First Place
Carolyn Kaster, AP
Strong Supporter: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets a supporter as he works his way through the crowd during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, organized by Tea Party Patriots to oppose the Iran nuclear agreement.
Second Place
Brooks Kraft, Corbis
Republican Party: Former Governor Sarah Palin greets the crowd after speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, DC.
Third Place
Jim Lo Scalzo, EPA
Holder Says Goodbye: Departing Attorney General Eric Holder (C) says goodbye to Department of Justice employees as he leaves his fifth floor office for the last time in Washington, DC, USA, 24 April 2015. The US Senate confirmed Holder's successor, Loretta Lynch, to the position on 23, April.
Award of Excellence
Jacquelyn Martin, AP
Tie Your Shoes: Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, waits as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and a member of diplomatic security tie their shoes after touring the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Nov. 23, 2015. Removing one's shoes is a sign of respect in the mosque. At far left is Hajar Alali, the mosque's cultural guide.
Award of Excellence
Jabin Botsford, The Washington Post
Huckabee: HUDSON, NH - APRIL, 18: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee holds his targets and a gun for a group photo after shooting various guns at the Granite State Indoor Range and Gun Shop in Hudson, NH on Saturday April 18, 2015.
Award of Excellence
Bonnie Jo Mount, The Washington Post
Untitled: Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) departs the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood with African American religious leaders in Baltimore, MD, on December 8, 2015. Sanders compared the neighborhood to something found in third world countries. It is where Freddie Gray lived and was arrested.