Spanish photojournalist Luis Tato, 37, received the Visa d’or News award on Saturday in Perpignan, the top honor at the Visa pour l’Image festival. He was recognized for his coverage of the Generation Z uprising in Madagascar in 2025.
As an AFP correspondent for East Africa and the Indian Ocean, Tato spent about ten days with Malagasy protesters. The movement, which began on September 25, 2025, denounced failures in public services, corruption, and economic hardships. The crackdown on these protests preceded the military-led overthrow of then-President Andry Rajoelina in mid-October.
The photographer noted that he was struck by a movement that fits into a wave of Gen Z youth mobilizations observed in 2025 in several countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bulgaria. “This global movement of young people trying to redefine democracy and evolve their societies is a very interesting dynamic,” he told AFP.
Following the announcement, Tato paid tribute to Jean-François Leroy, the founder of Visa pour l’Image, who passed away on Monday at the age of 69. He recalled that Leroy had “given him his chance” by exhibiting his work for the first time at the festival in 2018. “No one has done as much for our ecosystem,” he praised.
An AFP employee since 2023, Tato thanked the young Malagasy people, expressing his “deep respect” for their understanding of the importance of having their story told. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, he serves as the chief photographer and photo coordinator for AFP in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. A winner of the Prix de la ville de Perpignan Rémi Ochlik in 2018, he has also been honored three times by World Press Photo (2021, 2025, and 2026). In 2023, Pictures of the Year International named him “Photographer of the Year.”
Other awards were presented during this 38th edition, including honors for Philémon Barbier, Jérôme Gence, and Palestinian photographer Khames Alrefi. The festival, which remains free to the public, continues in Perpignan until September 13.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-06 16:38:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/photographie-luis-tato-recompense-pour-son-travail-sur-le-soulevement-de-la-generation-z-de-septembre-octobre-2025-a-madagascar/