SYDNEY.-Canon Australia is pleased to announce that the winners of the most prestigious international contest in professional press photography, World Press Photo, will be exhibited in Australia in May.

The exhibition is brought to Sydney by Canon and brings to light images that are guaranteed to trigger an emotional response. Showcasing the very best of photojournalism from around the world, World Press Photo includes images that reveal the complexity and contradictions of real life, often amid chaos and calamity. The images are provocative, touching, haunting and beautiful, allowing the public to see the world we live in. This valuable exhibition honours the heroism and vision of press photographers around the world.

"Canon Australia is proud to again be the major sponsor of World Press Photo, bringing the exhibition to our shores for the eighth time. This year holds special significance as we celebrate Canon’s heritage in photography with the 20th anniversary of EOS – the choice of many photojournalists,” said Mr Shuichi Tsukahara, Managing Director, Canon Australia.

“This prestigious exhibition pays tribute to the profession of photojournalism and reveals moments in history that may otherwise be unseen to the public eye. World Press Photo provides a platform for the stories of our time to be shared,” said Mr Tsukahara.

The photo selected by the jury as the World Press Photo of the Year 2006 shows a group of Lebanese youths driving through a South Beirut neighbourhood, devastated by Israeli bombings. The picture was taken on 15 August 2006, the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah when thousands of Lebanese started returning to their homes. It was taken by US photographer Spencer Platt of Getty Images.

Mr Platt will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euro (A$16,000) and a professional EOS Digital SLR camera donated by Canon.

This year’s contest received 78,083 images submitted by 4,460 professional photographers from 124 countries. Single photographs and photo stories were judged in 10 categories: Spot News, General News, People in the News, Portraits, Sports Action, Sports Features, Arts and Entertainment, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life and Nature. The jury was comprised of picture editors, photographers and representatives of press agencies from across the world.

Australian photographers always feature in the league of award winners and this year is no exception. The Australian winners for 2006 are:

Craig Golding, Sydney Morning Herald, 2nd prize, Sports Action Stories
Steve Christo, Sydney Morning Herald, 3rd prize, Sport Action Stories

The State Library of NSW will again host the exhibition in Sydney. For the first time, the Australian season will be extended and the exhibition will travel to Brisbane after Sydney. It will make its Queensland debut at the Brisbane Powerhouse – Centre for the Arts, in June.

The World Press Photo Foundation is an independent platform for international press photography, founded in 1955. This platform manifests itself in the annual World Press Photo of the Year Contest and the corresponding yearbook and exhibition.

The FREE exhibition will be held at the State Library of NSW, from 11 May to 31 May 2007. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm; weekends 11am-5pm. The exhibition will be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse, from 10 June – 1 July 2007. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm; weekends 10am-4pm.