Nikon Walkley Photo of the Year captures 'quintessential' Aussie
Now in its 67th year, The Walkley Awards for Excellence in Photojournalism recognise the work of photographers across a range of genres, from news and sport to portraiture and photographic essays. The exhibition of the finalists and winners lets Australians reflect on the year in news, through the individual worldviews and skilled lenses of some of our best photographers.
The floods in NSW’s Northern Rivers were one of the biggest stories in Australia in the past year, and the judges selected Natalie Grono’s image, which they described as capturing the story, and our nation, in a standout way.
Nikon Photo of the Year Winner: Natalie Grono, The Saturday Paper and Surfing World Magazine, ‘Peter takes a moment’ Peter takes a moment’s rest from moving his ruined belongings outside his flooded Wardell home. © Natalie Grono via the Walkley Foundation “Peter is a quintessential Aussie – exhausted and covered in mud, yet stoic and somehow hopeful, he pauses before tackling the mammoth task of resurrecting his life.
Natalie Grono encapsulates the aftermath of the floods with the contradiction of palm trees against sunny skies while Peter is still knee-deep in water.”
The Nikon Portrait Prize was awarded to Justin McManus, of The Sunday Age & The Age , for his image Johnny and his Dogs .
Nikon Portrait Prize Winner, Justin McManus, The Sunday Age & The Age, “Johnny and his Dogs” Chairman of Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, Kuranjini man, Johnny Wilson on Country with his dogs. Johnny, along with other Traditional Owners, is fighting to stop fracking on their Country in the Beetaloo Basin, Northern Territory. © Justin McManus via the Walkley Foundation All Walkley Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Sydney on Thursday November 17, and you’ll be able to see the two prize-winners – and all finalists in the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Photojournalism – with the Nikon-Walkley Press Photography Exhibition hanging in the Fountain Court of NSW Parliament House, from November 1 until December 16.
Finalist: Brook Mitchell, The Sydney Morning Herald. Gunggandji: Gunggandji Land and Sea Rangers (from left) Victor Bulmer, Roszaly Aitken, Fredrick Lefoe and Chasten Hunter carry a horse they found in distress deep in the scrub near Yarrabah, Queensland. After taking the horse to town in the back of their ute, the rangers found and removed a paralysis tick. Horses are a feature of daily life in Yarrabah, with many roaming free around the community, often ridden around town by both kids and adults. August 22, 2022. © Brook Mitchell via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Christopher Hopkins, The Age and The Guardian. Homeless: Robert Mark Old has been on the streets for three months, preferring the relative safety of Melbourne’s outer northern suburbs to the recommended crisis accommodation, which he described as “a bloody disgrace”. Alcohol and drug use was rife and he feared for his safety, preferring the rain and temperatures close to zero to a room at the notorious centre. June 4, 2022. © Christopher Hopkins via the Walkley Foundation Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year finalist: Brendan Esposito, ABC. Jenna Love photographs herself for her OnlyFans internet page at her home in Blaxland, NSW, a look inside the booming business of “democratised” adult content – erotica made by everyday people and sold online for a subscription fee. Since its inception, OnlyFans has been seen as a tool for economic empowerment by many. But the site – and others like it – poses ethical dilemmas and real risks for those involved. Jenna is a content creator who explores the highs and lows of making DIY erotica. © Brendan Esposito via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Andrew Quilty, Rolling Stone, Return of the Taliban. A Taliban fighter fires into the air late on the night of September 3, 2021, in celebration of the group’s reported capture of Panjshir province, where a resistance group, the National Resistance Front, were defending the last patch of Afghan territory not in Taliban hands, two-and-a-half weeks after it overthrew the former government. © Andrew Quilty via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Kate Geraghty, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, ‘Invasion of Ukraine – Civilian Impact’ Living on the frontline: Zoya Shaposhnik, 67, looks up at the hole in her ceiling from a missile strike. Her disabled husband narrowly escaped injury or death in their home in Krasnohorivka. Zoya Shaposhnik did not evacuate as many others have in the town, instead staying to care for her husband. Their roof and other parts of their home have been destroyed. Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. June 16, 2022. © Kate Geraghty via the Walkley Foundation Feature/Photographic essay. Finalist: Matthew Abbott, National Geographic Magazine, ‘Saving forests with fire’ During a five-day bush walk across several clan estates in the early season, a family follows a fire lit by other members of the clan to help guide them on their journey and to clear the land to prevent destructive fires. © Matthew Abbott via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Christopher Hopkins, The Age, ‘Day 1: Anti Lockdown’ A member of Victoria Police is knocked to the ground as anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protesters break the police line. The officer would be trampled and hospitalised. © Christopher Hopkins via the Walkley Foundation News photography, Stephen Dupont, Stephen Dupont Instagram and Facebook, ‘War in Ukraine’. The Dead Left Behind: This Russian helicopter was shot down on March 4, 2022. It was one of four helicopters heading to Makariv. The local regiment says it was shot down by a man-portable air-defence system, or “Igla”, by Ukrainian soldiers. The helicopter crashed into a field at the edge of the Makariv town in between the Russian and Ukrainian positions. Here, following liberation by the Ukrainian forces, three soldiers scour the wreckage where five bodies of the Russian crew are scattered around the crash site. It is unclear why the bodies were left there to rot. © Stephen Dupont via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Cameron Spencer, Getty Images, “Sport is Back!” Charlie Curnow of Carlton marks during the round 3 AFL match between the Carlton Blues and the Hawthorn Hawks at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, April 3 2022. © Cameron Spencer via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images, “Swimming World”. Backstroke: Australian Ryan Alexander Lobo competes in the Men’s 50m Backstroke at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships at SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre. Adelaide, Australia. May 20, 2022. © Quinn Rooney via the Walkley Foundation Finalist: Robert Cianflone, Getty Images, “A Glamorous Job”. The Finish Line: A general view during Race 4, the Amanda Elliott Handicap, at the 2021 Paramount+ Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse. November 6, 2021. © Robert Cianflone via the Walkley Foundation
