TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Chris Donovan is this year's winner of the annual Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, presented by The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and The Canadian Press.
As winner, Donovan, a final-year photojournalism student at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ont., will be joining The Canadian Press Toronto head office for a six-week internship. His undergraduate studies at Mount Allison University focused on photography and printmaking. Last summer, he worked as a reporter and photographer at the Saint John Telegraph-Journal.
"It's an honour to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the best in the business at the Canadian Press in memory of a photographer who had an incredible knack for telling a story through a single image," says Donovan.
"I hope to further develop my skills as a visual storyteller through this internship, and I'm excited to begin a new chapter."
The jury reviewed submissions from students and early-career photojournalists from across the country before selecting Donovan. View his submission portfolio.
According to jury member and 2012 Tom Hanson Award recipient Michelle Siu, Donovan won because he displayed a unique vision and voice that this internship could help develop. "As a former Tom Hanson intern, I drew from my experience to look for someone that could make strong story-telling images, work independently and thrive in shooting a variety of assignments in a fast-paced environment," says Siu, now a Toronto-based photojournalist. "In addition to his photos being technically strong and compelling, we got a sense of who he is and what he cares about—that is something that really stood out to us."
Donovan will be formally presented with the award at the CJF Awards on June 8, 2017 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
Selection Committee
Catherine Hanson, spouse of Tom Hanson
Heide Glorieux-Kaspar, mother of Tom Hanson
Graeme Roy, director of news photography, The Canadian Press
Frank Gunn, national photographer, The Canadian Press
Fred Chartrand, freelance photographer and former national photographer, The Canadian Press
Tony Caldwell, photographer, Ottawa Sun
Michelle Siu, freelance photographer and 2012 Tom Hanson Photojournalism award winner
Scott White, vice-chair, The Canadian Journalism Foundation
This award is generously supported by Nikon.
About the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award
The Canadian Journalism Foundation and The Canadian Press teamed up in 2009 to launch a new photojournalism award in memory of Tom Hanson, an award-winning photographer who travelled around the world and across the country, shooting some of the most iconic news and sports images of his time. The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award offers a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto for a photojournalist in the early stages of his or her career.
SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation
Wendy Kan, Director of Programming, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected] or 416-955-0975; Graeme Roy, Director of News Photography, The Canadian Press, [email protected] or 416-507-2167
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