Winner of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Visual Journalism Award
Renowned photographer, James Nachtwey, has been selected as the winner of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Visual Journalism Award for his searing images that reveal the horrors of war over more than 40 years.
As one of the world’s foremost documenters of conflict and the tragedy it inflicts, James has covered history as it unfolds in hotspots across the globe, from the civil wars in Central America to the genocide in Rwanda to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also documented the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, as well as the wars that followed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
ICFJ is presenting this inaugural Excellence in Visual Journalism Award at its Tribute to Journalists gala to celebrate the vital role that photojournalists and visual storytellers play in conveying the raw emotion of news events, bringing attention to important stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
He has also donated a photograph for this year’s photo auction at the November 2 gala in Washington, D.C. The event will be a world-class collection of iconic images from 17 pre-eminent photographers, from Eddie Adams and Donna Ferrato to David Hume Kennerly and Sebastião Salgado.
ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi said of the photojournalist: “James Nachtwey has dedicated his career to visually documenting conflict and human suffering, and has risked his life countless times to do it. His stunning photography makes the pain of war and poverty real to viewers in ways that words simply cannot.”
James Nachtwey, who has been wounded and nearly killed several times, explained in a recent “60 Minutes” profile that he puts himself in danger because he believes his photographs can lead people to take action, and help those whose suffering he has documented.
His photographs are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Bibliotheque nationale de France, and the Getty Museum, among other venues.
He will be honored on November 2, 2023, in Washington, DC, along with four other journalists: Wolf Blitzer of CNN who will receive the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism, Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald who will receive the ICFJ Excellence in International Reporting Award, and Riad Kobaissi of Lebanon and Mariam Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso who will both be awarded the ICFJ Knight International Reporting Awards.
Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post and MSNBC will host the event, which will take place in person and virtually.
