The winners and finalists of St. Louis Public Radio’s 2023 Teen Photojournalist Prize were honored during a public reception and opening ceremony for this year’s Teen Photojournalist Prize Exhibition on May 17.
The young visual artists and their guests enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the open-air media space in the heart of the Grand Center Arts District, with a reception in the STLPR Community Room, opening onto the Public Media Commons.
The winning photographs were displayed on the large-screen video wall as well as in a framed exhibition in the STLPR Lobby Gallery. The framed exhibition will be on display through July 31 and is viewable by appointment by emailing hello@stlpr.org.
The Photojournalist Prize is one of the station’s largest and most successful initiatives to recognize and encourage emerging talents while reinforcing media literacy and the undeniable power of an image to tell a story.
The crowd was welcomed by STLPR photojournalist and multimedia reporter Brian Munoz and digital/special projects editor Brian Heffernan.
CEO Tina Pamintuan kicked off the awards with acknowledgments of the exceptional work in the room, and why it’s so important to take real notice of young people — their talents, perspectives, feelings and voices.
“At STLPR, we are in the business of voices, sharing them, amplifying them, making sure they are not silenced,” Pamintuan said. “By entering this contest, by taking photographs, and capturing real moments of real life, you are joining us on that journey. And we hope you stay on this journey in some form or another."
As awards were announced, Munoz and Heffernan remarked on the winning elements of each photograph and what made each exceptional for all 16 honorable mentions and 8 winning photographs.
The teens accepted their award from Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis President, Flint W. Fowler. Fowler said that these types of events — helping local teens find their passions — is exactly what the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Louis wants to promote.
In addition to the Best in Show award, category winners, and honorable mentions, Matthew Gilliard of Hazelwood West High School was selected to receive a brand new Sony Alpha 7C full-frame mirrorless camera and camera bag, set to push our efforts of increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the photojournalism industry.
“One of our organization’s North Star missions is to serve our local community and provide a deeper dive into the spaces we live in,” Munoz said. “Matthew’s painterly image was a prime example that you don’t need to travel far to make stellar photographs and achieve powerful storytelling.”
The 2023 competition was sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and Sony Electronics.
You can view all of the winning entries at stlpr.org/prize.
