Canada's Top Photojournalists of 2020 Recognized at Premiere Competition

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VANCOUVER, BC, March 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Great photos tell stories. They transcend language and cultural barriers, speaking to our universal desire to understand. Great photos deconstruct moments down to their essence to help us see the complete narrative - our heartbreak, our joy, our failures and our triumphs. 

Through a pandemic, Canada's photojournalists have masked up and documented the world around us. Risking exposure to the virus, encountering acts of physical violence and placing the vital importance of news coverage ahead of their personal lives, they have ensured our experiences and unique moments were captured and shared.

Today, the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) is pleased to recognize the country's best photojournalism of 2020 for the 14th Annual National Pictures of the Year (NPOY) awards competition.

A spectacular body of work consisting of 2,000 photographs and 22 multimedia productions from 135 photographers and videographers across Canada were entered in this year's contest.

All nominated photographs can be viewed online at www.npac.ca, or in person during the Capture Photography Festival at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia from March 29 – April 23, 2021 (Covid safety measures will be in place).

The winners of each category, including the prestigious Photojournalist of the Year and Photograph of the Year, will be announced on March 28, 2021, Time and format TBD.  Check out the www.npac.ca site for details.

"The News Photographers Association of Canada is so proud to have such a vast number of talented photographers who pushed themselves extremely hard through this challenging year to ensure Canadians can have the experience of seeing their world in a whole new way. I offer huge congratulations to all the nominees," NPAC President Crystal Schick said.

The News Photographers Association of Canada's 2020 National Pictures of the Year Finalists are (in alphabetical order):

PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by The Canadian Press

Darren Calabrese / Independent
Leah Hennel / Independent
Chris Young / The Canadian Press

SPOT NEWS - Sponsored by The Camera Store

Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press – Demonstration Scuffle
Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press – Residential Building Fire
Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press –Train Derailment
Maggie MacPherson / Independent – Pipeline Demonstration
Carlos Osorio / Reuters - Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory Camp

GENERAL NEWS - Sponsored by Cision

Darren Calabrese / Independent – Graduation Day
Lars Hagberg / The Canadian Press – Gravestone Kiss
Lars Hagberg / The Canadian Press –Stay Home
Evan Mitsui / CBC – Vigil
Ben Nelms / CBC  - Drive-Thru Confessional

FEATURE - Sponsored by Winnipeg Free Press

Darren Calabrese / Independent – Fishing Boat Celebration
Carlos Osorio / Reuters – CN Tower
Carlos Osorio / Reuters – Drive-In Concert
Justin Tang – The Canadian Press - Sunflower
Chris Young – The Canadian Press – Drag Queen Show

PORTRAIT – Sponsored by Beau Photo

Cole Burston / Independent - Che
Darren Calabrese / Independent – COVID Musician
Leah Hennel / Independent – Rancher
Leah Hennel / The Narwhal – Mac Blades
Jimmy Jeong / Maclean's Magazine – OR Nurse

PERSONALITY – Sponsored by Panasonic

Darren Calabrese / Independent – Lighthouse Keeper
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press – Family Visit
Leah Hennel / CBC – BLM Protest
Chad Hipolito / The Globe and Mail - Flooding

SPORTS ACTION - Sponsored by Nikon Canada

Dave Holland / Independent – Speed Skaters
Nick Iwanyshyn / Canadian Cycling Magazine – Track Cycling 
Kevin Light / Independent – Triathlon Training
Chris Tanouye / Getty Images – OHL Game

SPORTS FEATURE - Sponsored by Sony Canada

Bernard Brault / La Presse – Sea Doo
Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press – Rugby Fans
Leah Hennel / The Globe and Mail – Water Polo Training
John Lucas / Independent – Waterskiing
Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press – Hockey Win

SINGLE MULTIMEDIA – Sponsored by Vistek

Chad Hipolito / Independent – Cowichan Valley Flood
Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press – Reading the Forest
Matt Smith / Saskatoon StarPhoenix – Scottsguard
Melissa Tait / The Globe and Mail / Cherry Blossoms

TEAM MULTIMEDIA – Sponsored by Thomson Reuters

Deborah Baic, Patrick dell, Rick Smith / The Globe and Mail – Microplastics
Evan Mitsui, Adam Miller, Anand Ram / CBC – Inside Hospitals During COVID-19
Melissa Tait, Timothy Moore, Renada D'Aliesio / The Globe and Mail – Manhunt Manitoba

PICTURE STORY - FEATURE - Sponsored by Canon Canada

Darren Calabrese / Independent – The Last Lighthouse Keeper
Leah Hennel / The Globe and Mail – Refugee Farmers
Chris Young / The Canadian Press – Drive-In Drag Show

PICTURE STORY - NEWS - Sponsored by Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

Cole Burston / The Globe and Mail – COVID-19 
Leah Hennel / The Globe and Mail – Black Lives Matter Vigil
Ben Nelms / CBC – COVID-19
Jesse Winter / Vice - Wet'suwet'en Land Defender Camps

SOCIAL ISSUES - Sponsored by FujiFilm

Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press – Oppenheimer Park
John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette – Homeless Care
Valerian Mazataud / Le Devoir – Mobile Hospital
Jesse Winter / The Globe and Mail – Family Caregivers
Chris Young / The Canadian Press – Toronto Homeless

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Loyalist College
Submission deadline: April 1, 2021

About NPAC:

NPAC celebrates and champions quality and ethical photography in journalism. Through a variety of efforts, the association challenges its members to better themselves and to continually raise the bar of industry standards.

This national organization includes over 300 professional visual journalists, freelancers, photo editors and photojournalism students from across Canada.

SOURCE News Photographers Association of Canada

Media Contact: Laura Ballance, 604-637-6646 (direct), 604-771-5176 (cell), [email protected]