Natalie Grono has been awarded the 2009 Nikon-Walkley Best Portrait Prize for her “refreshingly unusual” photograph of a Colonel preparing for Australia Day while Marc McCormack took out the Nikon-Walkley Community/Regional Prize at the announcement of photographic finalists for the 2009 Walkley Awards in Sydney on Monday night.
Judges said Grono’s portrait, which first appeared in The Newcastle Herald, stood out from the pack because it was “absolutely quirky and captured an unexpected moment.”
McCormack of the The Cairns Post also earned high praise from the judges for his series "A Big Year in Cairns" – judges commended McCormack’s “superb news sense and ability to compose” and added that: “any picture editor would be more than happy to have him on staff.”
These two special prizes, as well as finalists for the photographic categories of the 2009 Walkley Awards, were announced by Helen McCabe, editor-in-chief of The Australian Women’s Weekly, and online pictorial editor for The Daily Telegraph, Andrew Darby, at a special function last night at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney. A full list of finalists follows.
This year the Walkley Foundation received 400 entries in its various photographic categories, reflecting the depth of talent in Australian photojournalism. Judges said this year’s entries were “as strong and diverse as ever.”
The Nikon-Walkley Photographic Awards are the most prestigious competition for press photographers in Australia. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony and black-tie dinner at the Australian Jockey Club in Sydney on November 26, highlights of which are broadcast nationally on SBS TV the same evening.
The 16 finalists will compete for Walkley Awards in news photography, daily life, sport, photographic essay and the pinnacle of photographic achievement – the Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year. The Nikon-Walkley Awards are unique in that they are judged by a panel of senior photographers and picture editors representative of the whole industry.
The nominated works will be on show at Australian Centre for Photography until November 21 and will then tour Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth in 2010.
Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year
Craig Greenhill, The Daily Telegraph, Renee Nowytarger, The Australian, Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald
Daily Life / Feature Photography
Stephen Dupont, Monster Children, “Port Moresby”, Craig Greenhill, The Daily Telegraph, “Burnout Masters”, Kirk Gilmour, Illawarra Mercury and The Sydney Morning Herald, “Batten Down the Boogie Boards”,
Sport Photography
Mark Dadswell, Getty Images and The Sun Herald, “Golden Light”, Phil Hillyard, The Daily Telegraph, “Sports Light”, Cameron Spencer, Getty Images, “Water World”
News Photography - 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”, Jason South, The Sunday Age, “Blackest Saturday”
Commended: Brad Hunter, Northern District Times, “Laid to Rest”
Spot News
Alex Coppel, Sunday Herald Sun, “Black Saturday”, Rob Maccoll, The Courier-Mail, “Ingham Floods”
Commended: Andrew Brownbill, Sunday Herald Sun, AP and AAP, “Howling Flames”
Photographic Essay
Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald, “Displaced Future”, Jason South, The Age, “Papua Birth”, Tamara Voninski, Oculi, “Coming of Age in Samoa”
Commended: Renee Nowytarger, The Australian, “Tears of Stolen Love”
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"
Judges
Andrew Darby, online pictorial editor, The Daily Telegraph,
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