WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 10, 2025 – The White House News Photographers Association® (WHNPA) is proud to announce the winners of its annual ‘Eyes of History®’ visual journalism student competition, marking a year of unprecedented achievements.
This year’s competition saw a record-breaking number of submissions in the Still Photography Portfolio division, leading WHNPA to recognize three outstanding students: Luke Johnson of George Washington University as the WHNPA 2025 Student Still Photographer of the Year, Abbey Cutrer of the University of Kentucky with second place, and Anna Connors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with third place.
In a historic first, a student placed in both the Still Photography and Video Photography competitions. Anna Connors made history by earning honors in both categories, demonstrating exceptional storytelling skills across multiple formats.
Additionally, for the first time, the WHNPA Student Video Photographer of the Year title was awarded to a team. Anna Connors and Aayas Joshi of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were recognized as the WHNPA Student Video Photography Team of the Year, highlighting the growing importance of collaboration in visual storytelling.
The student video competition judges praised Connors and Joshi for their exceptional teamwork, which elevated their documentary to the highest level. This year’s judging panel included Nate Luna of ABC News, Lance Ing of WRC-TV, Joann Sierra of ABC News, and Hadley Green of The Washington Post. Sierra, praised the top winning video saying “It was evocative and heartbreaking. I felt connected to the community trying to save the population of one of America’s most iconic animals, the buffalo.”
“The record-breaking participation and historic firsts in this year’s competition showcase the remarkable talent, the evolution of storytelling, and the power of collaboration,” WHNPA President Jessica Koscielniak said of the contest.
The still photography competition is chaired by Anna Moneymaker of Getty Images and was judged by Jabin Botsford of The Washington Post, Elizabeth Frantz of Reuters, and Eric Lee of The New York Times.
“Luke’s portfolio showed a strong sense of moment and creativity,” Lee said of the winning work. “The level of intimacy and the stories provided showed deep understanding of the people he was working with and a commitment to digging deep into understanding them better.”
Broadcast video stories and long-form features were also recognized in this year’s student video competition, with honorees from George Washington University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, Michigan State University, and The Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. The student video competition was chaired by Bethany Swain, photojournalist and educator from CNN and University of Maryland.
Full results will be available on the WHNPA website: www.whnpa.org.
The top winners of the still, video, digital, and student contests will be honored at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala on September 6, 2025, in Washington. The black-tie event celebrates all the winning visual journalists.
The White House News Photographers Association® is a 104-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of Washington’s professional visual journalists. The WHNPA aims to provide professional and educational outreach to its members and the community through scholarships, programming, an annual competition, and a celebration of the industry at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala.
For more information, please contact Jessica Koscielniak at [email protected] or Executive Director Heidi Elswick at [email protected]. For further information about ‘The Eyes of History®’ and to view the winning images and videos, visit the WHNPA website at www.whnpa.org.