The Nikon-Walkley Press Photography Exhibition celebrates the achievements of Australian photographers across a range of genres, from news and sport to portraiture and visual essays. This exhibition showcases their work and honours their skills in transforming fleeting moments into the outstanding images of the year.
The Walkley photographic awards are part of the highest accolades in Australian news reporting, the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The Walkleys have recognised excellence across all media since 1956, when the first awards were presented in five categories. As the news industry has evolved, the Walkleys have kept pace, and the awards now comprise 30 categories.
Photojournalism requires a rare blend of skills – meticulous planning and lightning reflexes, technical mastery and aesthetic instincts, intellectual detachment and emotional intuition. This combination of objectivity and empathy allows a photographer to read a subject’s inner world and express it through their setting. A life in a landscape, a narrative in a single frame.
In selecting three finalists in each category, from more than 3000 images entered, the Walkley photography judges looked for newsworthiness, impact, creativity and technical skill. This exhibition, showcasing the 2023 finalists, encompasses a range of subjects – from politicians to everyday folk, from our backyards to the furthest corners of the globe. Such is the power of photojournalism: in a moment of stillness, each voice says, “This is my story. I am here.”
Visit The Edge at State Library to see an exhibition of the award winning images on display utill mid-June 2024.
PRIZES
NIKON PHOTO OF THE YEAR PRIZE
WINNER
Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, ‘Matilda Joy’
The 2023 Walkley Photography Judges kept using the term “jubo” – a newsroom abbreviation for the images of jubilation that editors look for after a sporting victory. And there was no better example of the jubo that swept the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the nation, than Quinn Rooney’s frame of the Matildas celebrating after goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold stopped one of France’s penalty shots in the Quarter Final match.
The judges said, “It’s a moment that encapsulates the spirit of the country. The eyes on it, the emotion we have invested into it. It’s the peak of action, a global moment. Of all the Matildas’ celebration jubo photos, that one really nailed it. It includes many of the key players on the team, caught in a perfect moment. Poetry in motion.”
Quinn Rooney is an Australia-based staff photographer with Getty Images. His passion for sports photography has led him to travel the world covering major sporting events, including Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Swimming Championships.
Nikon Photo of The Year Prize Winner - Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, ‘Matilda Joy’
NIKON PORTRAIT PRIZE
WINNER
Eddie Jim, The Age, ‘Fighting Not Sinking’
Eddie Jim’s portrait shows the impact of climate change on remote communities such as those on the Fijian island of Kioa, population 500. Lotomau Fiafia has seen first hand the encroachment of the shoreline onto the land he grew up on.
Eddie Jim said, “In capturing this image of Lotomau and his grandson John, I wanted to document and share the impact of climate change in a powerful way, making it more relatable and understandable to a wider audience. Their presence serves as a visual anchor to the reality of the situation, as well as a testament to the knowledge being passed down through generations. The tranquil water was flat like a mirror and their faces were perfectly lit by the early morning light, drawing attention to the message they convey.”
The judges said, “This is a technically excellent environmental portrait. It would have been so easy for Eddie Jim to take it completely out of the water, but he’s also gone under the water. This image tells a story, and says everything it needs to say. When the old man was standing there as a little boy, he would have been above water. There’s a generational theme, a metaphor, and it’s a well-executed shot. He’s a master of light. It’s a cracker.”
The Age staff photographer Eddie Jim has been working for the newspaper since 1997, covering news, features, sports assignments and magazine cover shoots. In the past 20 years he has won Walkley, Quill and AFL awards recognising his work.
One of the elders on the remote Kioa Island in Fiji, Lotomau Fiafia was born in 1952 on the island and has lived his whole life there. He and his ten-year-old grandson John swim in the bay almost every day. In this photo they are standing where the shoreline used to be when Lotomau was young, but the sea level now is up to his chest.
AWARDS
NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
FINALIST
Diego Fedele, Getty Images and Ms. Magazine, ‘Eastern Ukraine Portfolio’
Diego Fedele spent several months in late 2022 and early 2023 in Eastern Ukraine where, he says “time slows down”. Basing himself in Kramatorsk, he took daily trips to meet soldiers and civilians closer to the frontlines.
Fedele said, “I met people like Marianna and Alina and listened to their stories inside a military barracks or in the basement of a bombed-out building. I was stunned by their strength and willingness to fight to protect their families and land – or only survive. This work was created thanks to the help of local journalist and producer Alexey Muzhchyna.”
