10 February 2006
Reutershotographer Finbarr O'Reilly has won the 2005 World Press Photo Award with a picture from the famine in Niger. It is the second year in a row that Reuters has received the highest award in photojournalism, following Arko Datta's win last year.
The winning picture was chosen from amongst 83,044 photos entered in the contest. O'Reilly, 35, is chief photographer for West and Central Africa based in Dakar, Senegal.
Mohamed Azakir, Reuters photographer based in Lebanon, received the First Prize Spot News Singles with his picture of a car bomb explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
Tom Glocer, Reuters CEO, said: "Finbarr has very quickly become a rising star in Reuters photography team, coming from writing journalism, which shows how broad his talent is. This highest recognition for Reuters for the second year in a row makes me very proud. We have a fantastic team of first class photographers, often in very difficult situations. Day after day they bring to the world in one shot all the issues of the planet. Last year it was Arko Datta's tsunami survivor photograph, this year it's the famine in Niger seen by Finbarr. Photography is very important for Reuters and this is why we will continue to invest in it."
Geert Linnebank, Reuters Editor-in-Chief said: "We are deeply honoured and extremely proud to win news photography's top award for the second year running. Photo journalism is integral to what we do every day at Reuters -- holding up mirrors so the world can watch and understand itself. Finnbarr O'Reilly's photo of famine in Niger is one of the very brightest of those mirrors, one which has the power to mobilise."
Tom Szlukovenyi, Reuters Global Picture Editor, said: "This fantastic achievement is further magnified by the fact that Finbarr is new to photography. His raw talent shone through even when he was working for Reuters as a text reporter based in Kigali, Rwanda, but his first picture as a full time professional photographer was taken only a year ago in Sudan. Under the watchful eye of his mentor Radu Sigheti, Reuters East Africa Senior photographer, he has progressed incredibly fast and has provided Reuters with a steady stream of outstanding images. News of Reuters second consecutive win at the World Press spread like wildfire among photographers covering the Winter Olympics and is seen as further proof of the talent and hard work of all in the picture service."