“I have never won an award of this calibre, so it was a very big honour for me,” said Neis, a fourth-year student in the College of Arts and Science majoring in political studies.
Neis, who takes photos for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspaper, was honoured in the news photo category. His shot of hockey sticks in a snowbank depicted a makeshift memorial for the 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey organization who died as a result of a bus-truck collision on April 6, 2018.
“Kayle’s photo tells the story of the care and support shown by the people of Saskatchewan in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy. It shows numerous hockey sticks planted in a snowbank as part of the #sticksout initiative after the crash,” said Saskatoon StarPhoenix/Regina Leader-Post editor-in-chief Heather Persson. “The judges praised the innovative approach—but also the beautiful simplicity—in the composition and execution of the photo.”
Read more about Neis' award-winning photo at the USask College of Arts & Science news site.