Excellence
Anthony Kwan
Getty Images
Hong Kong
Award of Excellence
Aditya Aji
Independent
Indonesia
First Place
Jack Taylor
Independent
UK/Thailand
Finalist
Ugur Yildirim
Independent
Turkey
Finalist
Saber Ghazi
Independent
Iran
Award of Excellence
Ugur Yildirim
Independent
Turkey
Award of Excellence
Zheng Xinqia
Beijing News
China
Award of Excellence
Chong Jun Liang
The Straits Times
Singapore
Award of Excellence
One Year On: The Women Determined to Work in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
Lillian Suwanrumpha
Agence France-Presse
Thailand
Award of Excellence
I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you
Hari Katragadda
Independent
India
Photographer of the Year, Asia
Sergei Stroitelev
Independent
Russia/Georgia
Finalist
Ugur Yildirim
Independent
Turkey
Award of Excellence
Nazanin Hafez
Independent
Iran
Award of Excellence
Thomas Peter
Reuters
Germany/China
