Finalists Named for FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards

Finalists Named for FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Financial Times and OppenheimerFunds today announced the finalists for the new FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards competition in fiction, film and art. The finalists were chosen from longlists of 10 entrants in each category, who in turn were selected from more than 800 entries from 65 emerging-market countries.

"It was both a tremendous challenge and a great honor for our panels of judges to choose the finalists from among the exceptionally talented artists in the longlists," said Michael Skapinker, associate editor of the Financial Times and chair of the judges. "The judges were thrilled by the originality and quality of the entries and are pleased to be sharing them with a global audience."

The awards will be presented at a gala ceremony on Oct. 5 at the New York Public Library. Each winner will receive a $40,000 award.

"Identifying outstanding opportunities is a critical component of our Emerging Markets investment philosophy," said Justin Leverenz, CFA, Director of Emerging Market Equities at OppenheimerFunds and a member of the fiction and art panels of judges. "Showcasing this artistic talent is another key aspect of bringing the emerging-markets story onto the global stage, and it is professionally and personally gratifying to be part of that process."

The independent panels made their determinations based on outstanding talent that exemplifies their art form and the voice of their region. To ensure that each major region would have its own area of focus, the competition was open to artists from emerging-market nations* in the following regions and categories: fiction from Africa and the Middle East; film from the Asia-Pacific region; and painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media from Latin America and the Caribbean.

"As a global asset manager that has been investing in the emerging markets for decades, we are pleased that our collaboration with the FT creates a platform to share the inspiring work of these talented artists," said Art Steinmetz, Chairman, CEO and President of OppenheimerFunds.

Fiction Finalists:

Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Granta Books, Kenya
Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga, Archipelago Books, Rwanda
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, Pushkin Press, Nigeria

Film Finalists:
Endless, Nameless by Mont Tesprateep, Thailand
Kush by Shubhashish Bhutiani, India
The Sea by Han Ting, China
Trespassed by Yuhang Ho, Malaysia

Art Finalists:
Vultures, Table of Negotiations, Mass Grave, Coloured Christ by Cristina Planas, Peru
Cabinet, Folios, Abandonment, Records by Fabiola Menchelli Tejeda, Mexico
Balancing Light, Archway, Curved, Section Cut by Pablo Mora Ortega, Colombia

For more information, visit ft.com/emerging-voices or follow the conversation on Twitter at #EmergingVoices.

*Gross national income of less than $12,746 per capita.

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The Financial Times, one of the world's leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of 737,000. Mobile is an increasingly important channel for the FT, driving almost half of total traffic.

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