By Yemi Olakitan
The recipient of the ‘2022 Mkapa Awards Conservation Heroes title,’ is Anthony Onyango. He will receive a $5,000 (Sh607,000) grand prize as well as a sizable stone elephant sculpture that was particularly commissioned.
The winner was declared at a ceremony and exhibition held recently at the Kenya National Museum in Nairobi.
African Wildlife Foundation and Nature’s Best Photography’s annual competition this year garnered 9,500 entries from 57 countries, including participants from 16 African nations.
African Conservation Heroes, Coexistence and Conflict, Fragile Wilderness, African Wildlife Behavior, African Wildlife Portraits, Africa’s Backyard Wildlife, Art in Nature, Creative Digital, Mobile, Africa in Motion/Video, and two Youth Photographers of the Year, one from within Africa and one from outside the continent, are among the categories that will be up for competition.
Related Posts
A stone elephant sculpture and $1,000 (Sh121, 000) will be awarded to each category winner.
All through the year, the 77 prints and four videos that were selected for various awards will tour the world.
The images of all winners will also be exhibited at the Nairobi museum through February 2023 in large-format prints, high-definition video, and alongside the Highly Honored finalists.
According to AWF Chief Executive Kaddu Sebunya, ‘‘the competition and other strategic alliances will use their voices to define and hone the African conservation agenda for growth. The prizes are named in honour of the late former president of Tanzania, H.E. Benjamin Mkapa, who was committed to promoting conservation awareness throughout Africa and made a significant contribution to AWF programmes there.’’
“Nature photography goes beyond merely shooting pictures; it also educates and motivates people to preserve the environment. Being among the winners this year is a true honour, and it proves that Africans are capable of competing with the finest, according to Onyango, who accepted the prize.’’
