The NZ Herald's George Heard won the Lumix Society Award for an image of an excited crowd at the Electric Avenue music festival in Christchurch.
"Fastier's pictures captured a second level of meaning—the humour of red tape around a pair of concrete playground seals, a mask on a statue, phone calls on a golf course—the odd-ball realities of life in Aotearoa in 2021," Frankham said.
"His approach borrows from street photography, but with the discipline and knack for storytelling of a photojournalist."
A record-breaking 6000 entries were received in a year disrupted by Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Frankham said: "2021 started out as a cure for 2020, but in many ways, it felt like history repeating."
"There were images of more lockdowns, more protests, and the cultural themes were a close match to last year.
"The images were also a reflection, however, of our resilience as a nation, our creativity and determination."
Winners and the best of the rest can be seen at a free public exhibition at the Britomart Precinct in downtown Auckland until the New Year.
