Photo of Armenian soldier resting in trench among World Press Photo winners
Vaghinak Ghazaryan’s “Resting Soldier” photo has been awarded 3rd prize in the Contemporary Issues/Singles category of the 2021 World Press Photo Contest.
The photo shows an Armenian soldier lying in a trench, resting on a plastic cover, in the northeastern part of Syunik, Nerkin Khndzoresk, Armenia on 31 October 2020.
“This photograph has haunted me from day one. There was very strong work coming out of Nagorno-Karabakh but all primarily focused on grief, loss, conflict. This one image, such a simple moment focused on a shared need, was deeply touching and beautifully photographed. It was a different look at the impact of conflict at a very human scale,” said Kathy Moran, deputy director of Photography at National Geographic and member of the 2021 Photo Contest General Jury.
2021 World Press Photo Contests nominees announced
We are proud to introduce the nominees for the 64th World Press Photo Contest and 11th Digital Storytelling Contest - including the nominees for the World Press Photo of the Year, World Press Photo Story of the Year, World Press Photo Interactive of the Year and World Press Photo Online Video of the Year.
“The nominated images, stories and productions we introduce today present different perspectives of one of the most important years in recent history, marked by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social rights movements around the world. Amongst the nominees are remarkable stories of hope, resilience, and social change. I would like to thank the independent jury for their dedication and commitment in selecting the stories that mattered in 2020,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation.