2019 Pulitzer Prizes for photography awarded to images of migrants and famine

Image: Columbia University

The prestigious Pulitzer Prize has its 2019 winners, and while it celebrates the best in literature, music composition and journalism, there are two categories for photography as well.

The prize for the Breaking News Photography category went to the photojournalists from Reuters for their images of the migrant caravan heading towards the US border. The photographs are “a vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation and sadness of migrants as they journeyed” north through Central and South America.

The Feature Photography prize was awarded to Lorenzo Tugnoli for his contributions to The Washington Post. His photographs of the devastating effects of the famine were initially entered into the Breaking News Photography category, but the jury moved them to the Feature Photography instead. 

He won the prize for the “brilliant photo storytelling of the tragic famine in Yemen, shown through images in which beauty and composure are intertwined with devastation”.

Congratulating his photography team, Reuters’ editor-in-chief Stephen J Adler rightly said, “While it’s gratifying to be recognized for the work, public attention should be focused more on the people about whom we report than on us: in this case, the Rohingya and the Central American migrants.”

We have displayed only a few images from each category here, but you can view all the winning images, along with the descriptions, at the Pulitzer Prize website

Please do keep in mind that some of the images are graphic and heart-wrenching.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.

Latest in Photography
Xiaomi 15 Ultra smartphone housed in the Xiaomi Photography Kit, with user hold the phone up to take a photo outdoors
I swapped my $3,000 camera for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for a month – here's what I learned
Nikon Z6 III camera in the hand with no lens attached and full-frame sensor on display
What's the best camera sensor format? You told us your clear favorite – here's why it's not that simple
Lunar eclipse
I'm a pro photographer – here's how I'm shooting the total lunar eclipse blood moon with my camera and phone
A young man takes a portrait photo with a DSLR.
Sell Smart: Quick, easy, and secure camera gear solutions with MPB
Shooting with a Samsung Galaxy Ultra smartphone
I shot and edited this photo with my Samsung Galaxy Ultra and Adobe Lightroom Mobile – here's how you can get pro results with just your phone
A hand holding the Ricoh GR IIIx camera
My photography resolution for 2025 is to keep a point-and-shoot compact in my pocket, and to actually use it!
Latest in News
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Rennovations
Disney’s giving a classic Buzz Lightyear ride a tech overhaul – here's everything you need to know
Hisense U8 series TV on wall in living room
Hisense announces 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, with screen sizes up to 100 inches – and a surprising smart TV switch
Nintendo Music teaser art
Nintendo Music expands its library with songs from Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Tetris
Opera AI Tabs
Opera's new AI feature brings order to your browser tab chaos
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
The iPhone 16 Pro on a grey background
iPhone 17 Pro tipped to get 8K video recording – but I want these 3 video features instead