Pulitzer award for breaking news photography Eranga nominated a finalist

Associated Press photographer in Sri Lanka Eranga Jayawardena and Mumbai based Rafiq Maqbool have been nominated as finalists in the prestigious Pulitzer award for breaking news photography in 2023 for their coverage of the May/June 2022 incidents in Sri Lanka.  

The citation for the award finalist states: For a compelling visual narrative documenting public fury over Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, including clashes between protesters and police, the takeover of government buildings and jubilation as protesters occupied the plush presidential mansion.  

Eranga Jayawardena was born April 11, 1978, and brought up in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and has been a witness and a recorder through news photography of key natural, socio-political and entertainment events for more than 20 years of his life. Eranga in 1996 started taking up assignments while still at school for major local newspapers in Colombo and they mostly comprised of politically motivated ethnicity based violent events.  

In 2002 Eranga joined Associated Press and has been responsible for the photographic coverage of Sri Lanka and neighbouring Maldives.   

Eranga is a diplomate in photography earned from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and has master’s qualifications in Economic Development, Conflict and Peace Studies from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.