The members of the SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO 2018 jury met at Zichy Palace on September 1–3, 2018 to judge the works submitted to the contest.
The international jury had the following members: Joe Klamar (photographer, AFP, SK/Canada) – jury chair, Francesco Zizola (photographer, NOOR, Italy), Maral Deghati (photoeditor, World Press Photo, France/Iran), Jindřich Štreit (photographer and pedagogue, CZ) and Czarek Sokolowski (photographer, AP, Poland).
The number of photographers who applied to the contest reached 241, entering a record number of 2,672 pictures.
The jury judged singles and series in 10 contest categories: News, Reportage, Daily Life, Portrait, Sports, Nature and Environment, The World of Art and Culture, Young Photographers up to 25 Years and Students (international category), Long-Term Document (international category), and Bratislava Grant.
The entries covered predominantly the nationwide protests in Slovakia and their impacts on the Slovak political scene, current environmental problems, as well as social issues at home and abroad.
Compared to the previous years, the jury appreciated the significantly higher quality of submitted works in all categories, highlighting the Long-Term Document section, as well as the Nature and Environment or the traditional journalistic categories News and Reportage categories. In terms of quantity, most entries were submitted to the international categories Long-Term Document and Students and Young Photographers up to 25 Years.
The jury welcomed the wide coverage of events abroad, yet it lacked a more complex focus on domestic topics.
The jury decided to award the Grand Prix to a photograph from the series For a Decent Sloakia by Tomáš Benedikovič, photographer from Denník N.
The names of the nominees will be announced at the latest one week before the awards ceremony that will take place in the Primate´s Palace in Bratislava onOctober 3, 2018. The works of all nominees will be presented at the exhibition at the House of Art in Bratislava.
Photo by Miroslav Bartánus