Istanbul Photo Awards jury meets to choose winners

A jury of world-renowned photographers and photojournalists on Sunday gathered in Istanbul to begin reviewing entries of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2018.

The contest was organized by Anadolu Agency for the fourth time and the winners of will be announced on March 26.

International news photo contest Istanbul Photo Awards 2018 -- sponsored by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) -- has become an international brand.

Nearly 37,000 photographs from 125 different countries are entered the competition.

An international jury will choose three winners in each of the 10 categories.

The first prize winner in the single news category will be nominated for Photo of the Year award. A photojournalist under the age of 28 will receive a special Young Photographer award, for the second time this year.

Marion Mertens, senior digital editor at Paris Match in France, Cameron Spencer, Getty Images chief photographer, Yuri Kozyrev, photojournalist with Netherlands-based Noor Images, Georges De Keerle, photographer and visual media adviser, Michel Scotto, AFP director of Photo Business Development, Ahmet Sel, Anadolu Agency's visual news editor in chief and Firat Yurdakul, Anadolu Agency's photography editor return as jury members this year.

Two new names have been added to this year's panel for the first time. They include Andrei Polikanov, an important photo news editor, and Frederic Lagargue, winner of last year's Istanbul Photo Awards, for his image "Fleeing from Daesh".

The winner of Photo of the Year will be awarded $10,000, while winners in other categories will receive $8,000 for first prize, $5,000 for second and $3,000 for third.

Last year, Daniel Berehulak, winner of the third prize in the Single News category of Anadolu Agency's Istanbul Photo Awards 2017, won the Pulitzer Prize.