Josemi Díez’s “Nicolás” won first prize in the 18th LA SIDRA International Photography Competition. The jury assessed 120 photographs by 37 photographers and selected 18 works for the accompanying exhibition.
LA SIDRA.— Photography once again offers a distinctive perspective on cider culture. Logroño photographer Josemi Díez received the first prize of €700 and the Spanish Photography Confederation’s gold medal for “Nicolás”.
The jury reached its unanimous decision in the competition’s 18th edition on 4 October at the Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa Performing Arts Creation Centre in Llangréu. Its members were Luis José Vigil-Escalera, María del Carme Pérez, Marta Menéndez, Carlos Suárez and Laura Prego.
The four awards
Second prize went to Xixón’s Óscar Chamorro for “Sidra de Xixón”, receiving €200 and the CEF silver medal. Third prize went to José Reyes, from Sant Boi de Llobregat, for “La vendedora de manzanas”, with €100 and the bronze medal.
The Sidra JR Special Mention was awarded to Juan Carlos Hernández, from Xixón, for “Fotosidra”. The award comprises €100 and two cases of cider from the sponsoring producer.
The competition again recognised returning entrants. Chamorro received the Sidra JR mention in the previous edition, while Hernández won second prize. The 2025 awards form part of this continuing relationship between photography and cider.
Eighteen photographs for an exhibition
The final selection comprises 18 photographs by 14 photographers. Josemi Díez also has “Bodegon-11” and “De buen palo buena astilla” in the exhibition; José Reyes adds “Asturies en mi memoria”, and Juan Carlos Hernández contributes “La obra de arte y el cuadro”.
The selection also includes work by Pedro José Bermúdez, Alejandro Bibiano, María Fuerte, Patxi Irazabal, Cristóbal Martín, Eduardo San Vicente, Carmen Gavilán, Arbil Iciar Manterola, José Luis Iraola and Pablo Pérez. The photographers are based in Asturies, La Rioja, Catalonia, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands and Andalusia.
The magazine places the awards ceremony in November, with the “Semeyes Sidreres” exhibition initially planned for La Galana cider house in Xixón before touring other venues. The precise date remains subject to confirmation in the event information.
The LA SIDRA Photography Competition is supported by the regional Department of Culture, Language Policy and Sport. It helps document and pass on a living culture, a theme also explored in this month’s editorial. The feature and winning images appear on pages 65–67 of LA SIDRA’s October issue.
Image: “Nicolás”, by Josemi Díez. First prize and CEF gold medal. Reproduced from LA SIDRA 270.
