Mansoor Bin Mohammed Celebrates Winners Of HIPA’s 14th Season Focused On ‘Power’

The 14th annual Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) ceremony took place at the Museum of the Future. Themed ‘Power’, the event saw attendance from dignitaries and notable figures in photography. H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, awarded Italian photographer Gianluca Gianferrari the $200,000 Grand Prize for his captivating image of Mount Etna.

Gianferrari's photograph depicted a dramatic scene where flames and glowing lava fragments erupted from Mount Etna, contrasting against pristine white snow under a starry sky. This celestial mosaic captured the judges' attention with its striking contrasts and vivid colours. The award ceremony also recognised other talented photographers across various categories, celebrating their contributions to the art form.

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H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed honoured several individuals with special awards during the ceremony. American photographer Rick Smolan received the Appreciation Award for his illustrious career as a photographer, author, and speaker. Smolan's work has earned numerous accolades, and his books are considered influential in raising awareness about humanitarian issues globally.

The Content Creator Award was given to Mark Smith, an American photographer and filmmaker renowned for his expertise in bird photography. Smith's work has been viewed over two billion times and is widely used to educate photographers on bird life cycles. His environmental activism further highlights his commitment to preserving natural habitats.

The HIPA Photographer of the Year Award went to Omani photographer Salem Al-Hajri. Al-Hajri is celebrated for projects that visually narrate Omani and Arab cultural heritage. His work connects ancient traditions with contemporary stories, showcasing the region’s rich identity through vibrant images. He also supports growth opportunities for photographers in Oman and the Gulf region.

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also presented awards in the ‘Power’ category. Syrian photographer Hashem Dardowra won first place, followed by Indian photographer Deepak Singh Dogra in second, and Australian Scott Portelli in third place.

General Category Winners

Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan awarded winners in the ‘General’ category. In ‘General - Colour’, American Karine Aigner secured first place, with Jack Zhi from the US second, and Poland’s Marcin Giba third. In ‘General - Black and White’, Australian Ted Grambeau took first place, followed by South African Chris Fallows and Emirati Yousef Bin Shakar Al Zaabi.

The ‘Portfolio’ category winners were honoured by Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture. Palestinian Ali Jadallah won first place, Marek Biegalski from Poland came second, while Emirati Ammar AlSayed Ahmed secured third place.

Sports Photography Awards

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi presented awards for Sports Photography. Vladimir Tadić from Bosnia and Herzegovina won first place; German Laci Perényi came second; Japanese Masatoshi Ujihara took third place.

In the ‘Drone (Video)’ category, Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Owais honoured winners. American Karim Iliya won first place; Norwegian Chrisander Bergan was second; Indian Shantha Kumar Nagendran placed third.

Ali bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA, expressed gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for supporting photography as an art form. He stated: "Power has always been a source of pride and human aspiration... This season, HIPA received more than 87,000 submissions from around 50,000 photographers."

Bin Thalith highlighted HIPA's global reach: "HIPA has extended its reach across the world... By promoting photography culture... HIPA has supported Emirati photographers to achieve international recognition." The event underscored photography’s role in highlighting global issues through visual arts.

With inputs from WAM