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#flashHeader{visibility:visible !important;}Rodrigo Abd, Manu Brabo, Narciso Contreras, Khalil Hamra and Muhammed Muheisen of The Associated Press have won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news photography for their coverage of Syria’s civil war. Javier Manzano, a freelance photographer working with Agence France-Presse, has won the Pulitzer in feature photography for his picture of two Syrian rebel fighters taking aim through a pockmarked wall in Aleppo.
The announcement was made on Monday afternoon by Columbia University, which bestows the awards. Santiago Lyon, director of photography at A.P., said he was impressed with the breadth of work from the five A.P. photographers. Beyond just taking photographs of fighting, he said, they managed to capture the effects of the conflict on Syria’s civilian population and the extent of the country’s refugee crisis.
“It’s tremendous recognition for a group of five of the most talented and brave photographers working in the world today for their work covering the awful war in Syria,†Mr. Lyon said. “It’s very fitting given their dedication and commitment in the face of terrible work conditions over the course of the last year.â€
Mr. Muheisen, 32, who won his first Pulitzer in 2005 for coverage of the war in Iraq, spent the better part of two months photographing displaced Syrian civilians. “On a personal level, I found that this was a very important part of the story,†he said in a phone interview from Islamabad, Pakistan. “All the photographers went to the front lines to photograph the rebels and the fighting, and there wasn’t much attention paid to those people who were living in the streets. It’s so important to me that the images of internally displaced Syrians are part of the Pulitzer Prize package. It means that history won’t forget them.â€
Mr. Brabo, 32, arrived in Syria as a freelancer and later received assignments from A.P. He took a series of moving photographs, including one of a man weeping over the body of his young son (Slide 13). “It’s like a dream somehow,†he said, referring to the Pulitzer Prize. “I wanted to follow this story because I think it’s something very important to do. People should be informed about what is going on there.†Despite the danger he faced there, Mr. Brabo plans to return to Syria as soon as possible.
Mr. Abd, 36, crossed the border from Turkey into Syria hidden in the back of a truck. From his home in Lima, Peru, Mr. Abd said he was happy that this year’s award had recognized a team. “As photographers, we work alone,†he said. “It’s a very individual job. Most of the job is between the camera and yourself. Being part of a group that is trying to work on the same idea and cover a difficult issue like Syria last year is a great honor.â€
Tyler Hicks of The New York Times was a finalist in breaking news photography for his pictures of Gaza in the aftermath of bombing by Israel. Staff photographers at The Denver Post were also finalists for their coverage of the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.
In the feature category, finalists included Renée C. Byer of The Sacramento Bee and Liz O. Baylen of The Los Angeles Times. Ms. Byer photographed a grandfather raising three grandchildren after his daughter’s violent death. Ms. Baylen covered the epidemic of prescription drug deaths in the United States.
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