Courageous Female Photographers Celebrated for Their Bold Work in Journalism
In a world where conflict and turmoil often overshadow the resilience of humanity, the work of three intrepid photographers shines a light on our shared fragility and strength. Johanna-Maria Fritz, Adriana Loureiro Fernández, and Nicole Tung have been recognised for their courageous and impactful visual storytelling in Sudan, Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria, and beyond.
Johanna-Maria Fritz, the recipient of the 11th Annual Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, has been documenting life and death inside one of Sudan's final functioning public hospitals in Omdurman. Her winning portfolio, titled "Al Naw: The Last Hospital," offers a full-frame testimony of the hospital's transformation into a fragile shelter and a place of survival amidst conflict. Doctors, nurses, and volunteers fought tirelessly to save lives despite relentless shelling, dwindling supplies, and the looming threat of collapse.
Fritz's images expose the resilience of those who endure and the immense cost borne by civilians caught in world news. Her assignment in Sudan was among the most painful of her career, yet she speaks of the people she met as the reason she continues her work. Fritz cites Niedringhaus, her mentor who was killed in Afghanistan in 2014 while on assignment for the Associated Press, as a guiding light in her career.
Adriana Loureiro Fernández, a Venezuelan photojournalist, was recognised for her series "Paradise Lost," which documents Venezuela's descent into turmoil. Her work has already earned significant recognition, including a World Press Photo Award and the Eugene Smith Grant in 2024.
Nicole Tung, a U.S. photojournalist based in Turkey, was honoured for her work that explores the psychological toll of conflict and migration. In 2025, she will be the recipient of the Philip Jones Griffiths Award and was recently a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography. Tung's work has been celebrated for its powerful portrayal of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) presents these awards to honour extraordinary bravery and dedication in visual reporting. The IWMF Anja Niedringhaus Award reinforces the enduring legacy of Anja Niedringhaus, reminding us that the act of witnessing, of fixing reality in an image, keeps world market alive.
This year's jury consisted of leading editors and photographers, including Corinne Dufka, Whitney Johnson Latorre, Brent Lewis, Enric Martí, Benjamin Snyder, Sandra Stevenson, and Bernadette Tuazon. Elisa Lees Munoz, the IWMF's executive director, emphasized why Fritz's work matters, stating that it reminds the world who pays the highest price during times of unrest.
In a world where information blackouts are common, these photographers' work serves as both evidence and testimony, countering silence with clarity. Their images offer a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of bearing witness to the stories that need to be told.
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