EPA Images celebrates excellence at inaugural awards ceremony
The European Pressphoto Agency B.V. (EPA Images), one of the world’s leading global news photo agencies, hosted its first-ever EPA Images Awards at their headquarters in Frankfurt this week. The ceremony honored the exceptional work and dedication of staff who have made significant contributions to the agency over the past year.
The awards celebrate individuals who have excelled in their roles across EPA Images’ different departments. Their remarkable efforts helped in shaping and upholding EPA Images’ legacy of journalistic integrity and innovation. The 2023 award winners are:
The Achiever of the Year went to Mohammed Saber, Gaza visual journalist. The EPA Jury members remarked that “Saber has gone above and beyond the duties of a photojournalist, risking his life in the most dangerous circumstances to produce outstanding and often deeply moving images that will remain a powerful testament to a brutal conflict that is ongoing for over eight months now”.
The Legacy Award went to Marlies Iske, recently retired Accounting Manager. The EPA Jury members stated that “Marlies has exemplified loyalty and dedication throughout her career. She belongs to a generation that propelled Germany to the forefront of Europe and played a crucial role in making EPA a great company.”
The Values@Work Award went to Magdalena Skorwider, Invoicing Administrator. The EPA Jury members said that “Magdalena represents the best values at EPA: dedicated, professional, responsible, reliable, transparent, and, on top of that, always humble and friendly. Her positive attitude embodies the qualities that EPA values highly.”
The Image of the Year Award went to Oleg Petrasiuk, Ukraine visual journalist. The award-winning photograph, in whose selection the whole EPA team participated with their votes, taken by Petrasiuk on July 15, 2023, near Kharkiv, north east of Ukraine, captures a poignant moment of a family leaving their home with few possessions, heading towards an uncertain future.
The Top Contributor Awards, value the exceptional contribution of the EPA visual journalists in terms of both quality and quantity. The First Prize went to Adam Vaughan (Liverpool, UK), Second Prize went to Caroline Brehman (Los Angeles, USA), and Third Prize went to Ali Haider (United Arab Emirates)
The participants of the event in Frankfurt missed some of the awarded colleagues in the celebrations as Mohammed Saber is unable to leave Gaza, and Oleg Petrasiuk has been recruited by the Ukraine army.
Julia R. Arévalo, President & CEO of EPA Images, addressed the attendees, stating, “We at EPA highly value the contributions of each and every employee to the success of the company. We believe in recognizing and rewarding their efforts and talents. This ceremony is a testament to our commitment to celebrating the incredible work our team does every day.”
Each award recipient received not only a commemorative plaque but also a bonus and a trip to the company headquarters to celebrate with their colleagues. This event marks a significant milestone for EPA Images, showcasing their dedication to acknowledging the hard work and extraordinary achievements of their team members.
The Image of the Year Awarded photo, by Oleg Petrasiuk (EPA). (Mykola (41) and his family drive in Dovhenke village, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, 15 July 2023. Mykola came to his sister's destroyed family home to collect the rest of an apiary damaged during active combat in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. His own home in nearby Krasnopillia village was also destroyed during the fighting, and he was forced to move with his family to Khrestyshe, where he keeps bees and hopes to one day return home. Russian troops entered Ukraine on 24 February 2022, starting a conflict that has provoked destruction and a humanitarian crisis.)