HIGHEST HEIGHT! Michael Aboya Wins 2019 World’s Best Photographer

By Justice Dzido On Nov 9, 2019

Ghanaian photographer by name Michael Aboya has been crowned World’s ‘Best Photo of the Year’ at the 2019 Agora Awards.

The competition was hosted by free-to-use photography app Agora and received over 130,000 submissions from 193 countries.

Aboya was announced the winner on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, at a ceremony held at the Fàbrica Estrella Damm in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

The 24-year-old beat over 130,000 other photographers from almost 200 countries across the world to win the Hero Title and $25,000 cash prize.

”I believe that when BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Colour) tell their own stories, they can present the country and continent differently to the world, showing the love, peace, and harmony, and making the bright side a little bit more, putting the dark side behind it. I created this image to emphasize the fact that we have the power to free ourselves from any form of mental, physical, spiritual and emotional captivity.” – Michael Aboya, Agora Awards 2019 winner said.

With his $25,000 prize, Michael plans to invest in his passion and skills to bring his art even further:

”With the prize money, I’ll be able to invest into my photography by getting gears i need. I’ll invest into learning videography, putting my visions into moving pictures, visiting new places I have never been to capture the beautiful people and their colorful stories, support my family and give back to the community of youths.” he added after the win.

About Michael Aboya

Michael is a 24 year-old self-taught photographer from Accra, Ghana. Born and raised in Nigeria, he moved to his father’s homeland, Ghana, when he turned 13. Michael celebrates the love he feels for his country through powerful photographs that portray a cheerful and optimistic representation of the life that surrounds him.

Michael’s passion for arts and photography unfolded back in 2014 when he was studying software programming. When he abruptly lost his dad to cancer, he realised that life was too short to spend it doing something he didn’t enjoy and therefore decided to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. Shortly after dropping out of programming school, Michael gathered all the little savings and funds he had at the time (those were meant to pay for his school fees) and got himself his first professional camera.

About Agora Awards 2019 Competition

The Agora Awards 2019 competition has been running throughout 2019, where photographers from all around the world – amateurs and professional alike – could submit their best shots to the Agora free-to-use app.

Unlike any other photo contest, the Agora Awards involve professional and amateur photographers who can submit their image without any pre-established category. As such, the entries are varied and include haunting portraits, stunning landscapes, and incredible pieces of photojournalism.

On September 3rd, Agora revealed the competition’s shortlist including 50 finalists and opened the final voting phase. In keeping with the democratic nature of the app, all users could vote on their favorite photograph and have a say in who takes home the ultimate prize.