World Press Photo suspends Nick Ut’s credit for iconic 'Napalm Girl' Vietnam War image

Published on 20/05/2025 - 15:02 GMT+2

More than 50 years aft Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning image of a nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm onslaught successful nan South Vietnamese colony of Trảng Bàng, a prestigious photography organisation has formed caller uncertainty complete who really took it.

World Press Photo, which awarded nan image its 1973 Photo of nan Year, precocious announced that it has suspended its attribution to Ut, pursuing nan merchandise of a caller documentary, The Stringer, that challenges nan long-accepted relationship of nan photo’s origins.

The organisation said its independent investigation raised questions regarding Ut’s domiciled and suggested that 2 Vietnamese photographers, Nguyen Thanh Nghe - highlighted successful The Stringer - and Huynh Cong Phuc, whitethorn person been amended positioned to return nan image.

The Stringer, which premiered astatine Sundance successful January earlier this year, claims Nghe sold nan photograph to AP’s Saigon bureau main for $20 and a print, and forensic experts from nan French NGO Index besides weighed in, concluding it’s “highly unlikely” that Nick Ut took nan photograph based connected comparisons pinch different images credited to him that day.

“We reason that nan level of uncertainty is excessively important to support nan existing attribution,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive head of World Press Photo. “At nan aforesaid time, lacking conclusive grounds pointing definitively to different photographer, we cannot reassign authorship, either.”

Ut will not beryllium asked to return his rate prize from nan World Press Photo 1973 Photo of nan Year.

What do nan Associated Press person to opportunity connected nan matter?

The Associated Press, wherever Ut worked astatine nan time, person said that aft conducting 2 soul investigations it couldn't find immoderate definitive impervious to portion Ut’s in installments and nary compelling grounds anyone other took nan photo.

“We understand World Press Photo has taken different action based connected nan aforesaid disposable information, and that is their prerogative,” nan connection said. “There is nary mobility complete AP's ownership of nan photo.”