Tom Hanson was a photojournalist whose images from the Oka conflict to the cut-and-thrust of the House of Commons told vivid stories. He was an award-winning photographer for The Canadian Press who travelled around the world and across the country, shooting some of the most iconic news and sports images of the last 15 years.

When Hanson died suddenly at age 41 in 2009, his family, friends, colleagues at The Canadian Press and the country’s photojournalism community wanted to find an appropriate way to honour his memory, talent and spirit. The result was the creation of the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award.

The Hanson Award is administered by The Canadian Journalism Foundation and offers a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto for a photojournalist in the early stages of his or her career. The annual internship is designed to give a photographer trying to break into the business the chance to perform on the national stage.

The Hanson Award is open to any Canadian photojournalist who has been in the business less than five years — from students to freelancers to photographers working at regional publications.

Applicants will be asked to submit a portfolio of their work to a selection committee made up of Canadian Journalism Foundation board members, photographers and photo editors from The Canadian Press and daily newspapers and members of Tom’s family.

The six-week internship will take place sometime between April and September, the exact time of the placement to be worked out between the successful applicant and The Canadian Press. The winning applicant will be paid a salary equivalent of the start rate for photographers at The Canadian Press. Award winners will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.|

View the criteria.

The deadline for applications is January 24, 2025.

The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award is generously supported by: