The results for the Human Impact Awards 2024 are in! From powerful storytelling to inspiring creativity, our winners have captured the essence of human impact through photography. Scroll down to see our Professional Awards and Student Awards.
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Edward Matthews - 1st Place
Edward Matthews: Since the full-scale war in Ukraine began in February 2022, Ukrainian Firefighters have been working tirelessly and often risking their lives under shelling to protect both people and Ukrainian land from fire.
I have documented their work by following donated equipment from international fire partners and recording its use to encourage more support from international donors. These images were captured over two days following firefighters tackling everyday wildfires around the North Eastern city of Kharkiv.
Seth Zworestine - 2nd Place
Seth Zworestine: In June 2018 I spent two weeks photographing the original, surviving, members of the Oukloof (now Riebeek Kasteel) community, who, during the apartheid regime in South Africa (1965) had been forcibly removed from their homes and fertile farming lands and relocated across the train tracks to the base of the valley, to a place called Esterhof.
I was hugely privileged to hear their stories, be allowed into their homes and make these images. I will never be able to fully understand the hardships that they endured at the hands of the apartheid government but to be able to help bring their stories to life and into the public eye fills me with pride and gratitude.
This photographic series forms part of a much larger project which aims to shed light on other marginalised communities who deserve to have their stories told in the hopes of some form of retribution and reconciliation.
Mariusz Smiejek - 3rd Place
Mariusz Smiejek: GALAMSEY, Gather and Sell. Artisanal Gold Mining in Ghana. Gold is breaking price records on global markets at $80,000 per kilogram, while Ghanaians working in its illegal mines earn less than 1$ per day. Since the last century, an unwritten rule exists in the United States—though rarely followed today—that an engagement ring should cost "three months' salary." According to 2022 statistics, this amounts to about $16,000.
Meanwhile, Ghanaians working in extremely dangerous conditions in small, illegal gold mines, known as galamsey (from the English phrase "gather them and sell"), would have to work continuously for several decades to earn a similar amount. Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer. However, for most resource-rich countries in Africa, this is a double-edged sword, often tied to capitalist neo-colonialism.
According to a report from The Ghana Chamber of Mines, an organization that represents companies involved in the country's mining industry, foreign mining corporations' profits from exporting Ghana's gold totalled $5.1 billion, while unregistered income from smuggling is almost double in 2021. During the same period, these companies invested just $25.7 million (slightly over half a percent of their profits) into the local economy.
The gold extracted in Ghana ends up in China, India, Canada, Switzerland, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates. However, once it leaves the mine, pervasive corruption almost makes it impossible to trace.
In late August this year, the price of gold broke a historic record, reaching $80,000 per kilogram. This is the result of consistently high demand generated by the world's wealthiest nations. Nearly a third of Ghana's gold is mined illegally in galamsey operations, which support over 3 million people (around 9% of the country’s population), with approximately 1 million directly involved in mining. These workers earn between $3 and $5 a week. Children in the mines work for free, performing low-skill tasks such as digging, crushing, and washing the ore. They also separate gold from crushed rocks using mercury, creating an amalgam that they then heat to evaporate the mercury and purify the gold.
The International Labour Organization classifies illegal mining as "exceptionally dangerous," and the impact on children is particularly harmful—not only endangering their health and lives but also hindering their social and educational development. The hazardous conditions in galamsey mines are not the only threat to workers. In conversations with me, miners admitted that any attempt to extract gold near the mines owned by international corporations ends with a brutal attack by armed guards, who often rob miners of any gold they have found.
Gold mining in Ghana results in irreversible environmental destruction: forests are cut down, and rivers are poisoned with mercury. Satellite research published in the journal Science of The Total Environment shows that in southwestern Ghana alone, between 2007 and 2017, about 47,000 hectares of vegetation disappeared due to galamsey expansion, including 700 hectares in protected areas. Additionally, the internal migration of labour forces leads to a decline in agricultural production (such as cocoa, one of Ghana's most lucrative export commodities) and the collapse of many local industries crucial for the country's proper functioning.
