Updated: Event photos now online
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Bolton Wanderers’ Darren Pratley making a praying gesture as medics treated team mate Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during an FA Cup match with Tottenham Hotspur
John Sibley, Action Images Nikon Sports Photographer of the Year – click the photo to see John’s portfolio
Thousands of photos, all potential award winners, have been viewed, and judged by experienced picture editors seeking to select the greatest press images of the year. And a searing and dramatic set of pictures detailing the reality of war has won for freelance Jason Howe the title SABMiller Photographer of the Year in the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards. His triumph comes on top of securing the Photo Essay Award, sponsored by the Guild, in a year otherwise dominated by the events of the Royal Jubilee and Olympic games.
Also among the galaxy of winning press photographers announced at a gala presentation ceremony in London was a 45-year old family GP from Essex who came top in the BT Spirit of the Olympics category for non-professionals.
Picking up other prizes at the Picture Editors’ Guild fourth annual Awards, joint-presented by London’s Mayor Boris Johnson, and hosted by the BBC’s Kate Silverton, were:
• SAB Miller Photographer of the Year – Jason Howe
• Nikon Sports Photographer of the Year (above), John Sibley, Action Images
• Getty Images Royal Photographer of the Year, Max Mumby
• Celebrity Photographer of the Year, Jon Enoch
• Bloomberg Business Photographer of the Year, Jason Alden
• Etihad/Newscast Young Photographer Bursary , Brad Wakefield, South West News Service
• OpenText News Photographer of the Year, Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
• Photobox Regional Photographer of the Year, Charles McQuillan, Pacemaker Press
• British Airways Olympic Sports Photographer, Owen Humphreys, Press Association
• British Airways Olympic News Photographer, Karwai Tang, Alpha Press
• British Airways Olympic Photo Essay, Mark Pain, Mail on Sunday
• British Airways Paralympics Sports Photographer, Adrian Dennis, AFP
• British Airways Paralympics Photo Essay, Mark Pain, Mail on Sunday who is also overall British Airways Olympic Photographer for his achievements
View the main award winners images
Together with the prestigious accolade of winning a category, judged by a group of the top picture editors from regional, national and international publications and agencies, each Award carries a valuable prize of cash or equipment.
Guild Chairman, Alan Sparrow, said: “We introduced a number of categories this year to cater for the exceptional interest surrounding the Olympics. It was a period that proved the dominance of the still image when it comes to capturing a memory that lasts long after the event. “The rest of the year is also chronicled most vividly by the technical skill and outstanding journalism displayed in the thousands of fantastic photos entered for the Awards this year.”
Overall winner, Jason Howe, 41, [photo essay above] specialises in covering conflicts for newspapers and magazines. On assignment in Afghanistan he was with a detachment of troops helicoptered into Taliban territory and was there as a soldier lost both legs in an explosion. His pictures continue the story of the injured soldier’s rescue while under fire from insurgents – and then, having survived his terrible wounds, the subsequent rehabilitation treatment back in Britain.
Chairman of the judges, David Ofield of the Evening Standard, said:”There were many great pictures from all sectors of the press — making it a tough task to select all our category winners. However, Jason’s essay was just so powerful that it clinched our decision.”
A selection of the winning and nominated pictures from the Awards will be displayed in the largest exhibition of its kind at the open-air Rotunda Gallery at the City of London Museum between January and May next year.
UK Picture Editors’ Guild www.piced.net
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