Australia’s most prestigious competition for press photographers, the Nikon-Walkley Awards, culminates in an eclectic exhibition to be launched at Newcastle Region Library on Friday 8 March at 5.30pm.

Newcastle Region Library Manager, David Jenkins says the Nikon-Walkley Awards exhibitionwill be launched by Dan Himbrechts.

“Dan is a finalist in the News Photography category of theAwards for his shots of fugitive Malcolm Naden after his arrest in the Hunter valley by NSW police.”

From daily life and photographic essays, to portraiture and sport, these awards recognise excellence in Australian photojournalism

“The award finalists demonstrate the world-class talent of Australian photojournalists in all types of news coverage including extraordinary Olympic action shots to evocative portrayals of war victims in Afghanistan.”

“The photographs capture many of the biggest events, sporting spectacles, news stories of the year and amazing people and places that readers would never have seen otherwise.”

Photographs portraying an extraordinary year in Australia feature: the Australia Day protests in Canberra, the Occupy clashes in Melbourne and fly-on-the-wall pictures from the life of Queensland MP Bob Katter.

Nikon-Walkley press photography exhibition

4 March – 20 April 2013, Newcastle Region Library, Lovett Gallery Laman Street, Newcastle.

NIKON-WALKLEY AWARD FINALISTS 2012

Daily Life/Feature Photography SPONSORED BY NIKON

  • Graham Crouch, The Australian Magazine, “Broken Lives”
  • Alex Ellinghausen, Fairfax Media, “Paralympic Swimmers: Team Photo”
  • Nicolas Walker, Weekend Financial Review, “The Kattle Run”

Sport Photography SPONSORED BY NIKON

  • David Kelly, Qweekend, The Courier-Mail, “Synch and Swim”
  • Phil Hillyard, The Daily Telegraph, “Sally – the Race for Gold”
  • Chris McGrath, Getty Images, “London 2012 – An Overview”

News Photography SPONSORED BY NIKON

  • Lukas Coch, Australian Associated Press, “Australia Day Protest”
  • Dan Himbrechts, The Australian, “Malcolm Naden”
  • Trevor Pinder, Herald Sun, “City Square Protest”

Photographic Essay SPONSORED BY NIKON

  • Sam Ruttyn, The Sunday Telegraph, “Josh Carter, Super Boy”
  • Jason South, The Age, “Occupy Melbourne”
  • Craig Greenhill, News Limited, “No better friend, no worse enemy”

Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year SPONSORED BY NIKON

  • Jason South, The Age
  • Chris McGrath, Getty Images
  • Justin McManus, The Age