The winner of the inaugural The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence in collaboration with GOST Books is Laura Pannack for her project ‘The Journey Home from School’. Pannack will collaborate with GOST Books to have a book of her project published in 2026.
The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence was founded to support an established photographer working in long form documentary with the production of a book. The award honours and promotes the legacy of the renowned late photographer Tom Stoddart and his commitment to supporting photojournalism. The award is organised in parallel with the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant. The Call for Entries opened in July 2025 and in this first year of the award there were 184 submissions from 47 countries.
Laura Pannack’s winning project, ‘The Journey Home from School’, combines analog
photography, poetry, drawing, painting and collage to represent the perilous journey of
children to and from school in the Cape Flats, South Africa. During a residency at A4 Arts Foundation Pannack began the project by running poetry and lo-fi workshops for NGOs, youth clubs and schools in various suburbs of Cape Town. This creative act was an effort to produce material offering an insight into the confusing and challenging world of adolescence. This shared dialogue allowed the project evolve organically and for Pannack to build relationships with several young people and their families. The materials they created collectively build a layered portrait of youth in a complex place where safety is never certain. Though rooted in the Cape Flats, this project represents the resilience of young people worldwide, who walk home through war zones, cross borders drawn by others, and inherit histories they did not write.
As part of the award, Pannack will receive £5000 towards the completion of her project. She will work with GOST Books in the coming months to edit and sequence the photographs, artworks and text, with the opportunity to travel to Italy to see the book go on press next year.
The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant wishes to thank Kevin Burke OBE for his generous support
Comments from the judging panel:
‘Tom would be immensely proud that we are able to continue supporting photographers and their long form documentary work in his name. Many congratulations to Laura on being our inaugural recipient. I have followed her remarkable career from her early days working as an assistant to Simon Roberts, who in turn was an Ian Parry award recipient.’
Aidan Sullivan, Founder and Chairman, The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant
‘We are delighted to give The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence to Laura on this, our inaugural year. Laura’s project is a fantastic example of long form documentary storytelling and I know that Tom would be immensely happy that she is the recipient.’
Harriet Logan, Executive Director of The Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant, winner of the grant in 1992, and Co-Curator of the Incite Project.
‘I was honoured to be part of the judging process for the inaugural Tom Stoddart Award. It was a hugely enjoyable, yet difficult, process given the exceptionally high standard of entries. Congratulations to Laura Pannack, a well-deserved winner.’
Jon Jones, Head of Photography at The Observer
‘We were very impressed with Laura’s submission due to the depth of collaboration she had with her subjects. This, coupled with her unique eye, makes for a subtle and layered project and publication.’
Stuart Smith, Director GOST Books
The Call for Entries for The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence 2026 will open in May next year.
Laura Pannack worked with producer Lauren Theunissen in partnership with Project Hope, Where Rainbows meet, New World Foundation and initially through a residency with A4 Arts Foundation
Laura Pannack (b.1985) is a London based photographer educated at Central Saint Martins, LCC and University of Brighton BA Hons. Known for her portraiture and social documentary work, she seeks to explore the complex relationship between subject and photographer. Pannack’s work has been exhibited internationally and at the National Portrait Gallery, Houses of Parliament, Somerset House and the Royal Festival Hall in London. John Kobal Award, Vic Odden Prize, World Photo Press Awards, Juliet Margaret Cameron Award, Sony World Photo Awards, HSBC Prix de la Photographie Prize, and the Camera Clara Prize
Tom Stoddart was a renowned British photojournalist with a career spanning five-decades. He worked as a freelancer for major publications like The Sunday Times, covering pivotal historical events including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Lebanese Civil War, the siege of Sarajevo and the 2003 invasion of Iraq—his archive of images serves as a testament to late 20th and early 21st centuries. Tom passed away in 2021, and the award was introduced in his name to continue to promote his legacy, his passion for the industry and his commitment to supporting photojournalism.