In Pictures: World Press Photo 2021 winners

An image of an elderly woman being embraced by a healthcare worker in Brazil during the coronavirus pandemic has won the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award. Judges on Thursday described Mads Nissen’s photograph as an “iconic image of COVID-19” that memorialises “the most extraordinary moment of our lives, everywhere”. “I read vulnerability, loved ones, loss and separation, demise, but, importantly, also survival – all rolled into one graphic image,” said Kevin Wy Lee, photographer, creative director and 2021 Photo Contest jury member about the winning photo, titled The First Embrace. “If you look at the image long enough, you’ll see wings: a symbol of flight and hope.”