St. Louis Public Radio is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural St. Louis Public Radio Photojournalism Prize, a competition providing professional recognition, publicity, encouragement, training, and resources to St. Louis-area high school students who demonstrate a talent for documenting their world through photography. This year’s theme is “window to my world,” encouraging students to tell a story with a caption, image and personal reflection.
The contest received 144 entries from students across the St. Louis metro region. The photos submitted represent a wide range of subjects and interests — from political events to sports, travel, music and the daily life of students. The winning photos are available for viewing at stlpublicradio.org and will be publicly displayed at St. Louis Public Radio starting November 8 and through the end of December.
Here are the awardees:
Best In Show:
Mya Davis, McCluer North High School
Category winners:
- Best Action Shot: Ethan Fine, Eureka High School
- Best Caption: Sunny Lu, Ladue Horton Watkins High School
- Best Landscape (tie): William Mennerick, Metro Academic and Classical High School; Sam Liu, Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School
- Best Portrait: Mya Davis, McCluer North High School
- Best Still Life: Ava Mandoli, Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School
Honorable Mention:
- Drew Clutes, Kirkwood High School
- Nate Crandall, Roosevelt High School
- Elianna Hagan, St. Dominic High School
- John Hilker, St. Louis University High School
- Zoe Krause, Brentwood High School
- Zeke La Mantia, Webster Groves
- Ahmond Oates, Ritenour High School
- Rich Qian, Mary Institute and Country Day School
- Valeria Rivera, Villa Duchesne
- Ella Wolfard, Lindbergh High School
- Isabella Zeneli, Lindbergh High School
>>View all of the winners, including honorable mentions at the contest page.
These top photos will be part of a public gallery exhibit in the lobby of St. Louis Public Radio at 3651 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63108, beginning on November 8 and continuing through December 31.
Prizes include a masterclass with station photojournalist Carolina Hidalgo and visual communications specialist David Kovaluk; publication on stlpublicradio.org and the station Instagram account; and display in the gallery exhibit. The Best in Show entry will also receive $500 in gift certificates for photography and art supplies. The lead sponsor for the contest is Vantage Credit Union, with prize sponsorship from Cioci’s Picture Mart.
This project is part of St. Louis Public Radio's ongoing effort to increase community involvement in journalism. Another media literacy project, Mini J School, is a six-week lecture and discussion series held each spring. The series covers a wide range of topics from investigative journalism to press freedom and ethics. These events work to improve media literacy in the surrounding area to promote an understanding of what distinguishes credible journalism from clickbait, opinion and propaganda.
The St. Louis Public Radio Photojournalism Prize will be an annual award, with entries accepted again late next summer. Watch stlpublicradio.org and follow us on Instagram for updates and details.
