Kieran Doherty and Dylan Martinez win news photography prizes

Doherty won first prize in the news category with a picture of a young girl standing with other mourners as the hearses carrying the coffins of five British soldiers are driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett. Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, Lance Corporal Darren Hicks, Kingsman Sean Dawson, Rifleman Mark Marshall and Sapper Guy Mellors were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan’s Helmand province earlier in February.​

Martinez won first prize for features with a picture of a dog walker strolling through an earthquake-damaged district of Padang, Indonesia’s West Sumatra province.

Now in its fifth year, the competition showcases outstanding press photography taken for and use by UK media. It aims to demonstrate that even in an age of rolling television news, Internet and satellite communication, the traditional still image burns the keenest, fastest impression on the public conscience and is the most effective way to show the world the world as it really is.

Some 317 photographers based in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, Japan, South Africa, India, Australia and the United States submitted more than 7,000 photographs.

Previous winners have included Reuters photographers Nir Elias for photo essay in 2006, Yonathan Weitzman for live news in 2007, and Darren Staples for sports features in 2008.

The awards were presented in association with the British Press Photographers’ Association. Winning photographs can be viewed online and will also be exhibited in the Lyttleton foyer of the National Theatre, London, from 10 July to 10 September. ■