Registration opens:
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019
Deadline for entries:
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020,
11:59 p.m., U.S. Central Standard Time (5:59 a.m. GMT)
Judging dates:
News, Feb. 10–14
Sports, Feb. 17–19
Reportage, Feb. 21–25
Team, Feb. 28–March 3
Awards in Columbia, Mo.:
Winner presentations, Friday, April 24
Awards receptions, Friday evening, April 24
Pictures of the Year International
Phone: 573-884-2188
Email: info@poy.org
Web: www.poy.org
Mailing address:
Pictures of the Year International
Missouri School of Journalism
109 Lee Hills Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
$1,000 cash prizes & Tiffany crystal trophy::
• Photographer of the Year, International
• Photographer of the Year, Local
• World Understanding Award
• Community Awareness Award
• Environmental Vision Award
Tiffany crystal trophy::
• Sports Photographer of the Year
• Documentary Storyteller of the Year
• Online Storytelling Project of the Year
• Photography Book of the Year
• Visual Editor of the Year
• Documentary Journalism
Angus McDougall Excellence in Editing Award:
Winner hosts a sterling silver trophy for one year and receives free tuition to the Missouri Photo Workshop
Individual category winners:
1st — Engraved plaque awards
2nd, 3rd, and AE — Certificate awards
We are accepting entries from Dec. 14, 2019, through our deadline on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.
Check out the 2020 POY Categories. We have changed a few things to make things easier to understand and reflect the spirit of the competition. Most notably, the Photographer of the Year no longer has a restriction regarding newspaper photographers. It now has local and international designations.
POY is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program and competition in the world. Each year, POY recognizes excellence in photojournalism, multimedia, and visual editing. It is committed to engaging citizens worldwide with great documentary work by hosting educational programs and public exhibitions. POY believes it is critical for people to experience your coverage of news events and social issues facing our world. When you enter Pictures of the Year, your work is recognized worldwide and becomes part of our collective visual history.
The online system offers a user-friendly registration and uploading process.
Pictures of the Year International is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism competition in the world. Each year, POY recognizes excellence in photojournalism, Online Storytelling, and visual editing. POY is committed to engaging citizens with great documentary work by hosting educational programs and public exhibitions. When you enter Pictures of the Year, your work is recognized worldwide and becomes part of our collective visual history.
All are welcome to attend the POY judging at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Mo. Livestreaming of the judging will be available.
The mission of Pictures of the Year International is to recognize excellence in the photojournalism disciplines of documentary photography, documentary film and visual editing in print and online platforms.
“Show truth with a camera,” remains the guiding principle as articulated by POY founder Cliff Edom in 1943.
POY follows the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics. All captions and story summaries must meet journalistic standards for accuracy and ready-for-publication requirements.
Photographs entered must have been taken or published for the first time, either in print or online, between Jan. 1, and Dec. 31, 2019.
Documentary entries should be true representations of a news scene or candid moment. Photographs cannot be posed, set up or staged. Portraits may be posed.
The content of the submitted work must not be digitally manipulated or altered through post-production processing. Routine post-production processing of images for exposure correction, white balance and color toning is acceptable. Adding, altering, or removing elements is not permitted. Excessive saturation or desaturation is also not allowed.
POY accepts two photographic modes: color and black and white.
Black and white images should be bi-tonal and display a full grayscale range of 256 intensities from deep-shadow blacks to highlight whites. Black and white image files that artificially impose a color shift, such as sepia or cyan tones, will be disqualified.
ENTRY TIP! Heavily edited images turn off judges. Color images should replicate what the human eye experiences. Flagrant pre- or post-production effects that use excessive tonal aberrations, textures, vignettes, color saturation or other artistic manipulations may be disqualified. Compare your entry to the original file.
Photos from smartphone cameras are eligible. However, the use of software capture filters that artificially impose on the integrity of the scene with excessive tonal aberrations, textures, vignettes, or other artistic manipulations will be disqualified.
Digitally manufactured photo illustrations, double exposures, in-camera multiple exposures, added masks, borders, backgrounds, text, handwritten notes, or other artistic effects are all prohibited.
Diptychs and triptychs are not eligible.
Film edges will be allowed if the original photograph was shot on film (negative or transparency) or Polaroid and the border is the true nature of the medium.
POY staff reviews every still photograph entry in advance of judging. We will contact photographers whose images seem to conflict with these standards and provide them with the opportunity to resubmit the photograph before judging begins. Once judging begins, judges have the discretion to disqualify entries that they think over manipulate the image.
