Uznadze won the Portfolio category of the prize with a project depicting Georgian nationals in London and Tbilisi. His images were picked out from hundreds of strong entries by three judges - gallerist Zelda Cheatle, Magnum Photos member Chris Steele-Perkins and publisher Dewi Lewis. Uznadze started his project in 2007, but found his images took on another layer of meaning when the Georgian-Russian conflict broke out earlier year. 'When the war started all you saw were images of tanks and destruction in the media,' he says. 'My images are of real Georgians living their lives. I think you will be able to see the impact of the war on my subjects' faces. People were literally dying of heart attacks because of the war.'

Astrada won the Single Image category of the competition, added for the first time this year. His image, which depicts a femicide victim in Guatemala, won first prize in the singles category of the World Press Photo Contemporary Issues award in 2007. The judging panel for this category was comprised of photographer Simon Norfolk, Magnum London archive director Nick Galvin and Foto8 editor and University of Westminster tutor Max Houghton. ‘Guatemala has the second-highest rate of women's murders in the world,’ says Astrada. ‘In 2006 alone, the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor's office reported over 3000 (cases) of domestic violence and nearly 600 women murdered. The prevalence of femicide is not only characterised in numerical terms but by the degree of violence and brutality that the victims suffer.'

Both photographers win a Canon EOS 5D MkII digital SLR and a joint exhibition.

EXHIBITION ON SHOW 25 - 29 November
Association of Photographers’ Gallery
81 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QS
Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday noon - 4pm

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