It’s that wonderful time of year again, where all the greatest photojournalists share their work to be judged in multiple categories to hopefully obtain the title of Picture of the Year. POYi is a great contest, and makes the Missouri School of Journalism look awesome for holding it each year.

According to the competition’s website, POYi has been around since 1944, brought about to celebrate photographers in a time of war. It was originally called the “First Annual Fifty-Print Exhibition,” until Mizzou partnered with the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) to make Pictures of the Year International the official name. NPPA and Mizzou have since parted ways, but now, the Missouri School of Journalism runs this competition all on its own, with funding help from big names such as Fujjifilm, MSNBC, and even National Geographic.

This year marks the 69th contest, with thousands of photos entered. Judging has been going on in the Fred W. Smith Forum in RJI since February 8th, and concludes February 28th. So far, twenty five winners have been chosen for all kinds of categories. There are still twenty three awards to be given before the end of the competition.

The winners of these multiple categories get to have their work displayed in the fancy lobby of RJI, where countless students, parents, alumni, and just passersby get to view them until next year’s competition.

POYi is a great competition and experience for those involved, as well as for young journalists of the Missouri School of Journalism to have a better appreciation for photography and photojournalism as a whole. It’s an even better opportunity for young photojournalists to see what they could be doing in any number of years.

For those of you who haven’t yet, go check out the judging. It’s a great experience to say you were around for and observed such a prestigious competition at your own J-School! And if you can’t make it to the Forum, they are also streaming the judging online via their website. So, go ahead and join the discussion!

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