Lukas Coch wins Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year prize

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AAP Photographer Lukas Coch has been named the winner of the 2018 Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year Prize for his image “Linda Burney Airborne”.

Lukas Coch's Walkley award-winning image 'Linda Burney Airborne'.

A news image rich in emotion and deeper significance, Coch said it was a bittersweet moment to capture. "Her son, who was gay, had died just six weeks before. For all of those who campaigned so hard for so many years, it was both a happy day and a day far too long in coming.”

The Walkley Awards are the most prestigious annual award for photojournalism in Australia. Along with Coch's winning image, finalists of the 2018 Nikon-Walkley Awards for Excellence in Photojournalism and Walkley Documentary Award have also been announced, with winners to be announced on 22 November at the 63rd Annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The finalists are:

NIKON-WALKLEY PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Matthew Abbott, The New York Times, Oculi, ABC and The Australian
Dean Lewins, NBCnews.com, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, The Australian and Time
Andrew Quilty, The New York Times, Human Rights Watch, National Geographic Magazine, Politic and The Guardian

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

Lukas Coch, AAP, “Linda Burney Airborne”
Jenny Evans, Getty Images and The Daily Telegraph, “Life Saver”
Andrew Quilty, The New York Times, “‘It’s a Massacre’: Blast in Kabul Deepens Toll of a Long War”

SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY

Scott Barbour, Getty Images, “Sport 2017—2018”
Brett Costello, The Daily Telegraph, “No Limits”
Craig Golding, AAP, “Body of Work ”

FEATURE/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

Jenny Evans, Getty Images, “Louth Races”
David Gray, Reuters Wider Image, “Drought From Above”
Chris Hopkins, SBS Online Documentaries, “My Name is Yunus”

Winners are also announced for four photography prizes.

NIKON-WALKLEY PORTRAIT PRIZE

Winner: Sylvia Liber, Illawarra Mercury, “Trapped in the Wrong Body”

NIKON-WALKLEY COMMUNITY/REGIONAL PRIZE

Winner: Sylvia Liber, Illawarra Mercury, “Sea of Emotions”

NIKON-WALKLEY CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN DAILY LIFE PRIZE

Winner: Matthew Abbott, ABC Online, “Not a farmer’s wife”

NIKON-WALKLEY PHOTO OF THE YEAR PRIZE

Winner: Lukas Coch, AAP, “Linda Burney Airborne”

The finalists’ photographs will be toured around the nation in a series of free public exhibitions and is currently on display at the State Library of NSW and opening the ABC in Brisbane on Thursday 18 October.

You can see all the finalist images here or via the Walkley magazine here.

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