Cover A Pulitzer Prize finalist photograph by Hannah Reyes Morales of a young mother and her newborn son in Mozambique
A Pulitzer Prize finalist photograph by Hannah Reyes Morales of a young mother and her newborn son in Mozambique
1 / 1
Meet Hannah Reyes Morales, Ren Galeno, and Nicole Dungca—the three Filipina creatives named finalists in the prestigious 2024 Pulitzer Prize
Three Filipinas made it to the list of finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize, one of the most prestigious honours journalists can receive, for bringing attention to stories that matter.
Photojournalist and Tatler Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow Hannah Reyes Morales is a finalist in the Feature Photography category for her photographs in the New York Times article, How the Youth Boom in Africa Will Change the World.
According to the award-winning body, Reyes Morales was selected for “documenting a ‘youthquake’ in Africa where, by 2050, the continent will account for one-quarter of the world’s population and one-third of its young people”.
Above Young Kenyans making a dance video in downtown Nairobi. (Photo: Hannah Reyes Moralez/The Washington Post/Pulitzer)
Young Kenyans making a dance video in downtown Nairobi. (Photo: Hannah Reyes Moralez/The Washington Post/Pulitzer)
1 / 1
“Thank you to everyone we photographed. It was not the easiest assignment, but those we photographed helped us understand, bit by bit, what it means to be young and reshaping Africa and the world,” Reyes Morales wrote in her Instagram post. She said she’s still in a daze since she found out about being a Pulitzer finalist.
Reyes Morales is known for her photographs that capture kindness in the face of suffering and perseverance that governs everyday existence. Her notable works include forced marriages in Cambodia, women’s experiences with assault in South Sudan, the toll of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and the long-term effects of the colonisation of women’s bodies in the Philippines.
Read more: 6 Asian journalists who are amplifying the stories that need to be told
Morales has won several honours, including the 2023 World Press Photo Award and the 2023 Pictures of the Year International Award. In 2021, she was also chosen as the Nobel Peace Prize photographer.
Above Nicole Dungca is a Filipino American illustrator nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for her work ‘Searching for Maura’ alongside Ren Galeno (Photo: Pulitzer)
Above Davao visual artist Ren Galeno is one of the finalists nominated alongside Nicole Dungca for her work ‘Searching for Maura’ (Photo: Pulitzer)
Nicole Dungca is a Filipino American illustrator nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for her work ‘Searching for Maura’ alongside Ren Galeno (Photo: Pulitzer)
1 / 2
Meanwhile, two other Filipinas were part of a team of illustrators from The Washington Post who made it as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for their work Searching For Maura.
Filipino American Nicole Dungca and Davao visual artist Ren Galeno, along with The WashingtonPost’s newsroom copy aide Claire Healy, were nominated for their “masterful and sensitive use of the comic form to reveal a great injustice to a group of Filipinos exhibited at the 1904 World’s Fair in St Louis, where some of them died”.
Dungca is an investigative reporter at The Washington Post. With a background at the Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team and experience covering topics such as racism, criminal justice and transportation, Dungca is recognised for her impactful journalism. Hailing from Davao City, Galeno is a visual artist specialising in comics and illustration. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in painting, Galeno’s artistic journey encompasses diverse creative endeavours.
Read more: Michael Varcas on why he takes photographs of the Philippines in its purest form
Above A cover photo for The Washington Post’s ‘Searching for Maura’
A cover photo for The Washington Post’s ‘Searching for Maura’
1 / 1
“I’m endlessly grateful for the incredible team who brought [the titular Maura’s] story to the surface. I’m honoured to have worked and learned from them.” Galeno said in a Facebook post.
Dungca pinned the Searching for Maura story on her X page, highlighting how stories can spur action. “[Maura] was an Indigenous Filipino woman who came to St Louis to be put on display at the World’s Fair. When she died, an anthropologist likely took her cerebellum,” she shared.
Read more: 5 award-winning photographers discuss the power of photography to evoke global change
Two other Filipinos, Manny Mogato and Carlos P Romulo, have been awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2018 and 1942, respectively. According to The Asian Journal, several Filipino-Americans also made notable achievements in this realm, including Byron Acohido and Alex Tizon in 1997, Cheryl Diaz Meyer in 2004, and Jose Antonio Vargas in 2008, who were part of The Washington Post staff.
Another photographer from the Tatler Gen.T community, Ezra Acayan, earned recognition as a finalist in 2021. Multi-awarded journalist Romeo Gacad, who tragically passed away in 2021, was honoured as a two-time finalist and three-time nominee.
Meet more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow in Media and Marketing.
NOW READ
Photojournalist Ezra Acayan on his journey to becoming a Pulitzer Prize finalist
These award-winning media practitioners champion freedom of expression
5 award-winning photographers discuss the power of photography to evoke global change
Topics
Syrah is Tatler Philippines’ Power & Purpose editor, where she spotlights extraordinary journeys shaping the Philippines and Asia. She covers business, innovation, impact, and culture—chasing the people, ideas and forces shaping how we live and think today.
