PPAI

2021

ABOUT THE AWARDS

Welcome to the Press Photographer of the Year Exhibition 2021. Now in their forty-third year the PPAI Awards this year have an added poignancy and resonance, reflecting and recording a truly momentous year in the  history of the State. 

Nobody could have predicted, at the start of 2020, the cataclysmic impact that the Covid-19 pandemic would have on Irish lives and society but, as ever, the members of the PPAI have fulfilled their role, producing an indelible record which will form part of the national visual archive. 

You can view the exhibition here in Gallery or in Video mode.

Over the years this showcase of the finest Irish press photography has travelled across the globe and been displayed in Irish festivals in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Paris, Brussels and Warsaw, enjoyed by millions of viewers over four decades of touring. It is also a regular visitor to festivals, libraries and locations around Ireland. 

Spanning nine categories, including News, Daily Life, Nature and Environment, Sport, Portrait, Politics, Arts and Entertainment and Reportage, this collection of winning and short-listed photographs provides a fascinating window into Ireland through 2020.

Previous winners

2023 Mark Condren
2022 James Crombie
2021 James Crombie
2020 Mark Condren
2019 Tom Honan
2018 Cyril Byrne
2017 Gerry Mooney
2016 Mark Condren
2015 Alan Betson
2014 Julien Behal
2013 Mark Condren
2012 Julien Behal
2011 Mark Condren
2009 Mark Condren
2008 Steve Humphreys
2007 Niall Carson
2006 Bryan O'Brien
2005 Matt Kavanagh
2004 Alan Betson
2003 Frank Miller
2002 Bryan O'Brien
2001 Brenda Fitzsimons
2000 Bryan O'Brien
1999 Bryan O'Brien
1998 Frank Miller
1997 Alan Betson
1996 Frank Miller
1995 Bryan O'Brien
1994 Crispin Rodwell
1993 Matt Kavanagh
1992 Matt Kavanagh
1991 Dara Mac Dónaill
1990 Billy Stickland
1989 James Meehan
1988 John Carlos
1987 Jim O'Kelly
1986 Eric Luke
1985 Peter Thursfield
1984 Alan Lewis
1983 Peter Thursfield
1982 Tom Lawlor
1981 Austin Finn
1980 Peter Thursfield
1979 Brian Barron
1978 Colman Doyle


Arts and Entertainment

1st Place Winner

Arts and Entertainment 2021, Michael Mclaughlin

SAVAGE BEAUTY by Michael Mclaughlin

Savage Beauty, the largest site-specific light artwork ever created by Finnish artist Kari Kola, illuminates the shores of Loch na Fuaiche in Connemara for Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture.


Daily Life & People

1st Place Winner

Daily Life & People 2021, Mark Condren

HAIRY TIMES by Mark Condren

Brotherly love . . . Brothers Ben and Aaron cut each other’s hair during lockdown due to Covid-19.


Multimedia

1st Place Winner

Multimedia 2021, Bryan O’Brien

HARP HANDOVER by Bryan O’Brien

Harp Handover


Nature & The Environment

1st Place Winner

Nature & The Environment 2021, Damien Eagers

BRIGHT SPARK! by Damien Eagers

A fallow deer with an electrical cable wrapped around its antlers in Phoenix Park, Dublin.


News

1st Place Winner

News 2021, Michael O’Neill

FIRST FRONTLINE FATALITY by Michael O’Neill

Dr. Syed Waqqar Ali’s wife and family members grieve at his graveside. Dr. Waqqar died after contracting Covid-19 after spending three months in ICU at the Mater Hospital where he also worked.


Politics

1st Place Winner

Politics 2021, Gary Ashe

THE CAT THAT GOT THE CREAM by Gary Ashe

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald T.D. entering Leinster House after a successful general election campaign.


Portrait

1st Place Winner

Portrait 2021, Bryan O’Brien

COCOONING ON MOTHER’S DAY by Bryan O’Brien

Ellen Creed, Dublin, with the flowers her daughter left outside her door for Mother’s Day. It was the first week of Covid-19 restrictions, when people aged over 70 were advised to cocoon until further notice.


Reportage

1st Place Winner

Reportage 2021, Clodagh Kilcoyne

WEATHERING THE BOARDS by Clodagh Kilcoyne

Torch-lit in a night-time storm. Fog, rain or sun - hardy open sea swimmers weather the Blackrock diving boards in Galway in all conditions, every single day of the year.


Sports Action

1st Place Winner

Sports Action 2021, James Crombie

FOGGY SEMI-FINAL by James Crombie

Fog descended during the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final between Mayo and Tipperary. Usually a sold-out fixture, this year’s match was held behind closed doors.


Sports Non Action

1st Place Winner

Sports Non Action 2021, Bryan Keane

CUP UP AND AWAY by Bryan Keane

Corofin players celebrate with the Andy Merrigan Cup after winning the All-Ireland Senior Club Championship Final in Croke Park, Dublin.


Winning Portfolio

1st Place Winner

Winning Portfolio 2021, James Crombie

FOGGY SEMI-FINAL by James Crombie

Fog descended during the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final between Mayo and Tipperary. Usually a sold-out fixture, this year’s match was held behind closed doors.