Named for photojournalist Kamaran Najm, who disappeared while covering fighting between the Kurdish Peshmerga and ISIS in Kirkuk in 2014, the Kamaran Awards were presented for the first time in 2022 by Metrography, the photojournalism agency that he co-founded.
THE KAMARAN AWARDS
The Kamaran Awards consists of two separate awards, which were bestowed at a ceremony in Sulaymaniyah on June 12, 2022.
THE KAMARAN JOURNALISM AWARD
A grant of $12,000 awarded to a journalist from anywhere in the world and working in any medium to enable them to pursue a long-term reporting project of their choice. The winner was selected by a distinguished panel.
2022 WINNER:
QAZI SHIBLI
Qazi Shibli is a journalist from Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar, with a focus on politics, human rights, and social issues. He is the founder of “The Kashmiriyat,” a media outlet focused on coverage of news and events in the region that are ignored by government-owned newspapers and media. His proposed project will focus on investigating enforced disappearances in Kashmir.
THE KAMARAN COMMEMORATIVE AWARD
An opportunity to highlight the work of one of the other photojournalists who disappeared while on assignment and call on the relevant authorities to resolve their case.
2022 WINNER:
VLADJIMIR LEGAGNEUR
Vladjimir Legagneur is a freelance photojournalist, who worked for Haitian media outlets including the daily Le Matin and the news website Loop Haïti, as well as non-governmental organizations. His photojournalism focused on cultural and political topics. Legagneur was working on an independent project when he went missing in Grand-Ravine on March 14, 2018.
Metrography Agency
Metrography was founded in 2010 by Kurdish-Iraqi photographer Kamaran Najm and American photojournalist Sebastian Meyer, with the objective of establishing an independent photojournalism industry in Iraq that breaks down ethnic, cultural, and religious barriers, fosters peer-to-peer collaboration and learning and celebrates Iraq’s diversity and history. Over the years, Metrography has gained worldwide recognition and the work of its photographers has been exhibited internationally and published on some of the most renowned media outlets.
Kamaran Najm
Kamaran Najm is a Kurdish-Iraqi photographer and founder of Metrography, the first Iraqi photo agency. During his career Kamaran worked for leading international wire agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press. He also photographed for The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The Times of London, The Financial Times magazine, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. His awards include the prestigious World Press Photo MENA Masterclass.
He disappeared while covering fighting between the Kurdish Peshmerga and ISIS in Kirkuk on June 12, 2014.
