NYPPA 2022 Year in Pictures and Multimedia contest: Newsday photographers, freelancers win 20 awards
The winners included Alejandra Villa Loarca's photograph titled "Honoring a Hero," of the funeral of NYPD officer Jason Rivera at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Thomas A. Ferrara's photograph of a New York Yankees walk-off win.
Newsday photographers, as well as freelancers, took home 20 awards in the 88th Annual New York Press Photographers Year in Pictures and Multimedia Contest, including first place in the general news category by Alejandra Villa Loarca for a photograph titled "Honoring a Hero" — from the funeral of NYPD officer Jason Rivera at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Among the honors, Newsday also took three second-place awards, five honorable mentions and a number of exhibit awards in the competition.
First Place, General News. New York Police pallbearers carry the casket of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera out of St. Patrick's Cathedral after his funeral service on Jan. 28, 2022. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
"Newsday photographers did an outstanding job on a wide range of subjects," Newsday director of Multimedia Newsgathering John Keating said. "Their award-winning work includes heart-wrenching images from funerals for fallen New York City policemen and firemen, a joyful Father's Day picture, the Yankees celebrating a walk-off win on Opening Day, and a video that was part of a two-year investigation into the police Internal Affairs Bureau. It is an honor to have our photographers recognized by the NYPPA."
The winning photograph by Villa Loarca captured the moment as police pallbearers carried the casket of Rivera out of St. Patrick's at the conclusion of his funeral service on Jan. 28, 2022.
In addition, Villa Loarca and a Newsday team including Chris Ware, J. Conrad Williams, John Paraskevas and producer Jeff Basinger took second place in the Long Form Multimedia category with a video titled "Inside Internal Affairs," while John Roca took second place in the Animals category for a photo titled "Bubble Tabby," and Randee Daddona took second place in the Short Form Multimedia category for a video titled "Oyster Bay Brewery Hosts Hard of Hearing Trivia Night."
The complete list of competition winners can be found at nyppa.org, including Exhibit Award (EA) winners. The award-winning Newsday photographers include:
- Spot News: David Handschuh, independent for Newsday, Honorable Mention (Moments of Panic); and Handschuh, independent for Newsday, EA (Five Alarm Fire).
Exhibit Award, Spot News. Firefighters and paramedics help some of the 50 people injured in a five-alarm blaze in the Bronx on Jan. 9, 2022. Credit: David Handschuh
- General News: Alejandra Villa Loarca, Newsday, First Place (Honoring a Hero); Villa Loarca, Newsday, Honorable Mention (Funeral for FDNY firefighter Jesse Gerhard); Debbie Egan-Chin, independent for Newsday, EA (Tearful Goodbye); J. Conrad Williams Jr., Newsday, EA (Funeral for High-Rise Fire Victims).
Honorable Mention, General News. The funeral for FDNY firefighter Jesse Gerhard of Islip on Feb. 23, 2022. Gerhard died after suffering a heart attack a day after fighting a fire. From left: Gerhard's mother, Lynn Gerhard, sister-in-law Kristi Gerhard, nephew Bradley Gerhard and brother Casey Gerhard. Credit: Alejandra Villa Loarca
- Feature: Thomas A. Ferrara, Newsday, EA (Witches Paddle). Portrait: Alejandra Villa Loarca, Newsday, EA (The Damas Family); Steven Pfost, Newsday, EA (Egg Farmer).
Exhibit Award, Portrait. A Father's Day story highlighted Marcus Damas, shown with his kids, Maddi, 4, Melrose, 1, and Max, 7, on June 13 at home in West Bay Shore. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
- Animal: John Roca, independent for Newsday, Second Place (Bubble Tabby).
Second Place, Animals. Refugees from Ukraine pour across the border into Poland at the Medyka crossing with children and pets on March 4, 2022. Credit: John Roca
- Sports Feature: Thomas A. Ferrara, Newsday, EA (At the Track); Thomas A. Ferrara, Newsday, EA (Fouled into the Knee); Thomas A. Ferrara, Newsday, EA (Home Opener Walk-off Win).
Exhibit Award, Sports Feature. New York Yankees' Isiah Kiner-Falefa scores on Josh Donaldson’s walk-off 11th-inning RBI to win the home opener against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on the afternoon of April 8. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
- Face of New York: Alejandra Villa Loarca, Newsday, EA (Ray of Light); Debbie Egan-Chin, independent for Newsday, EA (New Yorkers on Halloween night).
Exhibit Award, Face of New York. Police officers gather for the wake of New York City Police Officer Wilbert Mora at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Feb. 1, 2022. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
- Multimedia (Short Form): Randee Daddona, Newsday, Second Place (Oyster Bay Brewery hosts hard of hearing trivia night); Steve Pfost, Newsday, Honorable Mention (Fire and chain saws: The fight to save LI’s wilderness).
- Multimedia (Long Form): Alejandra Villa Loarca, Chris Ware, J. Conrad Williams, John Paraskevas / Photographers, Jeff Basinger / Producer, Newsday, Second Place (Inside Internal Affairs: 2-year investigation into Nassau, Suffolk police uncovered little accountability in 4 deaths, 4 serious); Thomas A. Ferrara, J. Conrad Williams, Jr., Steven Pfost, William Perlman, Debbie Egan-Chin, Newsday, Honorable Mention (Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez: From tragedy to triumph); and, Thomas A. Ferrara / Randee Daddona, Newsday, Honorable Mention (Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, Falaise and more Long Island connections to ‘The Godfather’).
See all the award-winning Newsday photos.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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