The W. Eugene Smith Fund has announced the recipients of its 2024 grants, including the W. Eugene Smith grant, Smith Student grant, and Howard Chapnick grant. This year’s grants collectively received more than 725 entries, the most entries in any year since its inception in 1979. In addition, the Smith Fund will issue $72,500 in grants this year, the most in any grant cycle in 45 years. As a testament to the overall quality of entries this year, judges for the Smith Student grant were unable to unanimously select two recipients, as instructed, and instead selected three, with each receiving a $5,000 grant. Scott Thode, president of the W. Eugene Smith Fund, credits this year’s record-breaking success to effectively promoting its 45th anniversary by highlighting the world-class photographers who previously received the grant, and the continued commitment of new and longtime donors.
“After 45 years, it is both exciting and humbling to see that the W. Eugene Smith grants continue to attract documentary photographers at all levels from all over the world,” Mr. Thode said, noting that entries were received from more than 85 countries. “But none of our success is possible without our volunteer board members and our longtime donors including the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, Earth Vision Institute, and the John and Anne Duffy Foundation, along with new supporters including PhotoWings and the Joy of Giving Something,” he added
W. Eugene Smith Grant Recipients
Adriana Loureiro Fernández (Venezuela) is the recipient of this year’s $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for her project, Paradise Lost. Her project was among 584 entries submitted from 75 countries. Paradise Lost encapsulates several stories happening at once, amounting to an untenable situation framed by both tragedy and splendor. She said the project was a tribute to her generation’s search for change.
“Eugene Smith’s legacy carries so much of what I cherish in our photographic practice, and I am honored to bring awareness to stories from Venezuela, in a time when democratic values are challenged around the world,” said Adriana Loureiro Fernández. “I hope these stories can shed light on what is at stake —how it feels to live through a shattered democracy. Most importantly, I hope to honor and highlight how the human spirit and its resilience carries through it all, and hope others can find warmth in restless times.”
“It was difficult to judge the entries because they were of such high quality and importance,” said Hideko Kataoka, Director of Photography at Newsweek in Japan and one of three judges of this year’s Smith Grant entries. “We were struck by the tireless efforts of photographers who are using photography as a weapon to fight against all kinds of social issues, to uncover their essence, and to connect them to tomorrow,” she added. The Smith grant adjudication panel also included Arem Duplessis, Group Creative Director at Apple, and Nii Obodai, Founder of Nuku Studio, which offers support for both emerging and established photographers through research projects, collaborations, partnerships, and other initiatives.
The judges also awarded two Finalist awards in this category. Murat Yazar (Turkey) received a $10,000 grant for his work, Shadows of Kurdistan, which explores the dimensions and depth of Kurdish culture and their political situation since Kurdistan is split among the countries of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
“In the early years of my photographic journey, one of the photographers who had the greatest impact on me was W. Eugene Smith,” explained Murat Yazar. “Receiving this award reinforces my belief that I have been on the right path in my photography from the very beginning. This recognition will motivate me to continue my photographic project, Shadows of Kurdistan, with even more dedication. I am deeply grateful to the esteemed jury for deeming me worthy of this honor, and to the W. Eugene Smith Fund for their support,” he added.
Deanne Fitzmaurice (United States) also received a $10,000 Finalist grant for her story, The Unlikely Journey, the story of Iraqi refugee Saleh Khalaf, who was severely injured by a roadside bomb in 2003 as the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began. For more than 20 years, Ms. Fitzmaurice has been documenting his life, and the life of his family in the U.S. after being granted asylum.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to receive this W. Eugene Smith grant to continue my 20-year project about a boy severely injured in the US-led invasion of Iraq and the long-term effects of war on maimed civilians,” said Deanne Fitzmaurice. “This recognition is exceptionally meaningful as my photography has long been inspired by the powerful work of W. Eugene Smith and his deep compassion for humanity.”
