Although the Visionary Award is only a single grant made to one artist annually, this year and every year we see multiple projects that match and exceed the criteria of the award which seeks out and supports innovation in visual storytelling.  The shortlist offers a glimpse of the rich diversity of talent working today, each artist bringing attention to an important issue using very different personal approaches and visual strategies.  This year the judges were inspired to bring seven candidates forward for attention, demonstrating a particularly strong field.  There is much to learn from each of them and we hope that you will find time to explore their work through the links provided here and ongoing as their practices develop.

From this shortlist the jury now has the unenviable task of selecting a single project for more active help with the appointment of a mentor and of course some cash.  In making their decision the jury is mindful of a world that is changing daily as the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the world, changing lives, lifestyles and journalistic priorities, and although this will necessarily have an impact on the work of all the shortlisted candidates we hope that they will not be deterred from pursuing the important projects that they have each started.  Fortunately there is little evidence that they will be stopped and we hope that with our endorsement and your support they can reach even higher.

Visionary Award shortlisted artists 2020

Daniel Castro Garcia - I Peri N’Tera

Chi Yin Sim – One Day We’ll Understand

Turjoy Chodhury – Genocide ’71 - A Memorial Map

Debi Cornwall – Pineland

Cesar Dezfuli - Passengers

Kiana Hayeri – Promises Written On The Ice, Left In The Sun

People’s Culture – Fireflies - a Brownsville story

About the judges

PAMELA CHEN is a lateral thinker whose work focuses on how photography shapes society. She draws upon her broad career experiences supporting era-defining moments at Instagram, National Geographic, and the Open Society Foundations. Today, she is the inaugural Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, where she is dedicated to improving the algorithms that control our shared visual experiences.

ALASDAIR FOSTER is Professor of Culture in Community Wellbeing at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, and Adjunct Professor in the School of Art of RMIT University, Melbourne. He was previously director of the Australia Centre for Photography (1998–2011) and founding director of Fotofeis, the international festival of photo-based art in Scotland (1991–1997). An international writer, researcher, and award-winning curator, he is Ambassador to the Asia-Pacific PhotoForum.

IDIL IBRAHIM is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose work has been featured at some of the top domestic and international film festivals such as Sundance,  Toronto International Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, and IFFR. The UC Berkeley alum is a recipient of the 2017 Extraordinary Women Awards held by the 92nd Street Y and was selected as one of the "Okay 100 Women" by Okay Africa. Her film Sega went on to win the jury award for Best Short Film at the 2019 Blackstar Film Festival and the Golden Dhow for Best Short Film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. Sega was recently acquired by Canal Plus for distribution throughout Europe and Africa. She is currently attached to direct the feature film adaptation of the Penguin Press novel From A Crooked Rib by author Nuruddin Farah.

CARRIE LEVY is Creative Director, The New York Times. She started her career as a photographer and photo editor. Today she is a creative director who concentrates on ideas, experiences, and storytelling using emerging technology tools. Prior to joining The New York Times, Carrie worked at Apple, Airbnb, Instagram, and various publications including Wired, GQ, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and more. 

About the Visionary Award

The Visionary Award by the Tim Hetherington Trust is designed to foster innovative approaches to visual storytelling by incubating visionary individuals and offer inspiration to others by example.   Visual artists and journalists whose thinking and process reach beyond the limitations of conventional media practice to create engaging and dynamic communication pieces.  In addition to the financial award the Trust will consult with the successful grantee to find a mentor or technical partner to help expand the scope of the project beyond initial expectations.  We will work as a team with the successful candidate to make something very special.    More details are available on any of these projects and the Trust Is ready to facilitate contact with the artists, now and beyond the immediate parameters of the Visionary Award.