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  Katie Falkenberg, 'The Human Toll: Mountaintop Removal Mining in Appalachia', (Finalist Global Vision Award) Recently planted tree seedlings grow in rocky ground designated for reclamation on a mountaintop removal site in eastern Kentucky. Because the rich topsoil has been scraped off during mining, it’s often difficult for native trees to survive on reclaimed sites. Complete reforestation is rare, and many mountaintops end up grassy pastures.©Katie Falkenberg / The Washington Times
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  Carolyn Drake, 'Paradise Rivers', (1st Place Science/Natural History Picture Story)Low water levels in a reservoir above Nurek Dam in Tajikistan. The water that nourishes the five former Soviet Union republics of Central Asia comes from melting glaciers and snow in the mountains of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. During Soviet times, decisions about how to share resources were made by the central government in Moscow. Since becoming independent in 1991, the nations now argue about how the area’s dams should be used. Countries downstream want water to be stored in reservoirs during the winter and released for irrigation in the summer. Upstream countries want to use the water in winter to generate electricity.©Carolyn Drake / Panos Pictures/Prospekt
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  Majid Saeedi, 'Unrest Continues After Iranian Presidential Elections', (Award of Excellence 3rd Place Civil Defiance) Supporters of the defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi run in the streets during protests in Tehran on June 16, 2009. The landslide victory by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad four days earlier had shocked the opposition, who claimed widespread election irregularities. As demonstrations escalated, the Iranian government banned foreign media from covering protest rallies, shut down text-messaging services and blocked cell phone transmissions and access to some websites.©Majid Saeedi / Getty Images
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  Lu Guang, 'Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia', 2005 (Finalist World Understanding Award) Workers in the factories have no immune defenses, causing them to become ill after one or two years on the job.©Lu Guang
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  Stephanie Sinclair, 'Polygamy in America', (Community Awareness Award) Joe S. Jessop, a patriarch of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), with his five wives and many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the day after his 89th birthday. In April 2008, law enforcement officials raided the FLDS Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, after receiving a call from a woman claiming to be an abused 16-year-old living there. Authorities removed 440 children, who they said had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused. After two months in state custody, two courts ruled there was insufficient evidence of abuse, and the children were returned to their parents.©Stephanie Sinclair / VII for National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine
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  Paul Hansen, 'Saved to life', (1st place - Newspaper) Of course six weeks old Michelle Olofsson had no clue how fortunate she was being born at a Swedish hospital. But her dad Jakob and mother Ruth are very grateful that their prematurely born daughter could be saved. In a recent scientific report, Swedish hospitals are defined as being best in the world regarding prenatal care. When Michelle was born she weighed about one kilo. Now she almost ready to go home.©Paul Hansen / Dagens Nyheter
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  Craig F. Walker, 'After School Hip-hop', (3rd Place Photographer of the Year - Newspaper) Dayvon Vaughns, 6, participates in a hip-hop dance class during the afterschool program at Fairview Elementary School in Denver, Colorado. The program focuses on low-income students, offering tutoring, mentoring, meals and recreation to children who have few alternatives. Instructor Analisa Angel says the dance class aims to increase the students’ self-confidence and team-building skills.©Craig F. Walker / The Denver Post
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  Barbara Davidson, 'Coming of Age', (Award of Excellence 2nd Place General News Reporting) Jessica Alvarado fixes her Quinceañera dress on a blood-stained sidewalk next to a memorial honoring tamale vendor Cosme Gonzaleza, who was robbed and killed in front of her Los Angeles home.©Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

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