Budapest International Foto Awards' mission is to promote the work of professional and emerging international photographers to the fast-growing artistic community of Budapest and across the world, putting them in the spotlight and providing them with a great platform to showcase their work.
The Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) has revealed the winners of its 2024 competition. The competition is split into awards for Professional Photography and Amateur/Student Photography, with the overall winner of each winning the title of Photographer of the Year and Best New Talent of the Year respectively.
The Photographer of the Year award includes a $3,000 (£2,350 / AU$4,650) cash prize and the distinguished BIFA trophy, while the Discovery of the Year, an equally significant accolade, comes with a $2,000 (£1,575 / AU$3,100) cash prize and the BIFA trophy. In addition, winners in each main category will receive a $200 (£157 / AU$310) cash prize.
The winning images were selected from a global pool of submissions, spanning subjects ranging from the devastation of natural disasters and the realities of war to the elegance of fine art photography, all of which highlight the profound power of visual storytelling.
The winner of the 2024 Photographer of the Year title, the highest honor in the Professional division of the competition, was Louis-Philippe Provost for Spiral At The Museum (above), which depicts the iconic staircase within the Art Gallery of Ontario. His photograph masterfully captures the staircase’s elegance, embodying a perfect harmony of artistry and architectural brilliance.
The image also won the Architecture category; the Art Gallery of Ontario is a celebrated architectural masterpiece in downtown Toronto designed by the legendary Frank Gehry.
The Discovery of the Year title in the Student/Amateur division went to João Coelho for his compelling series Taming Giants, which also won the Editorial category. The image captures the grueling lives of young workers dismantling ships in an Angolan graveyard, carrying massive iron pieces yet earning only $120 per ton, a poignant depiction of their harsh and unforgiving reality.
The overall winners for the Professional and Student/Amateur divisions were selected from 11 category winners: Advertising, Analog / Film, Architecture, Book, Editorial, Events, Fine Art, Nature, People, Portfolio and Special, a selection of which appears below. But you can see the full list of 1st and 2nd place Category Winners, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in each of the competition’s categories, along with Honorable Mentions from across both professional and amateur entries on the BIFA website Winners Page.
Marina Overchuk took first place in the Advertising category of the Professional competition for her photo series Lights Is Inside, which features Ilona Kravchenko, the principal ballerina of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine.
Set against a white cyclorama, she is dressed in flowing fabric that is constantly in motion, creating various forms and images. Her movements bring the fabric to life, turning it into a dynamic element that highlights her grace and elegance. Each frame captures the harmony between her inner light and dance, giving the series an atmosphere of lightness and enchantment.
Michael Dorohovich, a portrait and documentary photographer, took the top spot in the People category of the Professional competition for his image Unique Families of The Roma Community of Keldelari.
These mysterious gypsy families live in the villages of Korolevo and Podvinogradovo in the Transcarpathian region and are one of the most closed communities in Ukraine. There is a strict law that women must wear long skirts or dresses. Skirts are often made up of so many layers and padding that they can weigh up to 10 kilograms. Girls get married at 12-13 years old and have children. Their clothes, culture, and traditions immerse you in a completely different amazing world.
Photographer Takeborn Nikukyu won 1st Place in Advertising (Amateur / Student division) with the image Theater Rouge, and offered the following description. In a deserted theater, she sat alone, wrapped in vintage glamour. The echoes of past film reels filled the silence as she waited, her thoughts drifting between the flickering memories of old Hollywood and the promise of new dreams.
Photographer Jose Luis Gea Arques was awarded 1st Place in the Analog / Film category of the Amateur / Student division for his series Vehicles and Their Owners, shot on medium-format film.
Do you remember that car you had when you were young? That Machine your neighbor had and that you envied every day when you saw it pass? Years go by and many of these special vehicles continue to be seen on our streets and highways. If you look closely, its owner always has something special; perhaps because the car belonged to his father, perhaps because it was the first vehicle he bought when he was young and in which everyone went to the beach.
Luminous Elf won first place in the Special category of the Professional division for photographer Shirley Wung. At night, the quiet woods begin to light up with twinkling lights, and among the mountains and forests, there are fireflies flying with green lights, which are as fascinating as the forest elves in fairy tales. Take care of the forest environment, protect the fireflies, and don't let them disappear.
Program Director of the BIFA, Hannah Lillethun, shared her thoughts on this year's winning entries. "I am incredibly proud to congratulate the winners of the 2024 Budapest International Foto Awards. The quality and artistry of all the submissions were truly remarkable, making the selection process both challenging and inspiring for the judges. Each photograph displayed a deep sense of creativity and craftsmanship, and the winning entries stand as a testament to the power of visual storytelling. I commend all participants for their dedication and encourage them to continue pushing the boundaries of their art."
For more incredible competition-winning images, see the Landscape Photographer of the Year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Close-up Photographer of the Year results.
