Photojournalist Andrew Quilty has been awarded the 2016 Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year for an image showing the devastation inside a bombed hospital in Afghanistan.

The Man on The Operating Table was submitted for the Press Photographer of the Year and News Photography categories in the Nikon-Walkley Awards for Excellence in Photojournalism.

It was taken following the October 3, 2015 attack by an American gunship on the Medecines Sans Frontieres Kunduz Trauma Centre, in which 42 staff, patients and patient carers were killed.

The attack was condemned as a possible war crime by the UN, although an initial American probe found it was a tragic and avoidable accident caused by human error and a report released by the US military in April 2016 "did not conclude that these failures amounted to a war crime".

The finalists in the Nikon-Walkley Awards for Excellence in Photojournalism are touring Australia. ( ABC News: Jonathan Hepburn )

Quilty, who was the first journalist to enter the hospital after the attack, said "the body of the man on the operating table had been the only one among the human remains in the trauma centre that was still somewhat visibly identifiable".

"And when I first saw him, this man had been lying dead on that operating table for a week as the fighting continued to rage across the city.

"It would be four more weeks before I'd learn his name."

The man in the image was identified as Baynazar Mohammad Nazar, 43, a husband and father of four.

When asked if the photograph should be published, Nazar's wife and eldest son said the world needed to see it.

Quilty's portfolio of images from Afghanistan was praised by the judges for its versatility and variety, and his ability to capture the human side of war.

A year after the attack, Quilty returned to the hospital to find that the horror of the strike lived on in a city that was once again a war zone as a Taliban offensive intensified.

Portrait prize shows refugee in Manus Island jail

Beaten Refugee: Brian Cassey's portrait of Abdullatif in a PNG police cell. ( The Walkley Foundation/Brian Cassey. )

An image of suffering closer to home won the Nikon-Walkley Portrait Prize.

Brian Cassey of News Corp Australia won for his portrait of Iraqi asylum seeker Abdullatif Almoftaji in a Papua New Guinea police cell in the town of Lorengau on Manus Island.

Mr Almoftaji had been detained by Australian forces when he tried to enter Australia three years ago at the age of 17.

"I first met Abdullatif at a Lorengau guest house," Cassey said.

"A couple of days later we heard that he had gone on a drunken bender with another asylum seeker and it was alleged that he tried to steal food and other items from the guest house."

He had been arrested, charged with several offences, and thrown into the cell wounded and wearing just shorts and a torn shirt.

Cassey had later been threatened with arrest by a police officer who caught him trying to pass food and a new shirt through this hole in the cell wire.

Broad body of work wins community prize

Marc McCormack used a 100mm macro lens and a portable flash to capture this bee's contribution to science and agriculture. ( The Walkley Foundation/Marc McCormack )

Marc McCormack from The Cairns Post won the Nikon-Walkley Community/Regional Prize for the second time.

McCormack, who first won in 2013, was recognised by the judges for his "knack for nailing a story in a frame".

The five images he entered include artists, a dancer, a 14-year-old boxer who had turned to a hypnotherapist to help him overcome the pressure he felt when entering the ring, and a "relatively relaxed" shot of murder suspect Christopher John Lavery.

They also included an image of a single European honey bee wearing an electronic tag.

The tag was fitted in an effort to record the bee's feeding behaviour in the hope the information gained would help safeguard Australia's agriculture industry.

Marc McCormack's portraits of boxer Johnny Addo and accused murderer Christopher John Lavery. ( ABC News: Tim Leslie )

Lavery, arrested over the 2008 death of James Russouw, had arrived at Cairns Airport for extradition to Victoria under heavy police guard, covering his face with a shirt.

McCormack said he had been able to follow police to a secluded part of the airport where he was able to catch Lavery framed by police officers shaking hands.

For boxer Johnny Addo, McCormack used a mixture of incandescent light, studio flash and a slow shutter speed to show Addo breaking away from his personal demons.

Travelling exhibition showcases entrants around Australia

In addition to the three winners already announced, 11 photographers have been short-listed for Press Photographer of the Year, News Photography, Feature/Photographic Essay and Sport Photography.

The winners will be announced on December 2.

A travelling exhibition is displaying the entrants at the State Library of New South Wales and the ABC in Brisbane until November 27. The exhibition will move to Adelaide between December 15 and February 12, and Newcastle on dates to be announced.

Finalists are on display in the ABC building in Brisbane. ( ABC News: Tim Leslie )

Scott Barbour from Getty Images caught Italy's Andrea Iannone the moment after he struck a seagull in the MotoGP of Australia at Phillip Island. ( The Walkley Foundation/Scott Barbour )

One of the most memorable moments from the Rio Olympic Games, as Usain Bolt led his 100m seminifal, helped Cameron Spencer from Getty Images get shortlisted. ( The Walkley Foundation/Cameron Spencer )

Jake Nowakowski from the Herald Sun captured scenes of violence at the Moomba Festival in March 2016. ( The Walkley Foundation/Jake Nowakowski )