The judges said, “It’s a classic magazine portfolio with action and lovely daily life shots. Diego Fedele’s portfolio shows it’s not just bang bang. He has been able to showcase the grunt and the quiet moments of war. Technically proficient under difficult circumstances, displaying a high level of skill.”
Diego Fedele is a freelance photographer based in Melbourne, who has travelled several times through Ukraine committed to a long-term observation of the consequences of the war. Fedele is also a stringer for Getty Images and Australian Associated Press, covering news and politics.
Searching For Targets: Ukrainian serviceman Artur with the 50th Brigade, flying a drone, gathered critical information about the enemy's location. He provided this intelligence to infantry personnel at the position, where they destroyed an enemy storage depot with rounds from RPG and M97.
Defending Bakhmut: Ukrainian service members of the 24th Mechanised Brigade fire a Soviet 152mm self-propelled howitzer towards an enemy position in Bakhmut, Ukraine.
Combat Medic Kristina: Kristina was initially rejected when she sought to enlist, but she won her point because she was a certified medic with civilian tactical training. Women gained the right to serve in combat in 2016, and Ukraine’s military now has about 42,000 women, including 5,000 in combat roles.
Helping the Wounded: Doctors of the 66th Brigade treat a serviceman at a stabilisation point in the liberated town of Lyman, Donetsk region. The soldier had arrived from the Bakhmut frontline with several shrapnel wounds.
The Blessing: Chaplain Colonel Mykola Korsun blesses Combat Medic Oleksandr, 30, before their brigade engages in clashes with Russian forces north of Bakhmut, at the barracks of an army base in Nykyforivka village, Donetsk region.
440: Wooden crosses mark a mass burial site where people were interred during the Russian occupation of Izium. On September 15, 2022, Ukrainian forces discovered the site containing at least 440 bodies in a section of the Izium cemetery, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Memories: Alexandra stands in her apartment in Chasiv Yar while her mother, Ludmilla Klochko, looks at an old photograph. Alexandra sustained brain injuries in her childhood and has not recovered. She starts humming when she hears artillery fire.
The Mother: Sniper Marianna, 53, joined the Territorial Defence Forces two years before the war started, signing up for private sharpshooters classes. When Russia invaded, she was called up immediately. Her husband, a soldier, was already deployed. Their daughter, 30, takes care of their son, 13.
In the Dark Basement: Alina Tarashenko, 47, takes cover in the basement where she lives with twenty-two other residents as a volley of rockets lands nearby in Siversk. Alina has lived without basic amenities such as electricity, heating or running water for a year.
Waiting For a Lull: Oleksandr Danchenko, 42, a member of the mobile artillery unit "Monika," takes shelter in an abandoned barn as Russian artillery shells Ukrainian firing positions close by in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine.
FINALIST
Jake Nowakowski, Herald Sun / News Corp, ‘Jake Nowakowski’
For a news photographer, every day is different, every subject comes with its own challenges, and different assignments call for different skills and tools.
Jake Nowakowski said, “Preparing to shoot a planned protest requires research and knowledge of the protest group or groups, early arrival to ensure a prime position, delicate negotiating skills to get through police lines, safety goggles to protect from pepper spray, and the expectation that anything is likely to happen.
“Pre-arranged feature, portrait, and picture story shoots require the same skills and planning.The location, whether it’s going to be busy, the time of day, the position of the sun, delicate negotiating skills for overzealous security personnel, and required lighting are just some of the things that need to be taken into consideration.”
The judges said: “Jake Nowakowski’s portfolio shows his range as a newspaper photographer, from the chaos of shooting protests to set-up portraits lit well to suit the subject. The shot of Dan Andrews with a manic look is very visually striking and Nowakowski has worked around difficult TV lighting to achieve it. There’s hard news and a bit of quirk and humour.”
After leaving a career as a graphic designer in 2003, Jake Nowakowski found himself freelancing both at home and abroad before eventually accepting staff positions at the North West Star in Mount Isa and The Cairns Post. He is currently employed as a staff photographer at the Herald Sun in Melbourne.
Pepper Spray: Police use pepper spray after neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network clashed with counter protesters from the Campaign Against Racism and Facism at a Stop Immigration Rally near State Parliament in Melbourne.
Invasion Day Rally: A man carries an Australian flag with the Union Jack cut out while walking to join the Invasion Day Rally at Victoria's Parliament House in Melbourne.
