LONDON, 9th November 2009: Canon announces a further three year renewal of its Corporate Sponsorship of the World Press Photo Foundation, marking 18 years as a partner promoting excellence in photojournalism.

World Press Photo, an independent, non-profit organisation, was founded in 1955 and is universally acknowledged as the world’s most prestigious competition for photo journalists. Attracting thousands of photographers, the competition offers a sometimes rare and iconic snapshot into global issues and events.

Canon’s range of professional products are used by photographers around the world who demand the toughest and most dependable products. Rainer Fuehres, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe, comments: "Canon is honoured to be continuing its association with this prestigious organisation after 18 years. The images submitted as part of the competition have a tremendous impact on our collective understanding of world events."

Lillan Baruch, Executive Board Member, World Press Photo added: "We are delighted that Canon has extended its 18-year relationship with World Press Photo by a further three years. Especially in today's difficult economic climate, this renewed commitment to the future of the photographic industry, and our organisation in particular, means a lot to us. We look forward to intensifying our partnership and to jointly bringing it to a next level."

The 2009 competition saw over 5,000 professional photographers from 124 countries submit images in 10 categories. The winning image by American photographer Anthony Suau, was chosen from a collection of over 96,000 and showed an armed officer in an American home following eviction as a result of mortgage foreclosure.

The World Press Photo Exhibition 2009 will be on show at the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre 7th November – 13th December 2009. Admission is free and the exhibition is open daily from 10am – 11pm.

The winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2009 will be announced February 12th 2010.