UNICEF PHOTO OF THE YEAR

Each year since 2000, UNICEF Germany has awarded the “UNICEF Photo of the Year Award” to photos and photo series that best depict the personality and living conditions of children worldwide in an outstanding manner.

Photographer Supratim Bhattacharjee wins the competition in 2021 with his picture of a girl in India's Sundarbans whose home has been destroyed by a severe cyclone and flooding as a result of climate change and environmental degradation.

An independent jury decides upon the winner.

» About the Contest

OVERVIEW WINNERS 2000-2020

2020: Angelos Tzortzinis

„The flames of misery“

Photo report about the plight of refugee children during the fire in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos

2019: Hartmut Schwarzbach

„Garbage, the children and the death“

Photo report about the situation of children in the slums of Manila, Philippines

2018: Antonio Aragón Renuncio

"Every child matters"

Portrait of a boy with leg orthosis, who lives in the “Saint Louis Orione Center” in Togo.

2017: Muhammed Muheisen

"The face of a tormented childhood"

Portrait of the Syrian girl Zahra, who lives in a refugee camp in Jordan

2016: Arez Ghaderi

"Defending the right to smile"

Photo report on children in a provisional tent village in northeastern Iran

2015: Georgi Licovski

"Utter despair"

Photo report on refugees and migrated children at the Greek-Macedonian border

2014: Insa Hagemann & Stefan Finger

"Wanna have love!?"

Photo report on the consequences of sex tourism and fatherless children in the Philippines

2013: Niclas Hammarström

"Syria’s forgotten child victims“

Photo report on war crimes against children in crisis-stricken Syria

2012: Alessio Romenzi

"Children between the lines"

Photo report on children’s situation in civil war-torn Syria

2011: Kai Löffelbein

"Waste export to Africa"

Photo report on children recycling German toxic waste in Ghana

2010: Ed Kashi

"The legacy of war"

Photo report on the next generation of the Vietnam War

2009: Johan Bävman

"Deadly superstition"

Photo report on the situation of Albino Children in Tanzania

2008: Alice Smeets

"Surviving in Haiti"

Portrait of a girl in the biggest slum of Haiti

2007: Stephanie Sinclair

"Child brides"

Photo report on child marriage in Afghanistan, Nepal and Ethiopia

2006: Jan Grarup

"The Kashmir Earthquake"

Portrait of a five years old girl after the devasting earthquake in Pakistan 2005

2005: David Gillanders

"Street children in Odessa"

Photo report on street children and the spread of HIV in Eastern Europe/Ukraine

2004: Marcus Bleasdale

"Darfur in Flame"

Portrait of a girl who was expelled from her home in Sudan

2003: Don Bartletti

"Bound to El Norte"

Photo report on the situation of refugee and migrant children in Central America

2002: Jan Grarup

"Forgotten Refugees of the World"

Photo report on refugee children of the civil war-torn Liberia

2001: Meredith Davenport

"Siviani on the sofa"

Photo report on the effects of pesticides on children in Costa Rica

2000: Matias Costa

"Country of the lost children"

Photo report on the orphans of war in Ruanda