Guy Tillim (41) is the winner of the DaimlerChrysler Award for Creative Photography 2004. As one of the richest arts awards in South Africa, he receives a cash prize of R30,000, a catalogue and the opportunity to showcase his work locally and abroad.

His work has been widely published in the years since he started photographing professionally in 1986. Previous awards include the Mondi Award (South Africa) for photojournalism in 1998 and in 1999 and the Prix SCAM (Societe Civile des Auteurs Multimedia) Roger Pic, 2002.

In their judging, the jury panel focused on aspects such as critical insight, interpretive sensibility, a commitment to ways of using the photographic medium, and a concern with engaging the social environment.

Due to the high standard of the work, the jury also singled out Jo Ractliffe and Andrew Tshabangu, being part of the shortlist. The other nominees were Angela Buckland, Jakob Doman, Stephen Hobbs, Brent Meistre and Zwelethu Mthethwa.

The DaimlerChrysler exhibition with the work of all eight nominees will run until the end of January, 2004, in MuseuMAfricA in Newtown, Johannesburg. The exhibition is open to the public.