Rory Peck Awards 2014: An introduction

On November 19 the dangerous and invaluable work of freelancers around the world will be celebrated at the BFI Southbank

The Rory Peck Awards 2012 joint features winner Alberto Arce in action (Etienne de Malgaive)

Freelance journalists have been on the cutting edge of many of the world's most important stories.

Their reports and films have helped to shape the way we think about the world; they gain access where often the big media organisations struggle to reach.

Yet most freelancers work without adequate resources, safety training, insurance, or the safety net of a big organisation when things go wrong. As journalists are increasingly targeted around the world, freelancers are the most vulnerable of all.

Every year, in London, the Rory Peck Awards highlight the quality of freelance reporting, and their determination to bear witness and uncover hidden stories.

They celebrate the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen in news and current affairs and remind us why freelancers deserve recognition, support and protection.

This year's nine finalists come from Britain, Central African Republic, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, USA and Ukraine, with stories and footage from some of the world's most difficult regions.

The finalists by category are:

News

Pacóme Pabandji (Central African) for CAR: Descent into Chaos

Nichole Sobecki (American) for Terror strikes Kenya: Attack at the Westgate Mall

Andriy Perun (Ukrainian) for Ukraine Crisis: Kiev

Features

Marcel Mettelsiefen (German) for Children on the Frontline (shot in Syria)

Muhammad Ali (Syrian) for Syria's Second Front

Team Mindeulle (North Korean) for North Korea: Life Inside the Secret State

Sony Impact Award

Ruhi Hamid (British ) for Knife Crime ER

Safa Al Ahmad (Saudi) for Saudi's Secret Uprising

Ben Steele (British) for Hunted

Rory Peck Awards 2014, sponsored by Sony

7.30pm, Wednesday November 19 2014
BFI Southbank, London

Ceremony presented by:

Alex Crawford (Special Correspondent, Sky News)
Alex Thomson (Chief Reporter, Channel 4 News)

The Rory Peck Awards is the annual fundraiser for the Rory Peck Trust - the only organisation 100 per cent dedicated to the assistance, safety and welfare of freelance journalists and their families worldwide.

For more information go to: www.rorypecktrust.org