TEHRAN – The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest has opened the call for submissions for its 12th edition.

The annual contest, held in memory of Andrei Stenin, a photojournalist with the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group who was killed near Donetsk in the summer of 2014, traditionally launches on his birthday, December 22. This year’s edition has officially opened in Moscow, with submissions now underway, Mehr reported.

“For the 12th time, the Andrei Stenin Contest is preparing to open submissions, a moment that is always joyful and exciting. This year is particularly special, as we have prepared a surprise that we are confident will delight participants. We are pleased to announce a new category, Energy of Life,” Dmitry Kiselyov, Director General of the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group, said.

“Our mission remains unchanged: to discover new names and give young photographers a strong start. At the same time, we are very interested in the work of established professionals, who help set benchmarks for the next generation. We look forward to projects from both seasoned masters and emerging authors – together, they form the diverse, vivid, and sometimes contradictory picture of contemporary photojournalism. We are proud to be part of this process,” he added.

The competition features six categories: Top News, Sports, My Planet, Portrait, A Hero of Our Time, Top View, and the newly introduced category Energy of Life.

The Energy of Life category is open to photographers aged 34 and older, while the remaining five categories are open to participants aged 18 to 33.

Professional photographers may submit applications through the competition’s official website until February 28, 2026.

The prize fund for the 2025 competition awards 125,000 rubles for first place, 100,000 rubles for second place, and 75,000 rubles for third place in each category. The recipient of the competition’s top honor, the Grand Prix, will receive 700,000 rubles. The awards ceremony for the 12th Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest is traditionally scheduled to take place in Moscow between September and November 2026.

This year’s competition continues its long-standing tradition of showcasing winning works through touring exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Over the past 12 years, exhibitions featuring the competition’s award-winning photographs have been presented in numerous countries, including Iran, China, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Türkiye, Lebanon, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Egypt, and others.

Mehr Media Group is also present as an international media partner of the contest, similar to the last edition. An exhibition of the selected works of this edition is scheduled to be held in Tehran, as in the previous edition. This collaboration is considered to be in line with expanding professional interactions and introducing the world's contemporary photojournalism to Iranian audiences.

The contest is the only international platform in Russia to discover emerging talents in photojournalism, uphold and develop high standards, and establish criteria for the quality of documentary photography. 

In the contest, young reporters from around the world share what they are passionate about. The main themes of their works include global humanitarian challenges, the preservation of national identity and issues of social equality, and environmental concerns.

Andrey Stenin (1980 - 2014) started his career as a text reporting journalist for Rossiyskaya Gazeta in 2003. In 2008, he turned to photojournalism and from 2009 on, worked as a photo reporter for RIA Novosti. He was an experienced military photojournalist who had worked in Egypt, Syria, Libya, the Gaza Strip, and elsewhere.

He disappeared while covering the War in Donbas. He was confirmed dead on September 3, 2014, having died on August 6, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia. Stenin was awarded Russia's Order of Courage posthumously.

 Photo: A view of the exhibition showcasing the selected works of the  2024 Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, which was held at the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization in Tehran on May 12, 2025.

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