We're proud to announce the photographic finalists for the 54th Walkley Awards.
Daily Life / Feature Photography - Gallery
Proudly sponsored by Nikon
Stephen Dupont, Monster Children, “Port Moresby”
Documents lawlessness on the streets of the Papua New Guinean capital, driven by poverty and high unemployment. From “raskol” gangs to criminal rehabilitation and children’s education.
Kirk Gilmour, Illawarra Mercury and The Sydney Morning Herald, “Batten Down the Boogie Boards”
In a moment of true commitment to Aussie beach culture, one couple braved a summer storm at Towradgi beach in innovative style.
Craig Greenhill, The Daily Telegraph, “Burnout Masters”
Capturing all the booze-fuelled bravado and burning rubber that drew crowds to the 2009 Summernats car festival in Canberra.
Sport Photography - Gallery
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Mark Dadswell, Getty Images and The Sun Herald, “Golden Light”
From track and field to racehorses all in a row, these photographs capture key sporting moments with immaculate composition.
Phil Hillyard, The Daily Telegraph, “Sports Light”
The play of light is both the ultimate challenge for sports photographers and the secret to the impact and composition of these images.
Cameron Spencer, Getty Images, “Water World”
Just add water to bring out the artistry in these sport shots; from paddleboarding to sailing, snowboarding and ocean swimming.
News Photography - Gallery
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Finalists were chosen from each of two sub-categories: General and Spot News.
General News
Justin McManus, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, “Black Saturday Body”
A single body amid the blackened bush by Maroondah Highway near Narbethong is a poignant reminder of the human cost of the bushfires.
Jason South, The Sunday Age, “Blackest Saturday”
Observes with compassion and dignity those touched by the raging fires, from an exhausted fire captain to a man reunited with his prized Harley, now a twisted wreck.
Commended:Brad Hunter, Northern District Times, “Laid to Rest”
Spot News
Alex Coppel, Sunday Herald Sun, “Black Saturday”
A fire truck racing down a track as massive plumes of smoke billow behind it became one of the bushfires’ most iconic images.
Rob Maccoll, The Courier-Mail, “Ingham Floods”
From fear and distress to boredom and even humour, floods in north Queensland brought out a range of emotions.
Commended:Andrew Brownbill, Sunday Herald Sun, AP and AAP, “Howling Flames”
Photographic Essay
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Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, “Displaced Future” - Gallery
A million people are displaced by civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where violence, sexual assault and diseases like dysentery and cholera are endemic.
Jason South, The Age, “Papua Birth” - Gallery
With a maternal death rate nearly 10 times Australia’s, having a baby in PNG is often unsupervised, outside a hospital and highly dangerous.
Tamara Voninski, Oculi, “Coming of Age in Samoa” - Gallery
Growing up in an island paradise isn’t the picnic Margaret Mead wrote about in 1928; Samoa has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world.
Commended:Renee Nowytarger, The Australian, “Tears of Stolen Love”- Gallery
Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year
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Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald - Gallery
Driven to tell the stories of the voiceless, Geraghty covered displacement in the Congo, famine in Ethiopia, dump-dwellers in Indonesia and indigenous Australians, as well as celebrations in Obama’s Kenyan village.
Craig Greenhill, The Daily Telegraph - Gallery
From an almost cinematic image of mourners at an underworld funeral to bogan rev-heads and bewigged footy fans, Greenhill artfully distils Australia’s big news stories into memorable photographs.
Renee Nowytarger, The Australian - Gallery
Ongoing reportage on indigenous disadvantage displays Nowytarger’s sensitivity and skill as a photographer, but her body of work also includes glamorous portraiture, bushfire coverage and Malcolm Turnbull lost in a forlorn moment.
Nikon-Walkley Prizes: Gallery
Nikon-Walkley Prize for Best Portrait
Natalie Grono, The Newcastle Herald, "The Colonel Prepares for Australia Day"
Nikon Walkley Prize for Best Community and Regional Photography
Marc McCormack, The Cairns Post, "A Big Year in Cairns"
