New York, NY—The 20th Lucie Awards gala returns to New York City to celebrate photography with a lineup of honorees and the announcement of the fourth Impact Award recipient. The red-carpet gala will locate at New York’s renowned Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall, on Monday, October 30, 2023.
The Lucie Awards is an annual event honoring the greatest achievements in photography. The photography community from around the globe pays tribute to the most outstanding people in the field. Each year, the Lucie advisory board nominates deserving individuals across a variety of categories. They then name an honoree in each category. Furthermore, the Lucie Awards is the signature program of Lucie Foundation.
The Lucie Foundation will soon make ticket information available.
20th Lucie Awards Honorees
The following individuals were named as honorees of the 2023 Lucie Awards.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Raymond Depardon
Born in France in 1942, Depardon began taking photographs at the age of 12. Apprenticed to a photographer-optician in Villefranche-sur-Saône, he left for Paris in 1958. In 1960, he joined the Dalmas agency in Paris as a reporter. In 1966 he cofounded the Gamma agency, reporting from all over the world.
From 1974 to 1977, as a photographer as well as filmmaker, he covered the kidnapping of a French ethnologist, François Claustre, in northern Chad. Alongside his photographic career, he began to make documentary films. Moreover, in 1978, Depardon joined Magnum and continued his reportage work until the publication of Notes in 1979 and Correspondance New Yorkaise in 1981.
Still pursuing his filmmaking career, he made 18 feature-length films and received the Grand Prix National de la Photographie in 1991. His films also won other recognitions. In 2006, Depardon was invited to be artistic director of the Rencontres Internationales d’Arles. In addition, he has published 47 books.
Achievement in Fine Art: Jo Ann Callis
Callis is an American photographer known for her intriguing and thought-provoking photographic works. Born in 1940 in Cincinnati, she has made significant contributions to the field of fine art photography; particularly in the realm of staged and constructed images. Her photographs often explore themes of domesticity, desire, intimacy as well as the human body.
Callis initially gained recognition in the 1970s for her work as part of the “fabricated photography” movement. It challenged traditional notions of photography as a purely objective medium. She began creating highly staged and meticulously composed images that incorporated elements of performance, sculpture as well as installation.
Further, she started teaching at CalArts in 1976 and remains a faculty member of the School of Art’s Program in Photography and Media. What’s more, her work has widely exhibited in such venues as the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Hammer Museum Los Angeles; the Museum of Contemporary Art; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She also has received numerous awards, grants and fellowships. Additionally, her work is part of major public and private collections in the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian, Washington D.C.; the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Centre Pompidou, Paris; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Tate Modern, London and Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Achievement in Portraiture: Ming Smith
Smith has been photographing since early childhood. Embracing photography as a spiritual practice, the Harlem-based, Detroit-born artist’s photographs reflect an exploration of movement, light, rhythm and shadow.
Moving to Harlem after graduating from Howard University in the 1970s, Smith found the neighborhood as home to a community of Black artists, musicians and performers. Moreover, a woman of many firsts, she was the first woman to join the Kamoinge Workshop, a Harlem-based collective of Black photographers documenting Black life.
Further, in 1979 she became the first Black woman photographer acquired by the Museum of Modern Art. Known for her poetic black-and-white street photography and portraits of notable Black cultural figures, Smith’s detailed approach to image making has employed a range of in-camera, darkroom and postproduction techniques. They include slowing down shutter speeds, multiple exposure prints, collage and hand-painting on prints.
Smith is in love with light—and in her work, the mundane becomes magic. Her images are intimate, whether they are catching someone’s striking stare into the camera, following the soft lines of skin and fabric, or twinkling with the speckled light of nature through the trees. She looks for something deeper than what we can take in at first glance; she looks for family, for perseverance, for joy, for life. As an artist, full recognition for her work arrived in response to several high-profile exhibitions.
Achievement in Fashion: David LaChapelle
Born in Connecticut in 1963, LaChapelle originally enrolled as a painter in high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He developed an analog technique by hand-painting his own negatives to achieve a spectrum of color before processing his film. Furthermore, at age 17, LaChapelle moved to New York City and had his first photography show at Gallery 303. Moreover, he was hired by Andy Warhol to work at Interview magazine.
Through his mastery of color, unique composition as well as imaginative narratives, LaChapelle began to expand the genre of photography. His staged tableau, portrait and still life works. He challenged devices of traditional photography. By 1997, the New York Times predicted, “LaChapelle is certain to influence the work of a new generation…in the same way that Mr. Avedon pioneered so much of what is familiar today.”
