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Photographer Yuri Kozyrev (Noor) has won the 2008 Frontline Club Award – given for an outstanding body of work with journalistic integrity, courage and the independence of spirit - for his exceptional photographic coverage of the Iraq war since 2003.

The Frontline Club is a club for people in the media and its 2008 panel of judges decided that Yuri Kozyrev’s photographic essay, which started in March 2003 and covers the lives and stories of the people in and around Baghdad during the US-led attack, deserved its highest honour. Almost six years after the war began the mission is far from accomplished and Yuri Kozyrev has been on the ground almost continually for the entire length of this conflict. His images have helped to give the world a comprehensive, unique, and honest portrait of the people that the war has had an impact on.

© Sergei Art, courtesy Noor

Yuri Kozyrev.

A special commendation has been given by the Frontline Club to Arkady Babchenko for his outstanding coverage of the war in South Ossetia and Georgia where he used, "extraordinary initiative". His work includes some of the most graphic and memorable footage from the recent war. Arkady currently works as the military correspondent for Novaya Gazeta.

The recipient of the 2008 Frontline Memorial Tribute remains undisclosed for her personal security. The Frontline Club has said that it will announce the 2008 Frontline Memorial Tribute when there are no concerns that doing so might imperil the winner.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges drawn from the Frontline Club’s 1,000 plus membership from submissions gathered by the members of the judging panel. Winners receive lifetime membership of the Frontline Club, a certificate and their names will be carved into a plaque in the clubroom.

The current panel of judges is Jon Lee Anderson (The New Yorker), Jeremy Bowen (BBC), Patrick Cockburn (The Independent), Carlotta Gall (The New York Times), Gary Knight (VII Photo Agency), Christina Lamb (The Sunday Times), Allan Little (BBC), Anthony Loyd (The Times), Seamus Murphy (freelance), Vaughan Smith (Frontline Club chair), and Jon Swain (The Sunday Times).

The awards ceremony took place on 28 November 2008 at the Frontline Club in London and 100% of funds raised on the night went to the Fixers Fund - set up by the Frontline Club Charitable Trust to promote responsibility in the news industry for the welfare of fixers and translators.

Canon UK is the key sponsor of the Frontline Club Awards.