Northern Ireland Press Photographers Association

This years Vodafone Northern Ireland Press Photographer of the Year Awards 2003 has been won by Ann McManus, picture editor of the Irish News. Click here to take a look at her portfolio along with all the other winning pictures from the night.

The Vodafone Northern Ireland Press Photographer of the Year Awards 2003 took place last night at a gala dinner in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast. This was Vodafone’s first year to sponsor the prestigious competition which saw photographers from newspapers and agencies all across Northern Ireland enter the various categories. Prizes and awards were offered in five categories: news, sports, features, people and picture story and this year’s awards received a record entry of sixty-six photographers and nearly 600 pictures in total.

Director and General Manager of Vodafone NI, Byrom Bramwell, said; “We are simply delighted at the success of this year’s awards and congratulate the NI Press Photographers Association and its member photographers who entered the competition for the incredibly high standard of the entries. It may be a cliché, but nonetheless true, that a picture says a thousand words: and the pictures on view at the awards tonight spoke volumes for the standard of press photography in Northern Ireland. We are lucky to have such talent to illuminate our daily and weekly newspapers. How much duller our lives would be without them.”

The new Vodafone sponsorship of the event brought with it newly-designed trophies for all the category winners and an extra three Merit Awards for photographers working on provincial newspapers. BBC presenter, Christine Bleakley, compered the awards ceremony at which prizes totalling nearly £9,000 were awarded.

The winners were:
News:
Runner Up: Paul Faith, Press Association for his pictured `Murdered’
Winner: John Taggart, Antrim Guardian for `Silent Grief’

Sports:
Runner Up: Darryl Mooney, freelance/Newry Democrat for `Bowling Along’
Winner: John Harrison, John Harrison Photography for `The Winner’

Features:
Runner Up: Hugh Russell, Irish News for `Waiting in the Wings’
Winner: Paul McCambridge, Kelvin Boyes Photography for `11th Nite’

People:
Runner Up: Ann McManus, Irish News for `Tearful Goodbye’
Winner: John McVitty, Impartial Reporter for `Face the Bill’

Picture Story:
Runner Up: William Cherry, Pacemaker Press International for `Fight Night’
Winner: Niall Carson, Andersonstown News for `NIPD Blues’

The Vodafone Special Merit Award for a concept in black and white:
Darren Kidd, Sunday Life for `Abused Kids’

Belfast Merit Awards:
Cathal McNaughton, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life for his overall portforlio
and for coming a close 2nd in the overall Press Photographer of the Year Award
Stephen Wilson, Pacemaker Press International for `Cooling Down’
Alan Lewis, Photopress for `End of an Era’

Provincial Merit Awards:
John McIlwaine, Ballymena Times for `Goalden Celebration’
Adrian Robinson, Mid-Ulster Mail for `Cheeky Boy’
Mal McCann, Andersonstown News for `Everything But the Kitcken Sink’

Vodafone NI Provincial Press Photographer of the Year:
Thomas McMullan, North Belfast News

Vodafone NI Press Photographer of the Year:
Runner Up: Cathal McNaughton, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life
Winner: Ann McManus, Irish News