Invasion Day Rally: A man carries an Australian flag with the Union Jack cut out while walking to join the Invasion Day Rally at Victoria's Parliament House in Melbourne.
House Fire: Firefighters attend a house fire in Collingwood.
Yes: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews takes to the stage at a Labor Party function at the Village Green Hotel to celebrate winning a third term in government in the 2022 State Election.
Two in a Row: Devin Haney lands a punch on the way to winning the World Lightweight Title Rematch against George Kambosos at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.
Bus Crash: A mother and her son walk from the scene of a school bus crash in Eynesbury. Children were left with traumatic injuries including lacerations, spinal injuries and crushed limbs, with serious cases requiring amputation.
Matildas Fans at Fed Square: Football fans celebrate at Federation Square after the Matildas score a goal against England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Semi-Final match.
The Mandalorian: The Mandalorian (cosplayer Heath Martin) takes Grogu shopping. Martin planned to celebrate Star Wars Day, May 4, as the Mandalorian and to perform his daily domestic tasks in costume. May the 4th be with you.
Sooshi Mango: Sooshi Mango's Joe Salantiri (Johnny) waters a plant at the house where the comedy trio shoot their viral videos. Sooshi Mango’s other members are Joe’s brother, Carlo Salantiri, and Andrew Manfre.
FINALIST
Jason South, The Age, ‘Pictures of the Year’
These varied images chronicle daily life through a news lens, capturing natural disasters, human tragedy, violence and crime. Jason South’s coverage of the aftermath of the 2022 floods speaks to the quiet stoicism of the victims, while his images of Anzac Day and hunters returning home with the kill make poetic use of available light. He evokes the grief of families and communities stricken by the senseless loss of young lives by treating his subjects with respect and sensitivity, but he also has an eye for the quirky – a joyous footie fan, a perplexed kangaroo, and teenagers ready to find fun in the midst of a calamity.
Jason South said, “I just fell in love with photography from high school. I just knew right from the beginning that I wanted to do it in some way, shape or form. It just transpired that beating the streets of press photography was where I was able to get a good job, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
The judges said: “The variety of Jason South’s body of work shows that you can send him anywhere. He has come back with more than just reproduction of what's in front of him; these are excellent photos. The technical skill to get a photo like that in a prison vehicle – how on earth has he gotten that picture? These are stories of Australia. A good range of a year of work.”
Jason South has been a photographer at The Age since 1995.
Mad Fan: Geelong Cats-mad groundskeeper Jamie Wray rests after painting one of the bowling greens at Belmont Bowls Club in the Geelong colours ahead of the 2022 Grand Final against the Sydney Swans.
From field to plate: Hunting for game meat.
86 years of memories: Brian Matthews, 86, sits amongst the debris after a flash flood hit the Maribyrnong home he has lived in his whole life.
Flooding one day, baking the next: After most of the suburb evacuated due to flooding, the sun returns and a spot of tanning and paddling is the order of the day in South Shepparton.
A young life lost: Thousands of people gather for a candle-lit vigil for Cassius Turvey, an Indigenous teenager who was bashed to death in Perth.
"I'm not leaving”: Graham Baldwin, 71, lived with calf-high water throughout his house for days after flooding in Echuca East.
Looking for dry land: A sodden kangaroo looking for high ground makes its way onto the levee wall in Echuca.
A mother remembers a lost son: Katrina's son Danial died of a heroin overdose in Melbourne’s Rainbow Alley in June 2022. Every week she visits a mural at the site to lay flowers. She is very concerned the Victorian government could be walking back its promise to open a second safe injecting room. Katrina believes Danial would still be alive if there were an injecting room in the CBD.
Caught: Comancheros’ bikie gang boss Mark Buddle leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court in a prison vehicle after Australian Federal Police extradited him from Darwin.
We will remember them: ANZAC Day dawn service at the Melbourne War Memorial.
AWARDS
FEATURE/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY
FINALIST
Matthew Abbott, The New York Times / The Washington Post, ‘As China Expands Pacific Reach, a Tug-of-War for Island Nations Ensues’
As China rapidly extends its reach in the Pacific, island nations Fiji and Solomon Islands find themselves in the middle of a geopolitical tug-of-war between China and the US and its allies.