Indeed, LaChapelle has become one of the most published photographers throughout the world. His anthology of books includes LaChapelle Land (1996), Hotel LaChapelle (1999), Heaven to Hell (2006), Lost & Found, and Good News (2017). Simultaneously, his work has expanded into music video, film and stage projects. His 2005 feature film Rize was released theatrically in 17 countries. In the past 30 years, LaChapelle has also exhibited internationally in galleries and museums.
Achievement in Photojournalism: Carol Guzy
Guzy was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She studied photography and graduated in 1980 with an associate’s degree in Applied Science in Photography.
Guzy interned at the Miami Herald and upon graduation was hired as a staff photographer. She spent eight years at the newspaper before moving to Washington, DC, in 1988. There she became a staff photographer at the Washington Post through 2014. She is currently a freelancer specializing in long-form documentary human interest projects and news stories—domestic and international. Additionally, she is a contract photographer with ZUMA Press.
What’s more, Guzy is the first journalist to receive a fourth Pulitzer (for coverage of the Haitian earthquake in 2010). Previously, she was honored twice with the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography for her coverage of the military intervention in Haiti and the devastating mudslide in Armero, Colombia.
She received a third Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for her work in Kosovo. She was also named Photographer of the Year for the National Press Photographers Association three times and nine times for the White House News Photographers Association. In addition, she has earned many other prestigious awards in her chosen profession of photojournalism.
Achievement in Documentary: Jamel Shabazz
Shabazz is best known for his iconic photographs of New York City during the 1980s. A documentary, fashion and street photographer, he has authored 12 monographs and contributed to three dozen other photography-related books. His photographs are exhibited worldwide. In addition, his work is housed within the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Getty Museum.
Over the years, Shabazz has instructed young students at the Studio Museum in Harlem’s “Expanding the Walls” project; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture “Teen Curator’s” program; and the Bronx Museum’s “Teen Council.” He is also the 2018 recipient of the Gordon Parks award for excellence in the arts and humanitarianism. Additionally, Shabazz is the 2022 awardee of the Gordon Parks Foundation/Steidl book prize.
Achievement in Sports: Donald Miralle
Miralle has received 50+ international awards for his work. They include six World Press Photo Awards and Sports Photojournalist of the Year from the National Press Photographers Association and Pictures of the Year International multiple times.
Known for his unique approach to sports, adventure and portraiture, Miralle’s work is sought after by commercial and editorial clients. They include Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Outside, New York Times, Nike, Ironman, Getty Images and NFL Players Association. What’s more, he has covered every major sporting event and iconic athlete in the last 30 years. For example, he has covered 10 Olympic Games, 15 Super Bowls as well as 20+ golf majors.
Additionally, he has contributed to the industry by serving on the contest juries for the Best of Photojournalism, Swedish Pictures of the Year, and the Wisconsin and Utah Press Photographers Associations Contests. Moreover, he is active with the education of photojournalism at Brooks Institute, Art Center College of Design, and Pacific Ridge School.
Achievement in Entertainment: Firooz Zahedi
Born in Iran in 1949, Zahedi grew up in England. He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service as well as the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. He began his photographic work in 1975 by contributing to Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. In 1978 he left for Hollywood with his friend and mentor Elizabeth Taylor as her personal photographer.
While in Los Angeles, he worked with various magazines and entertainment companies. In 1991 he signed a contract with Vanity Fair. His portrait photography also appeared on the covers of major magazines: Town and Country, Glamour, Self, Esquire, Time, British GQ, In Style, People, Movieline and Tatler. He has also worked with the Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Paramount, Disney, HBO and Showtime as well as other film companies. He has produced posters for The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, Get Shorty, Practical Magic, Edward Scissorhands, Addicted To Love, Jackie Brown as well as the iconic, award-winning image for the movie Pulp Fiction.
Besides his portraiture, Zahedi has exhibited his fine art photography as well as his collages at major galleries in Los Angeles, New York, London, Basel and Dubai. His work is in the permanent collection of LACMA, as well as the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. My Elizabeth, a photographic book of his nearly 40 years of friendship with Elizabeth Taylor was published by Glitterati in 2016. Since then, he has published several other books.
Humanitarian Award: Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier
Paul Nicklen
Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker as well as marine biologist. He has documented the beauty and plight of our planet for 30+ years. His unique expertise in documentary photography allows him to create an emotional connection with wild subjects in extreme conditions. Moreover, he delivers audiences to an underwater realm witnessed by few.
In the early 1990s, Paul Nicklen’s career took a turn when he joined the ranks of National Geographic as a staff photographer. Later, in 2014, he cofounded SeaLegacy, a global conservation, education and communication agency for the ocean.
