Freddie snaps up top award

Freddie picked up his gong at the BT Northern Ireland Press Photographer of the Year Awards held at Zen restaurant, Belfast on Wednesday, September 19.

The judges also awarded Freddie first place in the Provincial Merit Awards - his fourth success in the category in as many years.

“I’m extremely honoured to have received such a prestigious award, and dedicated it to the memory of my late mother, Ellen,” he said.

“I would like to thank the competition judges Trevor Dickson and Stanley Matchett, the chairman and committee members of NIPPA and also BT, Zen and all the sponsors who helped make this year’s awards such a great success.”

Congratulating Freddie on his award, Times editor Valerie Martin commented: “We’re all delighted for Freddie and his success is well deserved. Everyone at the Times is very proud of him.”

Jordanstown man Justin Kernaghan, a freelance photographer with Photopress, picked up the News Photographer of the Year and Northern Ireland Regional Press Photographer of the Year awards.

Justin said he was “absolutely delighted” to win the Regional Press Photographer award for the second time in three years and thanked Mallusk logistics firm Redhead International for sponsoring the News category of the competition.

An exhibition of all the prize-winning photographs from this year’s NIPPA Awards is expected to be hosted by Newtownabbey Borough Council at Mossley Mill later this year.