Matthew Abbott said, “China’s growing influence is unmistakable in Solomon Islands, a country with which it established diplomatic ties only in 2019. The relationship between the world’s most populous country and this Pacific archipelago of 700,000 people was thrust into the spotlight in early 2023 when word leaked that they had struck a secret security agreement. The news inflamed fears that China wants to establish a military base in the strategically important archipelago and, more broadly, become the overarching political power in the region.
“Meanwhile, Fijians are increasingly souring on China. China used the island nation as a testing ground for security ties in the Pacific, forging a policing agreement designed to grow regional influence, but Fiji’s new government is scrapping the deal.”
The judges said, “International diplomacy can be a dry subject to illustrate, but Matthew Abbott has found some killer frames. This is exceptional photography – such a colourful portrait of a topic that is difficult to capture.”
Documentary photographer Matthew Abbott specialises in long-form, in-depth visual stories. Abbott has won a host of prestigious domestic and international photojournalism awards, notably three World Press Awards, including Global Story of the Year 2022.
Construction workers build a viewing platform while the Malaita police practise a marching drill in preparation for Malaita Province Day in Solomon Islands. This is celebrated annually on August 15 to commemorate the establishment of Malaita Province in 1983.
Solomon Islanders gather to observe the Solomons Scouts and Coastwatchers memorial service at Unity Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. The USS Oakland is in the background.
A group of young men gather to watch and practise for a dance competition outside a destroyed building in Honiara’s Chinatown. The building has been graffitied with political messages – “Waku (China in local language) go home” and “PM Step Down”. Honiara, Solomon Islands.
A member of the US Services helps to secure the US and Solomon Island flags set up on Kennedy Island beach, where a ceremony to celebrate the anniversary of John F Kennedy’s rescue by Solomon Island Scouts is due to take place.
The US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, speaks at a ceremony commemorating the occasion in August 1943 when her father, then Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, and his crew swam to what is now Kennedy Island after their Patrol Torpedo boat, PT109, was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. They were rescued by two Solomon Island Scouts, Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana.
A Chinese fishing vessel sits at the dock in the port of Suva, Fiji.
Children walk between houses along man-made walkways on Buloabu, an artificial island that was built rock by rock in Langa Langa Lagoon, Solomon Islands. Due to increasingly destructive storms in recent years, more families are choosing to live on the major islands.
A young child is treated in the children's ward at Kilu'ufi hospital, near Auki on Solomon Islands’ second-largest island, Malaita. A new hospital is scheduled to be developed on the same site, supported by funding from Japan.
Garbage collectors empty a large skip bin on the outskirts of Honiara into a garbage truck that has been paid for by China Aid. The service is offered only to some parts of the Solomons’ capital city; other areas, such as the Burns Creek Settlement, have to dump their rubbish.
Fiji’s newly elected Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka stands outside his party's rooms at Parliament House, Suva, Fiji.
FINALIST
Justin McManus, The Age, The Sunday Age, The Age online, ‘Leaving the Land of Plenty’
This is a deeply personal narrative documenting Effie Tsagalidis’ journey of grief, loss and loneliness,which culminated in her departure from the family farm, her home of fifty-eight years. Justin McManus first encountered Effie and her husband Paul in 2016, and has been visiting and photographing them ever since. Early in 2023 he saw signs advertising a new estate at the property’s front gate. Paul had passed away and, amid her grief, Effie had to work through a lifetime of possessions and memories as she prepared to leave her home.
Justin McManus said, “I was taken by their traditional way of life on their farm in Plenty, in Melbourne's north-east. Surrounded by the encroaching urban sprawl, their humble way of life was in direct contrast to the extravagant mansions rising up all around them. Property developers were constantly at their door encouraging them to sell their farm and move into the city.”
The judges said, “Justin McManus spent a lot of time on this, obviously becoming part of the family to build the trust and intimacy in these photographs.There’s a variety of pictures, beautiful light.”
Justin McManus has been a photojournalist since 1996. In 2006 he began working for The Age, covering daily news and documenting the cultural and socio-political issues of Aboriginal people. McManus has received many awards, including World Press Photo in 2010 and multiple Walkley awards.
Grief: Evgnosia (Effie) Tsagalidis is grieving for her husband Apostolic (Paul). Paul and Effie farmed a small property in the outer Melbourne suburb of Plenty for fifty-eight years, but with Paul’s passing, Effie has had to sell the family farm after years of resisting offers from developers.
The Funeral 01: Funeral for Paul Tsagalidis at the St Elefterio Orthodox Church in Brunswick, Melbourne. Paul's wife Effie lights candles before the service.
