Zifan Zhang has received Award of Excellence at POYi

This week, Zifan Zhang has received an Award of Excellence in the Portrait Category at the 83rd Pictures of the Year International (POYi).

Diāna Grasmane, 19, poses for a portrait at her home in Riga on March 27, 2025. She is a transgender woman and activist, and she confronts societal norms and challenges in Latvia, using her visibility to advocate for queer and transgender people in transphobic misinformation. She sees herself as a “radical political act” rooted in kindness and respect. Through community engagement, Diana provides essential support to others while pushing for a more inclusive future, despite the personal toll of her activism. Photo: Zifan Zhang

Zifan Zhang has received the prize at POYi with the above portrait which is a part of his project Being Young in Latvia. The project was made a Photo 1 magazine workshop during Zifan’s study at DMJX in the spring 2025.

Pictures of the Year International was established in 1944 and is thereby the oldest photojournalism competition in the World.