Hamburg, February 13, 2004
The annual World Press Photo Award is considered the most recognized award in the press photography sector. This morning, the current winners of the 47th World Press Photo Award were announced in Amsterdam. The World Press Photo of the year is a color exposure by the French photographer, Jean-Marc Bouju. It shows an imprisoned Iraqi man protecting his four year-old son in a transit camp for prisoners of war near Najaf (Iraq).

An international jury selected the best press photos of the year 2003 from the 63,093 photographs submitted by 4,176 photographers from 124 countries. In addition to the World Press Photo of the year, 61 further photographers from 23 countries were awarded prizes in 10 different topical categories. Included among these was the German photographer, Horst Wackerbarth, who was awarded a prize for his work "Die rote Couch" (The red Couch) which he produced for GEO magazine.

The German premiere exhibition of all the prize winning photographs will take place from April 29 - May 23 and will be presented by Gruner + Jahr, STERN, GEO and Deutsche Bahn at the G+J press building at Baumwall in Hamburg. And from May 28 - June 20, the photographs can be seen at Willy Brandt House in Berlin. After that, the World Press Photo exhibition will be shown in eight major German railway stations.

As a piece of contemporary history, the World Press Photo exhibition not only documents world affairs, but it also grants an insight into current trends within press photography. In addition to moving and disturbing pictures from the conflict regions of the world, the exhibition also shows the other side of reportage photography: fascinating nature exposures, insights into foreign worlds and photographic highlights from the fields of art, culture, sports, environment and science.

Press photo downloads are on offer at www.guj.de/presse. The exhibition is supported throughout the world, by Canon, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and TPG, global mail, express and logistics.

For further information:

Christina Leitow
STERN
Press work + Public Relations
Telefon: +49-40-3703-3717
Telefax: +49-40-3703-5683
E-Mail: Leitow.Christina@stern.de

Karen Fromm
Gruner + Jahr AG & Co KG
Public Relations + Company contacts
Telefon: +49-40-3703-3882
Telefax: +49-40-3703-5688
E-Mail: Fromm.Karen@guj.de