The Funeral 02: Paul's wife Effie pays her last respects to her husband during the service.
The Funeral 03: Paul Tsagalidis is laid to rest next to his son Stephen at the Northern Memorial Park in Glenroy. His grieving wife Effie is comforted by friends during the service.
Sold: A sign advertising the River Rise estate looms large at the front gate of the farm.
Last Washing Day: Effie Tsagalidis on her farm in Plenty.
Dusk: Effie Tsagalidis on one of her final nights in the farm house.
Packing: Effie Tsagalidis packs up her home in the suburb of Plenty in Melbourne's outer east.
The Last Sheep: Effie Tsagalidis tends the last of her sheep before they are sold.
Alone: Effie Tsagalidis alone in her home surrounded by a lifetime's possessions, which she is packing in order to move house.
Leaving Home 1: After fifty-eight years, an emotional Effie leaves the family home and farm for the last time.
Leaving Home 2: Leaving the family home and farm for the last time, Effie is driven away by friends.
FINALIST
Jason South, The Age, ‘Water, water everywhere’
Jason South’s coverage of the 2022 floods around Victoria speaks to the quiet stoicism of those trapped in the waters’ path as they helplessly endure a slow-moving disaster. He pinpoints the apparent randomness of its impact, but also has an eye for the ironic and incongruous – a perplexed kangaroo on top of a levee that failed to hold back the flooding, and teenagers ready to find fun in the midst of a calamity.
Jason South said, “I just fell in love with photography from high school. Being a kid, my art would be photography, I had a photography class, and during my free period I would do photography. I just knew right from the beginning that I wanted to do it in some way, shape or form. It just transpired that beating the streets of press photography was where I was able to get a good job, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
The judges said, “Jason South’s series showed all the aspects of a community ravaged by flood. There’s loss and exhaustion, but also this nice, funny moment of a young person on their phone sunbathing while there is all this flooding. The composition and how the boat has come around is beautiful. You see a lot of drone shots, but the one of Seymour actually tells a story. Shows the unpredictability of these disasters, how you can be just one street from tragedy.”
Jason South has been a photographer at The Age since 1995.
"I'm Not Leaving": Graham Baldwin, 71, has been living in calf-high water for days after his home in Echuca East was inundated.
In Search of Dry Land: A kangaroo seeks refuge from the flooding on the great wall of Echuca.
Making the Best of it: After most of the suburb is evacuated due to flooding the sun returns and a spot of tanning and paddling is the order of the day in South Shepparton.
Flooded Memories: Brian Matthews, 86, sits amongst the flooded debris of the Maribyrnong home where he has lived his whole life.
Cruel Water: The flooding in Seymour cuts a cruel line, taking some houses and not others.
AWARDS
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
FINALIST
Ian Munro, The West Australian, ‘Banksia Hill Riot’
Nearly 50 juveniles were involved in a riot overnight at Western Australia’s Banksia Hill Detention Centre, a prison facility for offenders aged 10-17, in May 2023. They set fire to accommodation, arming themselves and climbing up onto the roof. The tense stand-off came to an end when special operations group officers stormed the roof of WA’s only juvenile prison. Ian Munro caught this lightning rod moment, which brought the 14 hours of chaos to an end. The image struck a nerve, and was used at protests and shared on social media.
Ian Munro said, “The picture is exclusive and was taken on a long lens from scrubland near the Detention Centre that I had to access on foot through bushland. I felt that the situation between the special operations officers and this individual was escalating, which led me to focus on this group and quickly change my location to get this shot.”
The judges said this was a massively newsworthy moment caught with high technical quality. “A decisive moment, an image made for the front page.”
Ian Munro is a press photographer working in Western Australia. He currently works for Seven West Media covering sports, news, business and features.
Special operations group officers storm the roof of Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre near Perth, bringing an end to 14 hours of chaos after the youths set fire to accommodation, armed themselves with weapons and climbed onto the roof. The inmate in this picture is a youth and cannot be identified. The face has been blurred and the T-shirt colour changed.
FINALIST
Dean Sewell, Oculi and Guardian Australia, ‘Return to Uluru - The repatriation of Yukun’
On October 13, 2022, 90 years of unfinished business were laid to rest when the remains of Pitjantjatjara man Yukun were returned to Uluru. Yukun was murdered on Uluru in 1934 by mounted police constable Bill McKinnon, then his remains were exhumed and taken to Adelaide. Rare overnight rain fell on the rock before the sun came out for a moving ceremony for Yukun’s gathered descendants.