His sensitive and evocative imagery has garnered 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field. They include the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the prestigious World Press Photo for Photojournalism. In 2019, he also became the youngest person inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. That same year, his alma mater, the University of Victoria, bestowed an honorary PhD on him for his lifelong efforts to use photography in the campaign against climate change.
Nicklen’s life and work serve as a testament to the transformative power of photography and the urgent need to preserve our planet’s natural wonders. Through his breathtaking imagery and tireless efforts, he continues to educate and inspire millions worldwide, reminding us of the beauty and vulnerability of our fragile Earth.
Cristina Mittermeier
World-renowned conservationist and photographer, Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier believes that stunning visual storytelling is the key to unlocking critical action to help heal our ocean and save our planet. She also pursued an early passion for marine biology, obtaining a degree from the Universidad Autónoma de México. She has embarked on countless expeditions to study and document marine ecosystems worldwide. During these journeys, Mittermeier witnessed the alarming decline of our oceans due to overfishing, pollution as well as climate change.
In 2005, she founded The International League of Conservation Photographers, coining the phrase “conservation photography.” In 2014, she cofounded SeaLegacy. Driven by a desire to make a difference, Mittermeier recognizes the transformative potential of photography to raise awareness and inspire action.
Additionally, she is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award and the Imaging Award for Photographers Who Give Back. She was also named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action and was also named one of the World’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers.
Mittermeier’s body of work spans all seven continents. Furthermore, it showcases breathtaking landscapes, endangered wildlife and the connection between indigenous communities and their natural surroundings. Mittermeier’s legacy is a powerful reminder that we can safeguard our oceans through storytelling and collective action for future generations.
Spotlight/Visionary Award: Antwaun Sargent
Sargent is a writer, curator and director at Gagosian. He is the author of The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion (Aperture, 2019) and the editor of Young, Gifted, and Black: A New Generation of Artists (DAP, 2020). He guest-edited the May/June 2020 “New Talent” issue of Art in America. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, New Yorker and GQ as well as in museum and gallery publications.
The exhibitions The New Black Vanguard and Young, Gifted, and Black were both organized in 2019 and are currently on tour. Sargent defines the New Black Vanguard as a manifold collective of photographers across the African diaspora whose works “establish the significance of the Black figure—and even more radically, the Black creator—as a new ideal in contemporary culture.” Devoted to The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art, Young, Gifted, and Black assembles works across generations and media.
Sargent made his curatorial debut at Gagosian in 2021 with the group exhibitions Social Works (New York) and Social Works II (London). Considering the relationship between space—personal, public, institutional, and psychic—and Black social practice, the exhibitions featured works by artists who utilize space as a community-building tool and a means of empowerment.
This year, Sargent announced the gallery’s representation of Derrick Adams, Cy Gavin, and Deana Lawson. Further, 2023 exhibitions at Gagosian include Cy Gavin in New York and Rome, Honor Titus in Los Angeles, Derrick Adams in Los Angeles, and Rick Lowe in Athens.
The Impact Award
This award is given to a photographer whose image or body of work has created a difference in a given year. The Lucie Foundation will announce the recipient of this award in September.
Support Category Awards Open for Nominations
Support Category Awards are presented to individuals, companies and organizations that are an integral part of crafting an image. These awards are not for photographers but for those who support the photography community.
The public is invited to nominate those from the photography creative community for consideration. The Lucie photographer advisory board will vote on all the nominations to choose the final support category honoree in each of the given disciplines. The nominees’ works/projects must be from October 2022 through September 2023. 
Support Categories
ADVERTISING
- Art Producer of the Year: Awarded to
- Art Producer
- Creative Director of the Year: Awarded to Creative Director
- Advertising Campaign of the Year: Awarded to Agency
PUBLISHING
- Book Publisher of the Year: Awarded to Publisher
- Photo Editor of the Year: Awarded to Photo Editor
- Photography Content of the Year: Awarded to Publisher
PHOTO EXHIBITION
- Photo Museum Exhibition of the Year: Awarded to Museum
- Photo Gallery Exhibition of the Year: Awarded to Gallery
- Photo Curator of the Year: Awarded to Curator
PRODUCTION
- Printer Lab of the Year: Awarded to Lab
- Production Company of the Year: Awarded to Production Company
- Digital Tech of the Year: Awarded to Digital Tech
EDUCATION
- Photo Educator of the Year: Awarded to Photo Educator at a University or Workshop
- Photo Program of the Year: Awarded to Organization or University
- Photo Festival of the Year: Awarded to Director(s) and/or Founders