ENTRY TIP! Judges often review the category rules when looking at images. Consider your category decisions carefully. During the pre-judging review process, POY staff has the discretion to move entries from one category into another category that are more suitable to the content. If we think your entry needs to be moved, we will try to contact you first. Judges cannot move entries.
Photographs with content specific to a themed year-specific category must enter the submissions into that category.
Images submitted into single-photo categories cannot be copies, scans, or a photograph of other photographs or documents. A photograph of a photograph can serve as a detail image as part of a larger picture story or project, but they may not comprise a majority of the story.
Each photograph must include a caption embedded in the .jpg file's IPTC metadata description field that meets journalistic standards for accuracy and ready-for-publication requirements.
ENTRY TIP! Captions are read in the final rounds of each category. Well-written captions with relevant details strengthen your entry and stand apart from entries with weak captions.
Each caption should include a date, or an approximation of the date. For example, “The photo was taken on Feb. 4, 2019,” or “The photo was taken in February, 2019.”
Photographs with captions that are inaccurate or falsely represent the scene or subject may be disqualified.
All photographs entered in the still photography categories must be the taken and credited to a single photographer. Team entries are not allowed.
POY will request the original RAW or JPG image files from a random selection of up to 20 percent of the photographs voted to final places by the jury, plus any images that the jury members or POY staff request. POY will examine and verify each of these selected files for authenticity. Any photographs that do not meet these standards will be disqualified.
ENTRY TIP! Picture Story entries should have a clearly defined structure with each image contributing unique information. In the final rounds, the judges often focus on the quality of the edit. Eliminate weak and redundant images.
A single photograph may be submitted only once among the single-picture categories.
A single photograph entered as a single photograph and included as part of one picture story.
A picture story consists of 3–12 photos and counts as one entry. Do not re-edit photos from the same story and then submit it as a different story.
Photographers may enter a maximum of 15 submissions in any combination of categories.
A single submission is defined as:
For print publication stories: PDF.
Quality: “High Quality Print.”
Pages: Submit each page as a separate .PDF file. Do not group pages or embed files together. A doubletruck or spread (two facing pages) should be submitted as a single .PDF file.
On Dec. 14, 2019, POY opens for online registration and entry. Follow the “77th POY Entry” links at www.poy.org.
Deadline is Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, 11:59 p.m., U.S. Central Standard Time. (5:59 a.m. GMT)
Each entering person must create an individual login. Past registrations are not saved. For the Team Division categories, organizations may create a single “team” registration.
Organizations may enter work on the behalf of photojournalists, but the organization’s contest coordinators must create an individual registration for each person or team whose work is entered.
ENTRY TIP! Avoid duplicate entries between photo agency and photographer. Please check in with each other.
Photographers may enter a maximum of 15 submissions in any combination of categories.
Upload files into appropriate categories. You will be able to sequence your images afterwards.
Online payments accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover or America Express. The online registration form provides for proxy payments. Organizations may sponsor multiple entrants with a single combined payment.
Enter payment of $50 (U.S. dollars) for each registration: photographer, editor or team.
Confirmation receipts are automatically emailed.
Two premier categories require an additional $50 payment. Please note, if a contestant is only entering one of the following categories, then only a single $50 payment is required.
Winners will be posted to social media soon after the judges make their decisions. All winners will be contacted after the results are announced. An official announcement will be made after the competition ends and the results are verified.
For winning entries, POY requires high resolution copies of the images and digital files of the films and online entries.
Sports Photographer of the Year is listed under the Premier Division.
To more accurately reflect the collaborative work in video and online storytelling, we have changed the name from “Multimedia” to “Team Division.” However, individuals, either independent or affiliated with a news organization, may enter. There are three groups:
The term “documentary” in this context is defined as a non-fiction, moving picture narrative, relying on visual evidence to report real situations or events involving real subjects. The photographer should follow the concepts of observational and direct cinema techniques.
All documentary entries should adhere to strict journalistic ethics. The content should represent the news, issues, or cultural trends of 2019.
The entries should be presented in a linear format, edited in a timeline sequence, and presented in a web-based video player. In other words, the viewer clicks "play" and the story runs from start to finish.
These categories are intended to appraise storytelling using any combination of videography, still photography, informational graphics, and audio.
ENTRY TIP! The goal is to “show” the story rather than have an interviewee or on-camera commentator “tell” the story.
Not allowed are fictional stories, staged reenactments, docu-dramas, or television news reports where an on-camera commentator tells the story. Stories that feature business promotions, branded content, personal portfolios or the funding organization as primary subjects are not eligible.
Documentaries must be published online or shared publicly via broadcast or festivals, for example, during 2019. However, the entry may include content shot in previous years.
