MANILA, Philippines — Filipino photojournalist Ezra Acayan was awarded the top prize in Pictures of the Year Asia (POY Asia) 2022.
Acayan was honored in the Covid Picture Story category for his photo titled "A Failed Response" for Getty Images.
The photojournalist, in an Instagram post, dedicated his win to "all the heroes of this [COVID-19] pandemic, seeing the light at the end wouldn't have been possible without your brave and selfless work."
Acayan was also given an Award of Excellence in the Nature & Environment category and was a finalist for Photographer of the Year (Asia) — which he had won the year before.
For the former award, Acayan's photogaphs for the New York Times following the aftermath of Typhoon Odette were honored, which were included in the piece "‘Help Us’: After Typhoon Rai, Miles of Destruction and the Smell of Death" written by Jason Gutierrez.
The photojournalist said it was "humbling to be awarded alongside such courageous and hardworking colleagues who inspire him so much," congratulating Photographer of the Year (Asia) 2022 winner Roman Pilipey from Ukraine and China.
Acayan also extended his gratitude to journalists Maro Enriquez and Geela Garcia for their invaluable help and insight in community-based stories.
"I'm constantly inspired by their compassion and drive to use journalism to give back to communities. This recognition is yours as much as it is mine for the amount of work you've put in," he said.
POY Asia was created in 2020 by and for photographers working and living in Asia, modelled after the prestigious Pictures of the Year International of which it is an official program of.
Filipino photojournalists were triumphant in the 2021 edition of POY Asia as Acayan won Second Prize in the Nature & Environment category, Hannah Reyes Morales won First Prize in the Cultural Pratices category for her photo "Living Lullabies," and Jez Aznar was given an Award of Excellence in the Issue Reporting Picture Story category for his photo "TB in Prison."
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