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The best Swiss press photography

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Swiss Press Photo, Stefan Bohrer.

From politics to football and art, these are the winners of this year’s Swiss Press Photo Award.

The jury of the Fondation Reinhardt von GraffenriedExternal link recently awarded Stefan Bohrer the best photo in the “news” category for his snapshot of a fire in Basel’s Rhine river harbour (above).

Nicolas Brodard won the Swiss history category by accompanying 2018 Swiss President Alain Berset over the course of several months, without actually taking a picture of him at all.

“The minister is not visible on any photo, but each picture shows his view on things,” says the young photographer. 

Eine Frau guckt durch die Scheibe einer Tür
Swiss Press Photo, Nicolas Brodard
Ein Mann unterschreibt ein Dokument
Swiss Press Photo, Nicolas Brodard
Ein Mann geht die Treppe hoch
Swiss Press Photo, Nicolas Brodard

Christian Merz won the category “everyday life” by photographing four St Nicholas figures going to visit people in prison.

Vier Samichläuse betreten ein Haus
Swiss Press Photo, Christian Merz

Anthoney Anex took the best portrait, of artist Pipilotti Rist posed on the edge of a swimming pool with her tongue out. Her 2018 installation at a Bern indoor swimming pool highlighted the deaths of the world’s coral reefs.

Eine Schwimmerin streckt die Zunge raus
Swiss Press Photo, Anthony Anex

Footballer Granit Xhaka’s tongue also featured: at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Swiss player with Albanian roots created a controversy by showing the “double eagle” symbol in a match against Serbia. With that photo, Laurent Gillieron won the category for “best sport photo”.

Sportler streckt die Zunge raus
Swiss Press Photo, Laurent Gillieron

Michel Zumstein won the “foreign reporting” category with his pictures from Niger, where he visited a rehabilitation centre for members of the Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

Personen draussen
Swiss Press Photo, Michael Zumstein
Lager in der Wüste
Swiss Press Photo, Michael Zumstein
Eine junge Frau auf einem Stuhl
Swiss Press Photo, Michael Zumstein


One of the winners of these six categories will be chosen as Photographer of the Year at a ceremony on April 24 in Bern. 

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