The Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize, established by acclaimed photographer and philanthropist Lisa Saltzman in collaboration with iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, is proud to announce its inaugural shortlist. This prestigious award, with a total prize fund of $20,000, celebrates the next generation of photographic talent and underscores the transformative power of visual storytelling.
Lisa Saltzman, a multi-award-winning New York-based photographer, film producer, and philanthropist, founded the Saltzman Family Foundation in 2020 to honor her late parents, Ralph and Muriel Saltzman, who were passionate art collectors, patrons, and philanthropists.
Through the foundation, she has created and established significant art awards, including the Ralph Saltzman Prize at London’s Design Museum and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Ralph Saltzman Prize, fostering opportunities for emerging creatives and the Saltzman Prize for emerging photographers at The Center for Photography at Woodstock where she is a trustee.
Annie Leibovitz, one of the most celebrated photographers of our time, has redefined portrait photography with her evocative and iconic images. Her collaboration with this prize amplifies
its significance within the global photography community.
The six shortlisted photographers were selected from participants in Annie Leibovitz’s mentorship program, part of her role as the first IKEA Artist in Residence. This program invited six aspiring photographers from around the world to capture images based on insights from the Life at Home Report, culminating in a powerful portfolio that was showcased alongside Leibovitz’s work during Paris Fashion Week in February 2024.
The shortlisted photographers are:
It’s a personal exploration of trauma and the struggle to hold on to a sense of normal life. In
Ukraine, we always answer, ‘I’m fine’ when asked, ‘how are you?’ But everyone knows it’s far from reality, yet admitting it often hurts even more.
Elena Kalinichenko, Ukraine: An adventurer who finds inspiration in the often unnoticed small things, Elena carries her camera everywhere, capturing the essence of daily life.
Ka’Vozia Glynn, United States: With a passion for creative arts from an early age, Ka’Vozia tells visual stories featuring vibrant colors, dynamic lighting, and framing.
Praise Hassan, Nigeria: A multi-disciplinary artist working across conceptual photography, poetry, music, and graphic design, Praise is a graphic designer by day and an artist by night.
Toma Hurduc, Romania: A recent cinematography graduate aiming to pursue a career in photojournalism, Toma focuses on people, their surroundings, and the indispensable connection between the two.
Trâm Nguyen Quang, Netherlands: A cognitive neuroscience student who combines her research with analogue photography, Trâm expresses her feelings of nostalgia through this medium.
Zélie Hallosserie, France: Having recently transitioned from biology studies to photography, Zélie aims to become a documentary photographer, adopting a slow, sensitive approach to her subjects.
The prize will award $10,000 to the first-place winner, $5,000 for second place, and $2,000, $1,500, $1,000, and $500 to the third through sixth-place winners respectively. The winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of photography and art experts: Drew Sawyer, Photography Curator, Whitney Museum of American Art, Isolde Brielmaier, Curator and Scholar, Kira Pollack, Freelance Photo Editor, Mary Grace Reeder, Associate Director, Hauser & Wirth, Raul Martinez, Creative Director, Vogue and Condé Nast.
The judging process, concluding on January 31st, 2025, will assess the photographers’ works, celebrating the breadth of their creative vision and execution.
Lisa Saltzman, Founder of the Saltzman-Leibovitz Prize said:
“My parents deeply admired and supported the work of Annie Leibovitz. This prize allows me
to honor their legacy and continue their collaboration in a meaningful way. Art was a
significant part of their lives, and I know they would be deeply moved by this initiative. It is so
meaningful for me to collaborate with Annie a true legend.”
The shortlisted photographers’ work will be presented, with further details to follow. The winner will be announced in April. This marks the beginning of an annual celebration of emerging photographic talent, ensuring the Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize becomes a vital platform for the next generation of
artists.
About
Lisa Saltzman is an award-winning fine art photographer, film producer, and philanthropist based in New York City, renowned for her dedication to both the photographic arts and emerging talent. Her artistic journey began in childhood when her father, Ralph Saltzman, gifted her a Konica camera and tripod, sparking a lifelong passion. Ralph, the late co-founder and president of textile manufacturer Designtex, and his wife Muriel were influential art patrons, whose love of the arts profoundly shaped Lisa’s creative and philanthropic pursuits.
Saltzman’s career began in advertising, where she led a successful promotional merchandise
company, creating much of the visual content herself. She later refined her craft by studying
contemporary arts at Christie’s and the International Center of Photography. In 2020, Saltzman established the Saltzman Family Foundation after her father passed away, to honor her parents’ legacy and their shared commitment to the arts. Following her mother’s passing in 2022, the foundation continues to celebrate and uphold their vision. Through the foundation, she has launched initiatives such as the Saltzman Prize, created in partnership with the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) and PhotoFairs NY, to recognize and support emerging photographers. She also founded the Ralph Saltzman Prize, which celebrates innovation in product design in collaboration with London’s Design Museum, and a student design award at the Fashion Institute of Technology focused on groundbreaking fabric development. In 2024, Saltzman founded the Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize with Annie Leibovitz to celebrate and support emerging talent in photography, while honoring the legacy of Saltzman’s parents through meaningful artistic initiatives.
Annie Leibovitz became a working photographer while she was still a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. She began taking pictures in the summer of 1968 and two years later one of her photographs was on the cover of Rolling Stone, which was then a groundbreaking counterculture magazine based in San Francisco. She was Rolling Stone’s chief photographer by 1973. By 1983, when she left Rolling Stone to join Vanity Fair and then Vogue, her photographs had become widely recognizable and distinctive interpretations of the contemporary landscape.
She is the recipient of many honors, including the International Center of Photography’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Centenary Medal of the Royal Photographic Society in London, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art Award to Distinguished Women in the Arts, the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, and the Prix de Photographie de l’Académie des beaux-arts—William Klein. She is a Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and has been designated a Living Legend by the United States Library of Congress.
Several collections of her work have been published. They include Annie Leibovitz : Photographs (1983); Annie Leibovitz : Photographs 1970–1990 (1991); Olympic Portraits (1996); Women (1999), in collaboration with Susan Sontag; American Music (2003); A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005 (2006); Annie Leibovitz at Work (2008 and 2018); Pilgrimage (2011); Annie Leibovitz : Portraits, 2005–2016 (2017); Annie Leibovitz: The Early Years, 1970–1983 (2018), and Wonderland (2021).
