Nick Ut

Nick Ut is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer who shot the iconic Vietnam War photo often referred to as “Napalm Girl.” He joined the AP as a combat photographer in Vietnam. After the war, he remained with the AP stateside, working as a court photographer. His photos of Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, Paris Hilton and other celebrities received widespread attention.

His work with the AP in Vietnam placed him at the pinnacle of his profession. The highlight of his career came on June 8, 1972, when he photographed Kim Phuc running and screaming down route 1 after her village had been bombed with Napalm by South Vietnamese planes. Immediately after making the photo, he rushed the girl to a hospital, which saved her life.

Ut’s photo of Kim Phuc received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot New Photography. It was also named World Press Photo of the Year. Ut reunited with Kim Phuc after the war, and they remain close friends.