McKinnon’s daughter allowed historian and author of Return to Uluṟu, Mark McKenna, to investigate a box of diaries her father had left behind. He came across McKinnon’s diary entry, written the morning after the shooting. The hand-written manuscript said, “Fired to hit.”
Dean Sewell said, “I travelled to Uluru with Guardian Australia's Indigenous Affairs editor Lorena Allam to document Yukun's repatriation to the base of the rock. It is a highly important part of Australia's violent history and one that contributed to the beginnings of Lands Rights movement.”
The judges said, “For the storm to happen on that date gives it a creative and environmental bend. It’s almost like the land crying and being emotional over the return of Yukun’s remains. Dean Sewell’s are respectful and skilled. A good story, shot well.”
Dean Sewell has been a photojournalist for more than thirty years, focused on social and environmental documentary photography. Co-founder of the Oculi photographic collective, established in 2000, Sewell has been awarded three World Press Photo Awards, Australian Press Photographer of the Year and the Moran Contemporary Photography Prize.
Sunrise over Uluru on the morning of Yukun's burial.
An emotional Abraham Poulson, great grandson and nephew of Yukun, carries his ancestor’s remains to the ceremony.
Pastor Malcolm Willcocks of the Lutheran Church of Australia presides over the ceremony. To his right stands Abraham Poulson, Yukun’s great grandson/nephew of Yukun.
Yukun's descendants help prepare his grave to accept his remains.
Uluru traditional owner Reggie Uluru drops soil into Yukun's grave from his wheelchair.
FINALIST
Darrian Traynor, Freelance/Getty Images, ‘A Dark Day’
Tensions were running high when Darrian Traynor photographed the A-League Round 8 Melbourne Derby match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory on December 17, 2022. Upset fans had already protested at several earlier A-League games, expressing their disappointment at the decision by the Australian Professional Leagues administration to sell the rights to host the season's grand final to Sydney.
The crowd chanted and threw fireworks and flares. At times Melbourne City goalkeeper Thomas Glover had to remove flares that were thrown onto the pitch. After 20 minutes, a crowd of Melbourne Victory supporters stormed the pitch. The goalkeeper was struck with a metal bucket, receiving lacerations to his face. Teammates and security personnel huddled around players to escort them from the pitch. Victoria Police entered the playing field to quell the violence and the match was abandoned.
Traynor captured all the key moments. His images went around the world. He faced online trolling and his match coverage was subpoenaed by Victoria Police.
The judges said, “This was a hectic situation for the photographer, and he captured all the right moments. The images are executed well, and they're great quality while chaos is happening all around him. A really well told news story.”
Darrian Traynor is an Australia-based freelance photojournalist whose editorial work is published in newspapers, magazines and online around the world. He currently works as a stringer with Getty Images and Nine Media including mastheads The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Fans show their disappointment with the Australian Professional Leagues before the round 8 A-League Men's match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park, Melbourne.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover tries to remove a flare that was thrown onto the pitch by angry fans.
Fans storm the pitch in protest at the A-League administration’s decision to sell the rights to the grand final to Sydney.
A bleeding Tom Glover, Melbourne City goalkeeper, is escorted from the pitch by teammates after he was struck in the face with a metal bucket.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover, shocked and bleeding, is escorted from the pitch by teammates.
AWARDS
SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY
FINALIST
Robert Cianflone, Getty Images & Daily Telegraph, ‘Just another day’
Robert Cianflone’s portfolio includes women’s and men’s FIFA World Cups, AFL and MotoGP. These moments show the alchemy of fastidious preparation and his response to the unexpected. After the Matildas lost to England, Cianflone caught their regular team huddle from a high catwalk, only this time, he said, the group was shaped like a heart that “seemed to encapsulate the entire nation in that moment”.
Robert Cianflone said, “It may be just another day, but as a sports photographer, we never know what an event will throw up at us. In this job it’s always about being ready to capture the moment, as once it's gone, it’s gone forever.”
The judges said, “Robert Cianflone’s technical experience shows in this set. A cracking frame captures a powerful goal stretching the net in a Women’s World Cup penalty shoot out, a fresh perspective from behind the nets. The degree of difficulty to get this image of the MotoGP rider is crazy. How fast he was sliding, to get it all sharp, and the kitty litter (gravel) suspended everywhere.”
