Latin America Professional Award: first look

It’s the penultimate announcement of the season! We’re thrilled to share with you the winners and the shortlist of the Latin America Professional Award, an initiative set up with Sony Latin America to celebrate dynamic and inspiring photographic work currently created within the region.

Congratulations to the winners - Ernesto Benavides (1st Place), Ivan Valencia (2nd Place), Nico Muñoz (3rd Place) - as well as to the fantastic shortlist. Winners will receive Sony digital imaging equipment and exposure through a local regional exhibition within Latin America.

In this article, we take a closer look at Captives, a winning series by Ernesto Benavides.

Captives by Ernesto Benavides documents the Ayabaca pilgrimage, a deep-rooted Catholic tradition within the Latin American region. It’s the largest pilgrimage on the continent, attracting thousands of Catholics from many different backgrounds to southern Peru, where their arduous journey begins.

The Ayabaca pilgrimage is not for the fainthearted - followers embark on a four month walk covering more than 2,000 km. This journey of penance often attracts a specific type of pilgrim - Catholic criminals in search of redemption.

Benavides writes: ‘For these pilgrims, the body becomes theologically significant in the process of atoning for their sins as if to wipe the slate clean for another year.’

Benavides paints a striking picture of this pilgrimage in his series, capturing the cathartic rituals performed by the devoted believers in the hopes of forgiveness.

Discover all of Latin America Professional Award winning and shortlisted series in the gallery below and view the world through the lens of photographers working within the region.

VIEW GALLERY