BIOGRAPHY
Meli Petersson Ellafi is a Swedish photojournalist based in Stockholm. Educated at the Nordic School of Photography, she is known for honest, human-centered storytelling and her ability to highlight urgent social issues.
She began her career at Expressen and later worked at Göteborgs-Posten (2018–2021), covering everything from breaking news to in-depth reportages. Today she works independently, focusing on long-term projects with empathy and precision, while also contributing news reporting and stories to newspapers and magazines.
Meli has received several awards, including Guldspaden for investigative journalism, Wendelapriset for social impact reporting, and was named Photographer of the Year 2023.
Her investigative series “Systrar” (with journalist Michael Verdicchio), about teenage girls in Sweden’s sex trade, won both Guldspaden and Wendelapriset, was nominated for the Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism, and received the INMA Global Media Award.
Her work has been exhibited at Fotografiska and Galleri Kontrast, and she continues to explore the stories that shape our world.
Awards and nominations
2024
Picture of the year Sweden - Photographer of the year
Picture of the year Sweden - 1 st Daily Life Sweden
Picture of the year Sweden - 1 st Portrait Reportage
Awarded the Documentary Photography Prize by
the museum of work in Norrköping
2021
First place in INMA Global media awards - ”Best initiative to acquire subscribers” for "Systrar"
Winner of Wendelapriset - one of Sweden's finest journalism awards for best social impact reportage
2020
Winner of Guldspaden - Sweden's finest journalism awards in
investigative journalism
Nominated for The Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism - Innovator of the Year
Picture of the Year Sweden - 3rd Sports Reportage
2018
Picture of the Year Sweden - Honorary Prize of the Jury
Nominated for Joop Swart Masterclass
2017
Picture of the Year Sweden - 1st Daily Life Sweden
Nominated for Guldspaden - Sweden's finest journalism awards in
investigative journalism
Exhibitions
2023
Vad är då en människa? - Solo Exhibitions - Vantörs Kyrka
2021
Project Panorama - Group Exhibitions - Fotografiska Stockholm
2020
Pictures of the Year - Group Exhibitions - Galleri Kontrast
2018
Pictures of the Year - Group Exhibitions - Galleri Kontrast
2017
Pictures of the Year - Group Exhibitions - Galleri Kontrast
2014
Val - Group Exhibitions - Galleri Kontrast