Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, in partnership with Dove, has today announced the winners of the #ShowUs Body Positivity Grant, awarding two photographers US$5,000 each to pursue their stories celebrating body positivity.
Submissions were judged on criteria looking to shatter stereotypes and conventions via Body Positivity – encouraging photographers and filmmakers to celebrate the unique journeys of what it means to exist as women, femmes and non‑binary people in the world. These grants look to honour the full spectrum of diverse experiences – from thriving in one’s body, to having a more challenging relationship to it – all experiences are valid, welcome, and appreciated.
Judges gave particular consideration to photographers and filmmakers who depict authentic stories of women, femmes and non‑binary individuals in their local communities.
The winners of the two grants are:
- Anastasia Rudenko is a freelance photographer living in Russia engaged in social documentary photography. The main topics in her personal projects are domestic violence, mental and other disabilities and prison life. Anastasia’s winning project ‘Five Strong Women’ is focused on depicting real people whom she met through her career as a documentary photographer. About life as it is, about friendship, about drama and about happiness in the end.
- Ameya Jay is a filmmaker and photographer born and raised in Tokyo, who’s work mostly centers around documenting minorities and pushing for stories that are either untold or often go under the radar. Ameya’s winning project ‘From my hands to yours’ – will investigate the Deaf LGBT+ Community in Osaka, Japan. The main subject will be Fuyumi, a Deaf LGBT+ activist and founder of the Deaf LGBT Community. Fuyumi helps with counselling, peer‑advising as well as helping deaf LGBT+ people navigate HIV.
Ameya said on winning the grant: “Body positivity includes many things, women with scars, non‑binary people who are challenging gender stereotypes, as well as women of all shapes and sizes. However, I have not seen a lot of people represent or show different styles of communication and I look forward to my work doing that.”
Submissions were judged by a prestigious panel of creatives including:
- Imogen‑Blue Hinojosa: Artist and filmmaker
- Sarah Waiswa: Award‑winning photographer and founder of African Women in Photography
- Shina Peng: Photographer
- Leandro Barreto: Global Vice President, Dove
- Reya Sehgal: Creative Insights Manager, Getty Images
In addition to the financial prize, the successful recipients will also be invited to license their award‑winning content through gettyimages.com and iStock.com at a 100% royalty rate for content created within their proposed project. Recipients will also receive mentoring support and guidance.
The grant is part of Getty Images’ ongoing commitment to promoting diversity within creative commercial content and elevating the work and the voices of women, femme and non‑binary photographers and filmmakers as championed with Project #ShowUs. Created in partnership with Dove, the Project #ShowUs collection is a global library of images created by women, femme and non‑binary individuals devoted to shattering beauty stereotypes around the world.
The Getty Images #ShowUs Grant is part of Getty Images’ wider grants program, which since its inception has donated over US$1.8 million to photographers and filmmakers around the world.
