Nominees of 2021 World Press Photo Contest unveiled

The World Press Photo (WPP) Contest nominated a total of 45 photographers from 28 countries for the 2021 event, the WPP announced.
According to the WPP, this year’s nominated photographic works reflect the unprecedented year of 2020, which was “marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and social justice protests around the globe.”
“The nominees share a diversity of interpretations and perspectives to these and other urgent issues such as the climate crisis, transgender people’s rights, and territorial conflicts,” the WPP added.
The contest is currently under the judges’ final evaluation, who will unveil the grand winners of the 2021 contest on April 15.
Among the nominees are several photographic works that focus on the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes works from Danish photographer Mads Nissen, Indonesia’s Joshua Irwandi, and Mexico’s Iván Macías.
Only a few of this year’s nominated works come from major international news agencies when compared with previous years, with independent and freelance photojournalists in the spotlight with many of the stories, especially those concerning Covid-19.
As for major conflicts that featured in the contest, a prominent theme of this year’s works was the racial and social unrest in the USA as a result of the death of George Floyd, dubbed the “Black Lives Matter” movement. RM