Three photographers from Vancouver and B.C. have won the top spots for a 2019 Canadian photography award.

At a gala reception in Toronto, photographer Stephen Waddell was named the winner of the ninth annual Scotiabank Photography Award.

In addition to a $50,000 cash prize, Waddell’s work will be showcased in a solo Primary Exhibition at the 2020 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival and a book of his work will be published and distributed internationally by art-book publisher Steidl.  

"Stephen's refined photographic explorations evoke his keen awareness about the poetics of space and the history of painting, while also walking the line between documentary and intimately personal visualizations," Scotiabank Photography Award jury chair Edward Burtynsky stated in a news release. "We look forward to helping him create a beautiful book and comprehensive exhibition in 2020."

Waddell received an MFA from UBC in 1994, has worked in painting and filmmaking, has taught at Emily Carr University of Art and Design since 2010, and has published three books in Canada and Germany. His exhibition Dark Matter Atlas was shown at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2016.

Meanwhile, North Vancouver-based Althea Thauberger and Berlin-based Shannon Bool (who was born in Comox, B.C., and educated at Emily Carr University in Vancouver), who were named as finalists for this year’s award, will each receive cash prizes of $10,000.

The Scotiabank Photography Award was founded with Burtynsky in 2010 to honour the nation’s photographers.

Previous recipients include Vancouver’s Stan Douglas (in 2013) and B.C.’s Mark Ruwedel (2014).