By Hamish Mackay
The Press Association’s David Cheskin won the Photographer of the Year title at the Scottish Press Photography Awards ceremony on Tuesday night.
Cate Gillon had a double triumph — winning two categories: Essay of the Year (for pictures of the aftermath of the Asian tsunami) and News Picture of the Year.
The evening was also marked by veteran Scots photographer, Harry Benson, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, which the 76 year-old received after flying in from his home in New York.
Sponsored by First ScotRail, the awards were presented in Edinburgh by First Minister Jack McConnell.
The awards, back after a five-year absence, attracted more than 3000 entries, with 38 photographers and two newspapers shortlisted across 11 categories. Freelance candidates secured nine nominations. The winning images can be viewed online at www.scottishppa.com For the first time in the awards¹ history, members of the public were able to choose a winner, and the first winner of the Open category was Stuart Wallace, of Sunday Times Scotland, for his image of Bob Geldof and Bono during the G8 Summit at Gleneagles last year.
The only award to go outside the central belt was Young Photographer of the Year which was lifted by Mark Sutherland, North Scot Press Agency, which is run in Aberdeen by Derek Ironside.
The Sunday Herald was named Newspaper of the Year.
The full list of winners and highly commended is: Photographer of the Year: David Cheskin, Press Association; Highly commended: Cate Gillon, Edinburgh Evening News/The Herald.
Picture Essay of the Year: Cate Gillon, Edinburgh Evening News/ The Herald; Highly commended: Chris Furlong, Getty Images.
Features Photographer of the Year: Neil Hanna, The Scotsman; Highly commended: Kieran Dodds, Glasgow Evening Times.
Sports Photographer of the Year: Gordon Fraser, Scottish Rugby Union; Highly commended: Kieran Dodds, Glasgow Evening Times.
Weekly Photographer of the Year: Angus Blackburn, Freelance.
Young Photographer of the Year: Mark Sutherland, North Scot Press Agency, Aberdeen.
Student Photographer of the Year: Joint winners: Lorenzo Dalberto, Stevenson College, Edinburgh, and Ian Georgeson, Stevenson College, Edinburgh.
Sports Picture of the Year: James Williamson, Freelance; Highly commended: William Murray, SNS.
News Picture of the Year: Cate Gillon, Edinburgh Evening News.
Open category: Stuart Wallace, Sunday Times Scotland.
Newspaper of the Year: Winner: Sunday Herald.
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