The award, administered by the International Women’s Media Foundation, recognizes the work of women photographers who put themselves at risk to report the news through images.
Bronstein, an American journalist whose career spans four decades working across multiple continents, has documented afflictions affecting communities across Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021; how war upends the life of the elderly in Ukraine; and the migration of the Rohingya out of Myanmar to Bangladesh.
“My entire career I’ve focused on capturing the features and the effects that surround conflict,” Bronstein said in remarks shared by the IWMF. “I knew Anja, and I was in Afghanistan when she was killed in 2014; she looked where others did not, and that ability to hold the gaze of a community is something I work toward. Winning this award is humbling and I am honored to think about my work as continuing her image.”
Photojournalists Carol Guzy and Farzana Wahidy received honorable mentions.
The award jury, which included representatives from AP and other photojournalists, noted that “this year’s acclaimed portfolios all exhibit work that personified Anja’s values.” The jury added that “for Paula, Carol, and Farzana, it’s evident that photojournalism is their second realm of existence, just as it was for Anja.”
Niedringhaus, who was shot and killed by an Afghan policeman in April 2014, received the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award in 2005.