$75,000 Gift Supports
Photojournalism Education,
Public Exhibition at
The Annenberg
Space for Photography

Pictures of the Year International will receive a substantial grant from the Annenberg Foundation to host the 2009 POYi Education, Awards, and Exhibition Program at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

The grant will provide support and funding for POYi's two-day professional development program and an educational display of the "Visions of Excellence" exhibition of award-winning photojournalism. The events, scheduled for mid-July, will feature presentations by award-winning photojournalists, educational workshops, and the annual awards ceremony at the new Annenberg Space for Photography. The 50-print public exhibition and digital presentations will be showcased at the Space for an extended three-month viewing.

Attendance to the program and the exhibition will be free to everyone.

Pictures of the Year International is a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, whose mission is to join citizens and journalists in programs that improve the practice and understanding of journalism. The Annenberg Space for Photography is a new community space dedicated to both digital images and print photography that focus on the human condition.

"POYi is deeply honored to receive the support of the Annenberg Foundation, and inspired to partner with The Annenberg Space for Photography," said POYi director Rick Shaw. "POYi treasures this opportunity with the Annenberg Foundation to celebrate the impact of documentary photography and engaging citizens with great photojournalism."

POYi is the oldest and one of the most prestigious photojournalism programs in the world. RJI supports POYi educational workshops, archive development, and public exhibitions. Now in its 66th year, POYi sets the gold standard for documentary photography, reflecting the news events and social issues that influence our world.

POYi joins The Annenberg Space for Photography during its inaugural year at the newly constructed 10,000 square foot facility located in Los Angeles on Avenue of the Stars. The Photography Space will feature state-of-the-art digital projection gallery along with a traditional print exhibit area. The combination of these galleries will enable The Annenberg Space for Photography to present an unprecedented number of images annually in a dynamic environment, free to the general public.

The Annenberg Space for Photography aligns perfectly with the mission of the Annenberg Foundation. Its mission is to inform and inspire the public by connecting photographers, philanthropy, and the human experience through powerful imagery and stories. The Trustees believe that the experience of this art form and images exhibited there will further their vision as philanthropists for a better world. Established in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg, the Annenberg Foundation provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally through its headquarters in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and offices in Los Angeles, California and Washington, D.C.

Located at the Missouri School of Journalism on the University of Missouri campus, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute was founded in 2004 by the Missouri School of Journalism with an initial grant of $31 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named.  

POYi Contact Information

Email: info@poyi.org
Phone: 573-884-2188

Other contact information

Setting the gold-standard for documentary photography, multimedia, and visual editing.

Welcome to Pictures of the Year International. The PDF file links below detail the contest categories and guidelines. Registration and entry will open online on Friday, Dec. 19 and conclude on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Download Call for Entries Guidelines:

Call for Entries -- Complete version

Call for Entries -- Summary version

Call for Entries -- Chinese language version

File Naming Chart and Guidelines

"Best Use" and "Books" category labels

Editing Category Correction — We had a category numbering error in the editing division of an early version of the “Call for Entries” guide.  The “Call for Entries” guide shows categories for "Issue Reporting Story" and "Feature Story" as switched in the electronic registration.  The electronic registration category list is correct, and we have since corrected the “Call for Entries” pdf file on our Web site.  The correct version —  #29 & 34 are Issue Reporting Story editing categories, and #30 & 35 are Feature Story editing categories within the Picture Editing Divisions.

POYi has several improvements this year, including a new permiere multimedia category, "Documentary Project of the Year." Last year we had a tremendous response to the "Best Multimedia Project" category, so we are elevating it to premiere status. The "Documentary Project of the Year" will honor the best extended series or project that encompasses a long-form story or multiple chapters. The team will receive a $1,000 cash award to the organization and a Tiffany crystal trophy listing all the participants.

In addition, POYi is offering four new specialty categories for this year that focus on the election season and the Olympics games.

Here is a tentative schedule for the upcoming contest season:

• December 19 — Electronic registration and entry uploading platform activated.
• January 15 — Deadline for all entries to be electronically submitted.
• Mid-February through Early-March — Judging all entries during a three week period
• Mid-July — POYi Education Seminar & Awards Program in Los Angeles.

Pictures of the Year International is the oldest and one of the most prestigious photojournalism programs in the world.

Our mission is for the POYi competition and our outreach efforts to work together, extending the reach of photojournalists by providing educational public exhibitions worldwide. POYi believes that it is critical, now more than ever, for citizens to experience photo documentation of the news events and social issues facing our world.

When you enter Pictures of the Year International, your work reaches out to citizens worldwide and becomes a part of visual history.

Engraved plaques are presented
to first-place winners in every category

POYi Exhibition Opens
At PhotoNOLA in New Orleans

Visit the POYi Exhibits page to view the opening reception and read details about the Arsenal Gallery at the Louisiana State Museum.