Submit a single URL link for each story. Make sure the links are active. If password access is required, submit a working password. Do not attempt to upload original .mov, mp4, m4v, or .swf files.
Each documentary can be entered as a single entry and as part of an entry for Online Project of the Year and as part of a portfolio for Documentary Storyteller of the Year.
Documentaries entered previously are not eligible.
Multiple-chaptered stories or projects that include layered content should be entered in the premier category Online Storytelling Project of the Year.
Entries in these categories are intended to award the online version of a specific story. The intent is to recognize excellent visual editing and management in multiple-chaptered stories or projects on an online platform, primarily websites.
Open to everyone — teams or individuals, either independent or affiliated with media organizations such as newspapers, magazines, photo agencies, media companies, NGOs or specialty advocacy organizations.
Portfolios, business promotions, agency catalogs, or personal websites are not eligible. Also, not eligible are stories that include the funding organization as the primary subject.
These categories are intended to appraise storytelling through the effective balancing of photography, video, audio, interactive content on any online platform. Clarity of focus and user experience will be the guiding criteria for the judges.
For websites, provide a single URL link to the project’s primary web page during registration.
If a story is published across multiple platforms, choose the one platform that creates the best representation for that specific story.
Web pages that present only a single video should be submitted in the documentary categories.
Projects must have been either shot, produced, or published during 2019.
Updated versions of the originally posted story are acceptable.
Entries in these categories include the print version of a story and may consist of one or more pages. A presentation of a single story may include up to three consecutive issues.
Open to everyone – teams or individuals, either independent or affiliated with media organizations such as newspapers, magazines, or specialty advocacy organizations.
These categories are intended to appraise storytelling in the printed pages through the effective use of photojournalism, captions, headlines, and other display typography.
Page design should reflect consideration for the reader and respect for the vision of the photographer. Design and presentation of inside pages and section fronts will be evaluated.
ENTRY TIP! An entry may be comprised of a single page, a doubletruck, or multiple pages. Remove weak display or type-heavy pages. Judges often compare entries based on the weakness of the edit.
Submit each page as a separate .PDF file. Do not group pages or embed files together.
A doubletruck (two facing pages) should be submitted as a single .PDF file.
A story may be submitted only once. All stories must be published in 2019. Portfolios, business promotions, catalogs, or personal publications are not eligible. Also, not eligible are stories that include the funding organization as the primary subject or narrative.
All premier categories are open to everyone.
It is not necessary to insert a blank black .JPG file (black slide) between photo stories. The uploading program will automatically insert a slide with the title of your story at the beginning for separation.
The entry must be summarized in a single paragraph (2,000 characters or less) in the story summary field of the online registration form.
All photographs must include captions. You are encouraged to use the caption field to expand on story details as they pertain to the individual image.
Picture stories are not limited to 12 images.
Entries need not have been published, but the majority of the photos must be taken in 2019 or the entire project must be first published in 2019 (Exception: World Understanding Award has no time restrictions).
Single images within the portfolio should not be repeated in a picture story in the portfolio.
Arrange your single images and picture stories in the order you wish them to be reviewed. Judges will view singles first, then stories.
ENTRY TIP! Photographers are encouraged to also enter single image and picture story categories so judges are familiar with the work before portfolios are judged.
POY staff will not separate a portfolio and enter the images into individual categories. If you wish to enter work from your portfolio into single or picture story categories, you must upload separate entries into those categories.
Missed any of the judging sessions for POY76? You can view all the the videos from the judging sessions here on Facebook.
I declare that I am authorized by the holder of the copyright (or the right to copyright) to submit photographs to the 75th annual Pictures of the Year International (POY) competition. Pictures of the Year International (POY) recognizes and respects that copyrights are held by the photographer and/or news organization. I grant permission to Pictures of the Year International and the Missouri School of Journalism to use my submitted photographs in exhibitions, in publications, and in promotions of the competition itself, and for educational, research, and historical record purposes concerning Pictures of the Year International. This usage includes, but is not limited to, slides/tapes, television film/tapes, videodisc, DVDs, CDs, websites, and any other type of mechanical, electronic, or digital dissemination system. Winning photographs, published tearsheets, editing displays, multimedia productions, and other images selected for historic significance become part of the permanent POY Archive. By entering, I declare that the photographs were taken or initially published during the calendar year of 2017. (The time period does not apply to the World Understanding Award.)
Pictures of the Year International is a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. The University of Missouri is a public, tax-exempt educational institution of the State of Missouri. POY provides an educational mission for career development and student advancement, without profit. To achieve the educational mission of the competition, POY requests $50 (U.S. dollars) compensation from participants to cover the costs associated with operation of the competition.