Australia's best photojournalists recognised at Nikon Walkley Awards

2 March 2022
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NewsCorp's Alex Coppel has been named Walkley Press Photographer of the Year at an event in Sydney over the weekend.

The Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism are presented annually to recognise and reward the best in the craft, and extend across all facets of journalism. Finalists are selected by eminent journalists and photographers with overall winners judged by the Wakley's Judging Board.

Coppel received the Press Photographer of the Year Award, the highest recognition for photojournalism in Australia, for a body of work spanning sport, breaking news, features and daily life, all loosely linked by the shadow that the COVID-19 pandemic cast over world events.

Image: Alex Coppel
Image: Alex Coppel
Image: Alex Coppel
Image: Alex Coppel
Image: Alex Coppel
Image: Alex Coppel

The Melbourne-based photographer also took out the Sport Photography category for his series showcasing the 2021 Olympics, titled The Games that Had to Happen.

Fairfax photographer Dean Sewell won the Feature Photographic Essay category for his series, Of Mice And Men, which documented the rat plague affecting farmers in rural NSW.

Image: Dean Sewell
Image: Dean Sewell
Image: Dean Sewell
Image: Dean Sewell

‘The well-edited series comprises 12 frames that highlight not only the photographer’s technical skills but also his storytelling ability. Every photo you would want is here,’ judges said.

Image: Brook Mitchell
Image: Brook Mitchell
Image: Brook Mitchell
Image: Brook Mitchell

The Sydney Morning Herald's Brook Mitchell rounded out the photographic awards, winning the News Photography Award for his series Sydney Anti-Lockdown Protest.

Finally, the Gold Walkley, Australian journalism’s highest honour, was awarded to journalist Samantha Maiden for her groundbreaking news.com.au feature Open secret: The Brittany Higgins story.

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