Text taken from the Walkley Awards & ABC sites /

Nikon-Walkley Community/Regional Prize (folio of work here and below)  Winner: Adam Hourigan (‘Eric Lyons stands in front of his caravan and a wall of flame, after helping his neighbour, Allan Lawrence, burn a paddock at his Palmers Island property.’)

Nikon-Walkley Community/Regional Prize Winner (folio of work here and above): Adam Hourigan (‘A woman and a friend had a lucky escape when the caravan she was towing fishtailed down the Pacific Highway and collided with a truck. The pair escaped injury, though the caravan, the woman’s home was destroyed.’)

Nikon-Walkley Portrait Prize Winner: Sylvia Liber. (‘An intimate moment between Imogen Stone, who has Batten disease, and her older sister Nataya. The girls were dressed like little princesses for a brush with royalty, when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Bear Cottage children’s hospice on Good Friday, 2014.’) /

Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year (folio of work) Finalist : Lisa Maree Williams. (‘Key moments from her year covering Australian stories, some of public prominence and others of a more intimate nature; from the official visit of Prince William and Catherine and the devastating bushfires that engulfed the Blue Mountains region through to the beauty of runway fashion and the Walker family on Rio Station.’) /

Feature/Photographic Essay (folio of work) Finalist:  Lisa Marie Williams (‘ Regional Queensland – Williams provides a glimpse of the daily life of the Walker family, one of many families feeling the effects of one the worst droughts on record. Despite these hard times, Williams was able to capture moments of both tranquil beauty and playful joy.’)  /

News Photography (folio of work) Winner: Brendan Beirne. (‘Photos of the infamous brawl between James Packer and David Gyngell on the streets of Bondi caused a global media sensation.’)  /

Feature/Photographic Essay Photo Of The Year Winner: Eddie Jim (‘Photograph of Hayden McLean, 35, who is severely autistic, mildly intellectually disabled, and highly sensitive to noise and unkindness in his natural environment. Winning Hayden’s trust and acceptance, Jim produced a striking and beautiful photo essay.’/

Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year Finalist:  Steve Pennells. (‘The first photographer to gain access to the military-controlled no man’s land along Jordan’s dangerous eastern border with Syria, Pennells set out to draw attention to one of the biggest humanitarian crises since World War II.’) /

Feature/Photographic Essay Finalist: Brendan Esposito. (‘In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated large swathes of Southeast Asia, causing more than 6,300 fatalities in the Philippines alone. Under very difficult conditions, Esposito powerfully captured the challenges facing survivors and the absolute devastation of the city of Tacloban.’) / 

Sport Photography Finalist: Brett Costello. (‘Jesse Sanders slam-dunking over Sydney, to split-second captures like Michael Carberry’s bat breaking during the 2014 Ashes, Costello’s portfolio shows the sport photographer at the height of his skill.’)  /

The Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year Winner (folio of work here & below): Andrew Quilty. (‘The Price family ride the Manly Ferry through rough seas in Sydney Harbour during a week of stormy weather and rain.’)

Winner the Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year (folio of work here & above):  Andrew Quilty. (‘Strong north-westerly winds and high temperatures resulted in dozens of bush fires across great Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands in October 2013. Plumes of smoke were visible from Bondi Beach one afternoon after the wind had veered around to the south-west’)  /

Sport Photography Winner (folio of work): Cameron Spencer. (‘Sports photographs linked by the theme of water. From freestyle aerial skiing at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics to the New Zealand All Blacks performing the Haka in the rain after winning the Hong Kong Sevens, Spencer’s portfolio is a beautiful set of sports photos.’) /

Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year Winner: Andrew Quilty. (‘Quilty captured a striking and powerfully emotive image that allows the viewer to gauge instantly the full magnitude of the little girl’s injuries. “That her burns are the result of a domestic accident and not military conflict increases the surreal impact – almost that of a fine art picture.”’)