Jury 2027
Candida NG (President of the Marai Photo Grant 2027 jury)
Photo Director for the Asia-Pacific region at Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Candida NG manages a team of 60 photographers and three photo editing desks to ensure the Asia-Pacific region is well-represented in terms of news coverage, visibility, and diversity. With 20 years of experience in international wire agencies, Candida has directed coverage of key events to match the daily news agenda and led live editing teams to work under tight, deadline-driven conditions. She was the Asia-Pacific and Oceania jury chair for the World Press Photo 2025 competition, jury member for the 15th edition of the Carmignac Award and part of the 2022 Women Photograph Mentorship Class.
Photo by Sarah Isaacs
Ami Vitale instagram
Photographer and Filmmaker
Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer at Large, Nikon Ambassador, award-winning photographer, writer, and documentary filmmaker whose work explores the vital connections between people, wildlife, and the planet. With nearly three decades of experience working in over 100 countries, Ami uses storytelling as a tool for conservation, empathy, and action. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including Conservation International's Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship, the Lucie Humanitarian Award, the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service, the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting, and six World Press Photo awards. She is an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and an inductee into the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame.
Smita Sharma instagram
Photojournalist, visual storyteller and speaker
Smita Sharma is a Delhi based photojournalist, visual storyteller and speaker focusing on human rights, gender, social and environmental issues in the Global South. Her work has won a great and growing number of international awards and been exhibited around the world, including at the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva. A TED and IWMF fellow, as well as a National Geographic photographer, she has also worked on commission for several NGOs and major media outlets. She also teaches photography workshops and serves as a jury member to a number of grants and awards worldwide.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds
Chief Photographer for the Tokyo bureau at Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Since joining AFP in 2011, he has worked across South Asia, the Middle East, West Africa, and the United States. He previously served as Reuters' chief photographer in Sri Lanka and has covered American politics in Washington, including 7 years on the White House beat. His work has received numerous industry honors, including awards from the White House News Photographers Association and the Tokyo International Foto Awards. Before becoming a photojournalist, he worked in humanitarian relief with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and as a U.S. Forest Service hotshot firefighter.
Sara Hussein
Future of the Planet Reporter, Asia-Pacific region, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Sara Hussein is AFP’s first Future of the Planet reporter, covering climate change and environmental issues across the Asia-Pacific region. She has reported from more than a dozen countries across three continents during her career. She has covered conflict, natural disasters, major summits, political upheaval, and the Olympic Games. She is based in Bangkok, after postings in Tokyo, Beirut, Jerusalem and Washington DC. Her role involves producing original reporting on climate and environmental issues, and coordinating coverage across the region.