World Press Photo withdraws recognition from Nick Ut for "Napalm Girl"

The World Press Photo Foundation is suspending the attribution of photographer Nick Ut as the author of one of the most famous and iconic war photos in history for now. According to the organization (PDF), new investigations have cast considerable doubt on whether Ut actually took the famous "Napalm Girl" photo from the Vietnam War.

According to World Press Photo, this decision was triggered by the documentary "The Stringer", which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2025. The film suggests that Vietnamese freelance photographer Nguyen Thanh Nghe took the photo.

The Associated Press (AP) news agency, for whom Nick Ut was working at the time, subsequently conducted an extensive investigation (PDF). The AP's technical analysis revealed that the photo was probably taken with a Pentax camera – and not, as previously assumed, with a Leica. This result supports the version of Nghe, who claims to have used a Pentax.

However, previously unknown footage from the US broadcaster NBC reveals another possible author: the Vietnamese military photographer Huynh Cong Phuc. He can be seen in the footage very close to the position from which the famous photo was taken.

Contradictions in the film

The AP investigation also uncovers contradictions in the portrayal of the film "The Stringer". The film claims, for example, that only Nghe was in the correct position at the time the photo was taken. The NBC footage disproves this account.

According to AP analysis, the distance between the photo position and a person shown later in the film, who is potentially Nick Ut, is also significantly less than stated in the film. Namely, about 30 to 50 meters instead of the claimed 60 meters.

Nick Ut confirmed to AP that, in addition to his well-known Leica and Nikon cameras, he also carried a Pentax –, an heirloom from his brother who died in the war. This statement was confirmed by his sister-in-law in an AP interview.

The authenticity of the photo itself is not in question. The significance of the picture for war reporting also remains undisputed. The photo shows the nine-year-old girl Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked and screaming along a street after a napalm attack.

"As no clear conclusions can be drawn, we are suspending the attribution of the author until conclusive proof of authorship is available," World Press Photo explains in its investigation report.

Kim Phuc herself rejects the new allegations. In a statement to AP, she describes the allegations as "false" and refers to eyewitness reports that confirm Nick Ut as the photographer.

(tho)