Contact with representatives of the mines owned by international corporations was impossible—they did not respond to any emails or phone calls requesting interviews or meetings during the four years I worked on this story.
The Phil Smith Student Photographic Award
The late Phil Smith from Wex Photo Video was a much-loved and respected member of the Wex Business Team at Wex Photo Video. To honour his life and dedication to Wex Photo Video, and to highlight his love of the arts, our student award is dedicated to Phil and the prizes will go to the most exceptional submissions to this competition.
Catalina Rivera - 1st Place
Catalina Rivera: Beyond the Game looks towards the community within Burgess Sports and the Aylesbury Estate. The Aylesbury has been notorious in the media as one of Europe’s largest housing complexes, and after Tony Blair’s visit in 1997 was stigmatised as a ‘hells’ waiting room’.
In collaboration with Burgess Sports, I have created a photographic documentation of the community that transcends these media tropes. The publication aims to serve as a visual testament to the power of community engagement and the transformative impact of sports on young people. Ultimately, the project sheds light on a previously underrepresented community as a tribute to its vibrancy and a celebration of the dedicated efforts by Burgess Sports.
Niamh Williams - 2nd Place
Niamh Williams: My series of photos shows the human impact of architectural neglect and abandonment. Each image shows the negative impact people can have on architecture when the time and care haven't been applied to preserve buildings that have a history to a city. This also impacts the people of the city such as those who might have a connection to the buildings or who see them daily.
The first five images show the Friar Gate Goods Yard in Derby which was built between 1887-88 for the Great Northern Railway. The Grade II listed building has been derelict for 56 years and has been subjected to arson attacks during this time.
I closely followed every protest between October 2023 and January 2024, where millions of protesters shut down the streets of London every Saturday to raise awareness and force political figures to demand a ceasefire. My aim with this body of work was to highlight the unique methods of activism from protestors, whether it be through a sign, a flag or an item of clothing.
The next five images in this series show the old Derby Hippodrome Theatre located on Green Lane in the city centre. This Grade II listed building was built in 1914 when these buildings were used for both live theatre and cinema. In later years it was converted into a bingo hall and closed its doors for good in 2007. Since then they have both fallen into disrepair due to abandonment, arson and vandalism.
They have both been owned by people who wanted to demolish the buildings in order to develop the land into something more profitable but declined planning permission. I decided to take a wide shot of these buildings to show the scope of the neglect and close-up shots to focus on the details that each of these buildings have.
These might be details that people might not usually notice such as the scorch marks from the fires, the blackened nails left on the roof joists and the sun shining through the broken roof. I chose the display my series in black and white to help draw the viewer's eye to the subject shown instead of being distracted by any colour. This also helped to highlight the solemn feel of the buildings and to pass these emotions onto the viewer through the image.
Rikki Altamirano - 3rd Place
Rikii Altamirano: Widow - The Testament of Pure Love. This is a story of love from a widow which is my mother's love for my father, who passed away almost a decade ago. Their love was a beautiful and deep connection that has continued to inspire me to this day.
Every day, my mother visits my father's grave, the distance is very far from where we live approximately 5 miles, and it is in those moments that I see the true strength of their love. As she lights a candle and sits quietly, I can feel the memories of their life together come flooding back to her. I can see the joy in her smile, even as tears run down her cheeks.
It is in these moments that I am reminded of the power of love. I can see that, for my mother, love is not something that is confined to the past. It is a living force that continues to inspire and guide her every day. Through her example, I have learned that true love is not just about being together in life, but about the ways in which we continue to cherish and honour those we love, even after they have passed. My mother's love for my father is a beautiful testament to the depth and endurance of true love.
To any couples who may be struggling, I want to offer my mother's story as a source of hope and inspiration. Even in the darkest of times, love has the power to guide us and lift us up. It is a force that endures, even after death. I am grateful for the love that my parents shared, and for the ways in which that love continues to inspire me every day. May their love be a guiding light for all who seek to find true love and connection in their lives.
