Zélie Hallosserie has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize, established by photographer Annie Leibovitz in collaboration with photographer and philanthropist Lisa Saltzman. She will be awarded $10,000, while a further $10,000 will be shared among the other shortlisted photographers.
Hallosserie, a 21-year-old French photography student, was recognised for her documentary work illuminating the realities of migration in northern France. Her ongoing project, The Game, captures the personal stories of migrants in Calais as they wait to cross the Channel.
The full shortlist, selected from participants in Leibovitz’s mentorship programme, included Elena Kalinichenko (Ukraine), Ka’Vozia Glynn (United States), Praise Hassan (Nigeria), Toma Hurduc (Romania) and Trâm Nguyễn Quang (Netherlands).
The judging panel was comprised of Drew Sawyer, photography curator, Whitney Museum, Isolde Brielmaier, curator and scholar, Kira Pollack, freelance photo editor, and Raul Martinez, creative director, Vogue and Condé Nast. The judges praised the ‘profound humanity, emotional depth and narrative strength’ of Hallosserie’s work.
