Irish Times photographer Bryan O?Brien has been crowned photographer of the year at the annual Picture Editors? Awards ? the first time the title has crossed the Irish Sea.

O?Brien was voted BG Group Photographer of the Year at the awards which were announced in central London last night. He fended off more than 8,000 pictures entered by photographers across the UK and Ireland.

Phil Noble, a photographer working for the Press Association was named BG Group Sports Photographer of the Year and Getty Images? Peter Macdiarmid won the news photography category.

Meanwhile, Fujifilm Royal Photographer of the Year was Karwai Tang from the Alpha Press Agency.

The awards ? in their 13th year ? were judged by picture editors across the British Isles and presented by former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy in a ceremony at the Guildhall.

All the entries are due to appear on the organiser?s website at pictureawards.net

? A selection of winning pictures ? plus a full list of winners ? will appear in an upcoming issue of AP, in shops every Tuesday

Picture credit: Bryan O’Brien