Top photojournalists recognized at largest photo competition in Canada

VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - Great photos tell stories.  They transcend language and cultural barriers and speak to basic human nature.  A great photo is a snapshot of time that can reveal the world's most profound tales of heartbreak, joy and reality with one single image.

Today, the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) is pleased to recognize the excellence represented in submissions by 135 of Canada's outstanding photojournalists in announcing the nominations in the tenth annual National Pictures of the Year (NPOY) awards competition.

More than 2,000 photographs along with 25 multimedia productions from across Canada were entered in this year's competition, representing a spectacular body of work.

The nominated photographs can be viewed online at www.npac.ca and as a featured exhibition during the Capture Photography Festival held at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia from March 28 to April 9, 2016.

The winners of all categories, including 2015 Photojournalist of the Year, 2015 Photograph of the Year and 2015 Student Photographer of the Year, will be announced during the 2015 National Pictures of the Year Gala event on April 23, 2016, at the IX Gallery in Toronto, Ontario.  These winning images will be exhibited as part of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto from April 23 – May 27, 2016.

The 2015 NPOY judging committee was made up of some of the most prominent and visionary Canadian photojournalists. They were tasked with judging the entries during a live-streamed online event that was watched by photographers, students and the public.

"We believe live-streaming the judging process allows for greater transparency and to give photographers the opportunity to learn from watching their work being judged," said Ben Nelms, NPAC Vice President.

The News Photographers Association of Canada's 2015 National Pictures of the Year Nominee List (in alphabetical order):

Photojournalist of the Year - Sponsored by The Canadian Press

• Tyler Anderson - National Post
• Darren Calabrese - Independent
• Rafal Gerszak - Boreal Collective
• John Lehmann - The Globe and Mail
• Melissa Renwick - Toronto Star

Feature – Sponsored by the Winnipeg Free Press

• Tyler Anderson - National Post
• John Lehmann - The Globe and Mail
• Annie Sakkab – Independent

General News – Sponsored by the CNW Group

• Amber Bracken - for the Edmonton Journal
• Ivanoh Demers - La Presse
• Chad Hipolito - for The Canadian Press
• Jim Young - Reuters

Spot News – Sponsored by The Camera Store

• Don Denton - Victoria News
• Craig Glover - London Free Press / Postmedia
• Jim Young - Reuters 

Sports Action - Sponsored by Nikon

• Mark Blinch - for The Canadian Press
• Nathan Denette - The Canadian Press
• Jason Franson - The Canadian Press
• Ryan Pfeiffer – Metroland

Sports Feature - Sponsored by Thomson Reuters

• Tyler Anderson - National Post
• Kevin Light – CBC Sports
• Carlos Osorio - Toronto Star

Social Issues – Sponsored by Fujifilm

• Amber Bracken - for The Globe and Mail
• Rafal Gerszak - Boreal Collective
• Steve Russell - Toronto Star

Portrait / Personality – Sponsored by Beau Photo

• Darren Calabrese - for The Globe and Mail
• Darren Calabrese - for The Globe and Mail
• Marta Iwanek - Toronto Star
• Melissa Renwick - Toronto Star
• Martin Tremblay - La Presse

Pictorial - Sponsored by Canon Canada

• David Bloom - Postmedia
• Darryl Dyck - Independent
• Rafal Gerszak - Boreal Collective
• Nick Iwanyshyn – Metroland

Picture Story – Sponsored by Leica

• Tyler Anderson - National Post
• Darren Calabrese - for The Globe and Mail
• Rafal Gerszak - Boreal Collective
• Melissa Renwick - Toronto Star

Single Multimedia – Sponsored by the Toronto Star

• Marta Iwanek - Toronto Star
• Ryan Jackson - Edmonton Journal 
• Ryan Jackson - Edmonton Journal
• Andrew Tolson - Maclean's 

Team Multimedia – Sponsored by Vistek

• Brent Foster - Foster Visuals & Nick Brokalakis
• Brent Foster and Preston Kanak  - Foster Visuals, Peter Schnobb & Tammy Foster
• Leah Hennel & Kerianne Sproule  - Calgary Herald
• Melissa Renwick, Kelsey Wilson & Olivia Carville  - Toronto Star

Photograph of the Year – Sponsored by The Globe and Mail

Winners to be announced at the NPAC 2015 National Pictures of the Year Awards Gala, Toronto, Ontario, April 23, 2016

Student Photographer of the Year - Sponsored by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to be announced at the NPAC 2015 National Pictures of the Year Awards Gala, Toronto, Ontario, April 23, 2016. Submission deadline is April 1, 2016.

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 press and documentary photographers, photo editors and photojournalism students from across Canada.

SOURCE News Photographers Association of Canada

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