Valery Melnikov
Photographer/Videographer/Visual Storyteller / Based in Moscow, Russia
Freelance photographer Valery Melnikov studied journalism in Stavropol, Russia. His photographic career began at North Caucasus. He has dedicated himself to documenting the political and social life of societies in conflict.
Valery's professional biography includes coverage of Chechen war, conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia, Lebanese war in 2006, uprising of Mali Republic, Syrian civil war. In 2014, Valery began documenting war in Eastern Ukraine. This work continues in his current ongoing project, Black days of Ukraine, about ordinary civil people who became the participants of the military confrontation against their will. Valery has received many awards for his work, including World Press Photo,
Awards:
2021 World Press Photo, Netherlands, 1st Prize
2020 Pictures of the Year International (POYI), USA, Award of Excellence
2019 Budapest International Photo Award, Photographer of Year, Winner
2019 The Aftermath Project, USA, Finalist
2018 World Press Photo, Netherlands, 2-nd Prize
2017 World Press Photo, Netherlands, 1st Prize
2016 Bourse Du Talent, France, Winner
2016 Magnum Photography Awards, USA, Winner2016 — Prix International des Nouvelles Ecritures, France, Winner
2016 Fine Art Photography Awards, USA, 2nd Prize in Photojournalism category
2016 Circle of Life contest , International Photo festival "Vilnius Photo Circle", Lithuania, Winner
2016 Pictures of the Year International (POYI), USA, Award of Excellence in Portrait series and Award of Excellence in Multimedia news story
2016 Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondents, Finalist
2015 LensCulture Visual Storytelling Awards, USA, 1st Prize
2015 Kontinent photography Awards, Turkey, Honorable mentions
2015 Direct Look photo contest, FOTODOC Center for Documentary Photography, Russia, 2nd Prize
2015 Leica Oscar Barnack Award, Germany, Finalist
2015 Sony World Photography Awards, UK, 2nd Prize in the current affairs category
2015 Kolga Award, Kolga Tblisi Photo, Georgia, 1st Prize in the reportage category
2015 DAYS Japan International Photojournalism Awards, Japan, 2nd Prize
2015 China International Press photo contest (CHIPP), 1st Prize in the War & Disaster News Singles and 1st Prize in the War & Disaster News Stories
2014 Professional Photographer of the Year Contest, UK, 1st Prize in the News category
2014 China International Press photo contest (CHIPP), 1st Prize in the Portraits category and 2nd Prize in the People in the News category
2014 Silver Camera contest, Russia, Winner in "Faces" nomination
2013 Kandinsky Prize in the field of contemporary art, Russia, Nominee
2013 Sebastopol International photo festival, Ukraine, 1st Prize
2013 China International Press photo contest (CHIPP), 3d Prize in the War & Disaster News Stories
2013 International photo festival "Photoparade in Uglich", Russia, 1st & 2nd Prize
2013 Circle of Life contest , International Photo festival "Vilnius Photo Circle", Lithuania, Finalist
2012 Efremov photojournalism contest, Russia, 1st Prize
2012 Black and White Spider Awards, USA, Nominee
2010 Knokke-Heist photo festival, Belgium, The Silver Award