Chen Wei Seng via World Press Photo
View the award winning images selected by World Press Photo.
World Press Photo announced the winners of the 56th annual photojournalism contest on Friday. Click on the picture above to view this year's winning images.
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Weightlifter Jonathan Walker from Harrogate poses as he lifts a marrow weighing 119lbs 12oz which won the Giant Marrow Class in the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show on Sept. 14, in Harrogate, England. The giant marrow was grown by Peter Glazebrook, from Newark, who won all six classes in the giant vegetable competition during the show at The Great Yorkshire Showground.
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Vegetable gardener Peter Glazebrook wheels his giant cabbage, which weighs 81lbs and 6ozs, through the annual Harrogate Autumn Flower Show on Sept. 14, in Harrogate, England. Peter Glazebrook, from Newark, won all six classes in the giant vegetable competition during the show at The Great Yorkshire Showground.
Related story -- Mixed grades for new, healthy school lunch rules
Sign up for the NBCNews.com Photos Newsletter
A contest sponsored by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has been recognizing the top underwater pictures taken by amateur photographers since 2005, but this year is different: For the first time, Internet users are being asked to select a "fan favorite" from five nominees. The voting runs through Sunday, and the People's Choice will be revealed along with other winners on April 18. Which is your favorite?
Courtesy of UM Underwater Photo Contest
The sun glints behind a jellyfish seen from the waters below.
Courtesy of UM Underwater Photo Contest
A crab and its eggs make a colorful display.
Courtesy of UM Underwater Photo Contest
A single fish is framed by a school of smaller swimmers.
Courtesy of UM Underwater Photo Contest
A penguin peers into the camera as it floats by.
Courtesy of UM Underwater Photo Contest
Colorfully striped fish make their way through an underwater scene.
The arrangement of the pictures reflects the current standings in the "People's Choice" poll. Those rankings could change as the week goes on. For now, the identity of the photographers is being held back, although at least one of the nominees is making a personal plea on the University of Miami website. That's where you can register your vote — or "votes," since you can click for your favorite once a day through Sunday. Stay tuned for the big reveal on April 18.
More about underwater photography:
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.
Jianan Yu / Reuters
Couples participate in a kissing contest in Hefei, China, Feb. 18. A total of 63 couples took part in the contest in which men must carry their partners while kissing and try to last as long as possible. The winner will be rewarded a 1-carat diamond ring.
Jodi Bieber / Institute for Artist Management / Goodman Gallery for Time magazine
Portrait of Bibi Aisha.
The international jury of the 54th annual World Press Photo Contest has selected this picture by Jodi Bieber as the World Press Photo of the Year 2010.
The winning picture shows Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old woman from Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, who fled back to her family home from her husband's house, complaining of violent treatment. The Taliban arrived one night, demanding Bibi be handed over to face justice. After a Taliban commander pronounced his verdict, Bibi's brother-in-law held her down and her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. Bibi was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the American military. After time in a women's refuge in Kabul, she was taken to America, where she received counseling and reconstructive surgery. Bibi Aisha now lives in the US.
Click here for a slideshow of more World Press Photo winners.
Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP - Getty Images
People write calligraphy during the 47th annual New Year calligraphy contest in Tokyo, Jan. 5. Almost 3,000 people participated in the calligraphy contest to celebrate the start of the New Year.
A lot of scrolling going on.
Marcelo Del Pozo / Reuters
An Andalusian horsewoman stands with her horse before competing in a morphological contest during the Salon Internacional del Caballo (SICAB) horse fair in Seville November 24, 2010.
The Salon Internacional del Caballo horse fair runs till November 28 and is dedicated exclusively to Spanish thoroughbreds. The sign reads "No parking". See more animal photos.
E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS