World Press Photo 2012

A panel of judges sifted through submissions from 5,247 photojournalists in 124 different countries to select the winners of this year's World Press Photo Contest, whose work will go on display in Tokyo over the summer. Not surprisingly, many of the biggest news stories of 2011 feature in the selection: Spain's Samuel Aranda took the top prize for his shot of a Yemeni mother cradling her son during the aftermath of a pro-democracy demonstration, while other photos depict the Libya uprising and the aftermath of the March 11 tsunami. But it isn't all harrowing – the competition also showcases images from the fields of sport, nature, arts and entertainment and daily life.