CP reporter, photographer win prestigious journalism awards

OTTAWA – A senior parliamentary correspondent and a photographer with The Canadian Press have been honoured with prestigious journalism awards.

Jennifer Ditchburn has won the annual Charles Lynch award in recognition of her outstanding coverage of national issues.

The award, named for a legendary Canadian journalist, is conferred by the parliamentary press gallery and conveys the high esteem in which Ditchburn is held by her peers.

The two-time National Newspaper Award winner has covered Parliament Hill since 1997.

And Nathan Denette has taken home two of the top awards handed out by the News Photographers Association of Canada. Denette has been named Photojournalist of the Year, an award conferred for the best portfolio of images from the past year.

He’s also been awarded top prize in the general news category for his photo of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo’s mother at the funeral for the soldier who was gunned down last October while standing sentry at the national war memorial.

He’s also taken home third prize in the general news category and two other honourable mentions.

Several other photographers with The Canadian Press also won honourable mentions: Darryl Dyck, Sean Kilpatrick, Jonathan Hayward, Chris Young and Andrew Vaughan.