Ghanaian photographer James Barnor receives Outstanding Contribution to Photography award

Ghanaian photographer James Barnor will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award at the 2027 Sony World Photography Awards, Euronews reported. The World Photography Organisation revealed that the 97-year-old artist is receiving the honor for his work documenting everyday life and Black culture. [1]

Euronews reported that Barnor was present with his camera when Ghana declared independence in 1957. In the 1960s, he took photographs for Drum magazine in London that challenged stereotypes of Black models and artists. Later in 1970, Barnor established the first colour-processing laboratory in Ghana. [1]

Barnor has been based in London since the 1990s, and his career spans six decades. His street and studio photography represents societies undergoing transition, including Ghana moving toward independence and London becoming a multicultural metropolis. Although his work was not widely known for much of his career, it has recently been discovered by new audiences. [2]

Reflecting on his career in studio and street photography from Accra to London, Barnor expressed surprise at the global reach of his early work. Euronews reported that when Barnor opened his studio in Accra, he never imagined where his work would eventually take him. [1][2]