"No African artist has done more to enhance photography's stature in the region, contribute to its history, enrich its image archive or increase our awareness of the textures and transformations of African culture in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st than Malick Sidibe," the show's artistic director Robert Storr said. The 72-year-old Sidibe richly merited the lifetime achievement award as he has been "the signal portraitist of his city and nation and the intimate observer of the Malian musical scene." The statement said Sidibe "has preserved the likenesses of countless individuals while in the process recording the face of the rapidly changing society they, as citizens, have collectively brought into being." A visibly moved Sidibe said: "This prize honours all the world's photographers, Mali and myself," according to the ANSA news agency. (Editor:Xie Mu)