DURHAM, NC (January 7, 2013) – Renowned as “the contest designed for photojournalists by photojournalists,” and incorporating the many facets of the visual journalism industry, NPPA's Best of Photojournalism competition attracts the most talented professionals in still, video, multimedia, and editing, year after year.

NPPA is thrilled to announce that all four 2013 Best of Photojournalism competitions are now open for entries, and beginning today you may enter and view your submissions online. Entry is free to all participants.

The deadline for Best of Video Photojournalism (television) is Friday, January 25, 2013.

All other categories - Still Photojournalism, Photojournalism Editing, and Multimedia Photojournalism - close on Friday, February 1, 2013.

Revered as “an annual celebration of international excellence, in all forms of photojournalism and visual reportage,” the contest underwent significant reorganization in 2012. Improvements such as ease of entry, category revisions and additions, and choosing winners using a combination of both online and on-site judging will highlight the changes for the entire contest's 12th year.

During the early rounds of the four contests, more than 40 experts will be used as professional crowd source judges to insure fairness and a broad-based selection. The final selection of winners in each contest will be juried live by a fresh group of working professionals who will be brought together for the final selection.

In the Still Photography competition, categories have been added this year for the Olympics, the Road to Office, and Features. Also new this year, Television Photojournalism submissions will be entered in the Best of Video Photojournalism category. Other changes have been made to clarify the categories, and these may be found under Contest Rules and Regulations.

The Best of Photojournalism Contest Committee is led by Terry Eiler, director of Ohio University's School of Visual Communication (VisCom). Within the committee, there are four groups who oversee the various Best of Photojournalism competitions.

The Best of Still Photojournalism team includes Sherman Williams, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice; former Sports Illustrated photography editor James Colton; ZUMA Press founder, Scott Mc Kiernan; and Kevin Martin, of the San Antonio Express-News.

The Best of Video Photojournalism category is organized by Merry Murray, of KSNW-TV, in Wichita, KS. The Best of Photojournalism Editing contest is managed by Ohio University VisCom associate professor Stan Alost; and Regina McCombs, of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, leads the Best of Multimedia Photojournalism contest.

For more information about the NPPA's 2013 Best of Photojournalism contest, contact Thomas Kenniff, at [email protected]. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mindy Hutchison, NPPA executive director, at [email protected]. Current Best of Photojournalism sponsors include Ohio University, PhotoShelter, and Camera Bits.

Enter NPPA's Best Of Photojournalism competition online here.