I’m overjoyed to announce that Shining Lights has won the Photography Catalog of the Year Award at the prestigious Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards!
This recognition feels deeply meaningful, as it reflects the incredible journey this book has taken—rooted in collaboration, discovery, and a deep passion for storytelling through images and text.
The awards celebrate excellence in photobook publishing across three categories: First PhotoBook, PhotoBook of the Year, and Photography Catalog of the Year. This year, they received 940 entries from 59 countries, showcasing the extraordinary diversity in contemporary photobook publishing.
The jury included Kim Bourus, founder and director, Higher Pictures; Azu Nwagbogu, curator; Lisa Sutcliffe, curator, Department of Photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone, creative director, M le magazine du Monde; and Mame-Diarra Niang, artist. The shortlist jury consisted of the following international team: Negar Azimi, editor in chief, Bidoun; Jacqueline Bates, photography director, Opinion, New York Times; Michael Famighetti, editor in chief, Aperture; Nontsikelelo Mutiti, director of graduate studies in graphic design, Yale School of Art; and Anna Planas, artistic director, Paris Photo.