Tyler Portis Hicks (born July 9, 1969) is a photojournalist who works as a staff photographer for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Based in Kenya, he covers foreign news for the newspaper with an emphasis on conflict and war.
Hicks was present during the deadly attack by terrorists on the Westgate shopping center in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...
on September 21, 2013. As injured victims tried to escape, Hicks entered the mall and followed Kenyan army and police as they searched for Al-Shabaab militants. For this work he was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography as well as the Robert Capa Gold Medal, awarded by the Overseas Press Club of America. In 2016, he received another Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...
, sharing it with Mauricio Lima, Sergey Ponomarev, and Daniel Etter "for photographs that captured the resolve of refugees, the perils of their journeys and the struggle of host countries to take them in."
Hicks was named the newspaper photographer of the year by the
Missouri School of Journalism
The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in all areas of journalism and strategic comm ...
's Pictures of the Year International in 2007. In 2010, his photographs from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the war correspondence of his colleagues
Dexter Filkins
Dexter Price Filkins (born May 24, 1961) is an American journalist known primarily for his coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for '' The New York Times''. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for his dispatches from Afghanis ...
and
C.J. Chivers
Christopher John Chivers (born 1964) is an American journalist and author best known for his work with ''The New York Times'' and ''Esquire'' magazine. He is currently assigned to ''The New York Times Magazine'' and the newspaper's Investigations ...
, with whom he often worked, were selected by
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
as being among the Top Ten Works of Journalism of the Decade. Hicks received a George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting in 2011.
Hicks was previously a freelance photographer based in Africa and the Balkans, and worked for newspapers in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
and
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
. He has worked in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Russia, Bosnia, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Chechnya and many countries in Africa, including South Sudan during the 2011 referendum. He graduated from
Staples High School
Staples High School is a public high school located in the town of Westport, Connecticut, United States. Staples High School is named after Horace Staples, who founded the school on April 26, 1884. Westport is one of eight school districts in Dis ...
in 1988, and went on to
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
's College of Communication, where he earned a degree in Journalism in 1992. He returned to Boston University in 2011 to deliver the commencement address at the College of Communication.
Hicks was reported missing on March 16, 2011, while covering the revolution in Libya for
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
. The ''New York Times'' reported on March 18, 2011 that Libya had agreed to free Hicks,
Anthony Shadid
Anthony Shadid (September 26, 1968 – February 16, 2012) was a foreign correspondent for ''The New York Times'' based in Baghdad and Beirut who won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting twice, in 2004 and 2010.Lynsey Addario
Lynsey Addario (born November 13, 1973) is an American photojournalist. Her work often focuses on conflicts and human rights issues, especially the role of women in traditional societies.
In 2022, she received a Courage in Journalism Award from ...
and Stephen Farrell. Hicks and his three colleagues were released on March 21, 2011, six days after being captured by pro-Qaddafi forces.
On February 16, 2012,