Spor-Toto-Press-Photo-of-the-Year-2019

Spor Toto Press Photo of the Year 2019

The “Spor Toto Press Photo of the Year 2019 Awards,” organized by the Turkish Photojournalists Association (TFMD) for the 34th consecutive year, were presented to their winners. Held at the Meyra Hotel in Ankara, the ceremony honored photojournalists in categories including Press Photo of the Year, Politics, Sports, Environment and Nature, News, Photo Reportage, Beauties of Turkey, Daily Life, and Portrait. In addition, two special categories were featured: the EU Special Category on Guests and Refugees, introduced for the first time, and the Ara Güler Encouragement Award, open exclusively to photography students from communication and fine arts faculties.

The ceremony was attended by prominent figures including Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, Presidential High Advisory Council Member Bülent Arınç, Presidential Chief Advisor Mehmet Akarca, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Özgül Özkan Yavuz, Spor Toto Organization President Bünyamin Bozgeyik, EU Delegation to Turkey Head Ambassador Christian Berger, Ankara Chamber of Commerce President Gürsel Baran, members of parliament, political party representatives, and many invited guests.

In his opening speech, TFMD President Rıza Özel emphasized the association’s respected position among civil society organizations and highlighted the importance of photojournalism in documenting history and raising public awareness. He noted that the competition, first held in 1985, remains Turkey’s only long-running press photography contest and that its award-winning photographs travel throughout the country in exhibitions.

Özel also discussed TFMD’s efforts to raise awareness about contemporary social issues, particularly refugee experiences. As part of these efforts, a special category titled “Guest” was created to recognize photographs addressing migration and refugee themes. The winning photographs were scheduled to be exhibited in a dedicated show titled “Guest – Refugeehood” in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Turkey.

Minister Mustafa Varank praised photojournalists for their role in preserving history and capturing significant moments across politics, culture, sports, science, and technology. He described photography as one of the most vital public services and expressed appreciation for the dedication and sacrifices of media professionals.

Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu highlighted the power of a single image to convey profound stories, describing photojournalists as the visual memory of society who carry today’s events into future generations.

The event concluded with ministers presenting awards to the winning photojournalists and commemorative photographs being taken with the attendees.

Title: Spor Toto Press Photo of the Year 2019