Venezuelan photographer Ronaldo Schemidt has won on Thursday the esteemed World Photo Press Award for his powerful image of a protester consumed by fire amid violent clashes with riot police during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela in 2017.

Clashes between protesters and the Venezuelan national guard broke out on May 3, 2017, and Salazar was set alight when the gas tank of a motorbike exploded. He survived the incident.

Australian photographer Patrick Brown won in the General News — Singles category for “Rohingya Crisis,” his haunting image of the bodies of Rohingya refugees laid out on the ground after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized off the coast of Bangladesh. Of the roughly 100 people on the boat before it capsized, only 17 survived.

The World Press Photo of the Year, the world’s most coveted photojournalism award, honors photographers who have created timeless images that capture an event or issue of fundamental journalistic importance in the last year.

In 2018, the World Press Photo jury chose six nominees for the main prize, shortlisting as well photos in eight different categories — including a new environment category. Altogether, 42 photographers from 22 countries were selected and of these, 15 have won previous World Press Photo awards, while 27 are being recognized for the first time. Read more