Robert Cianflone has been a photographer with Getty Images for more than 25 years. He has covered many major events locally and around the world, including five FIFA Men's World Cups, and multiple cricket tours, Formula One races, and summer and winter Olympic Games.
Australian players huddle after the team's 1-3 defeat and elimination from the tournament in the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Semi Final match between Australia and England at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
Nathan Broad of the Tigers attempts to mark during the round 14 AFL match between Richmond Tigers and St Kilda Saints at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Nathan Broad of the Tigers attempts to mark during the round 14 AFL match between Richmond Tigers and St Kilda Saints at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Alyssa Naeher of USA scores her team's sixth penalty in the penalty shoot out past Zecira Musovic of Sweden during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Sweden and USA at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. The image was taken remotely with a camera placed behind the goal.
FINALIST
David Gray, AFP, ‘Moments In Sport’
David Gray’s images depict memorable moments in major sporting events hosted in Australia over the past year. The shots range from desperate gladiatorial moments in the heat of battle to intimate exchanges amid the surging emotions that follow a victory.
David Gray said, “The COVID pandemic’s disruption to sporting events reminded us all of what makes sport such an fascinating spectacle: the unpredictable and highly emotional moments in sport.”
The judges said, “This well-edited body of work shows David Gray’s range of skills across hard news, quirky moments, hard-to-get angles, and shots with a high degree of difficulty. The set is full of emotion and sweat. Anticipation and intimate knowledge of the sport allowed Gray to get into the right spot to capture Novak Djokovic being soothed by his mother after claiming the Australian Open. A player changing his bright red shirt becomes a striking visual moment of ambiguity and colour.”
David Gray is a photographer with AFP News Agency, based in Sydney. Gray began his career as a cadet photographer at The Australian in 1989, then joined the Reuters News Agency in 1995. From 2007 until 2013 he was based in Beijing, China.
Spain’s Salma Paralluelo kisses her medal as she lies on her back amongst confetti talking on her phone, after Spain defeated England 1-0 in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas sprays sweat as he serves on Rod Laver Arena during the Australian Open semi-final in which he beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
An emotional Novak Djokovic of Serbia is soothed by his mother, Dijana Djokovic, after defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open final to claim his 10th Australian Open title and equal Rafael Nadal's 22 Grand Slam crowns.
Frances Tiafoe of the USA changes his shirt during his match against Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney.
Captain of The Netherlands, Scott Edwards, is struck on the helmet by a delivery from India's Arshdeep Singh during their 2022 ICC Twenty20 World Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
FINALIST
Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, ‘Beauty in Sport’
Five images in ‘Beauty in Sport’ depict the raw emotion, competitive intensity and dedication of athletes performing at their peak. Rooney’s creativity is on show in a shot of a diver, photographed through an out-of-focus yellow sign to encircle and highlight the diver’s performance. And as for raw passion, it is hard to go past the energy and elation on every Matilda’s face as they celebrate their penalty shoot-out victory against France. This shot won the 2023 Nikon Prize for Photo of the Year.
Quinn Rooney said, “At times, the beauty in an image is easy to see in the athlete’s raw passion or athleticism. At others, the image needs to be complemented by skilful use of the surroundings to convey the story to the viewer.”
The judges said, “Quinn Rooney has got such a variety of sports, and he's picked all the right moments with brilliant composition. The soccer players are entangled like a puzzle, you're trying to work out who owns the limbs. And the shape of the Matildas celebration picture is wonderful. They've all got their eyes open and there is this flow to the image. Even with swimmer Sam Short, the messiness is what makes it – the way he’s splashed the water in celebration has framed his face.”
Quinn Rooney is an Australia-based staff photographer with Getty Images. His passion for sports photography has led him to travel the world covering major sporting events including Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Swimming Championships.
Guillem Pujol of Team Spain and Brennan Gravley of Team United States dive in for the start of the Open Water Men's 5km Final at the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan.
Australian players celebrate as goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold stops France's penalty shot by Eve Perisset in the penalty shoot out during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Quarter Final in Brisbane.
Andrew Capobianco of Team United States competes in the Men's 3m Springboard Semifinal on day six of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
Milos Degenek of the Socceroos and Pervis Estupiñan of Ecuador compete for the ball during the International Friendly match between the Australia Socceroos and Ecuador at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne.
Sam Short of Team Australia reacts after winning gold in the Men's 400m Freestyle Final on day one of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
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