The World Press Photo Contest on Thursday announced the awards winners and runners up, and a haunting picture taken in the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/they-became-ashes-at-least-100-killed-in-massive-explosion-at-beirut-port-1.1058949">aftermath of the Beirut blast</a> has finished top in the Spot News category. The annual competition rewards the best visual journalism of the past year in eight categories: Contemporary Issues, Environment, General News, Long-Term Projects, Nature, Portraits, Sports and Spot News. In total, 45 photographers from 28 countries won in 2021. <strong>Scroll through the gallery above</strong> to see Italian <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lorenzotug/">Lorenzo Tugnoli's</a> winning efforts in the Spot News category. A <a href="https://www.worldpressphoto.org/lorenzo-tugnoli-bio">bio on the World Press Photo site</a> describes Mr Tugnoli is a "self-taught" photographer based in Lebanon covering the Middle East and Central Asia for <em>The Washington Post</em>. Beirut isn't the only place in the Middle East to be recognised in the contest. The <strong>gallery below</strong> contains a selection of category winners and runners up in the contest whose photos have a Middle East theme. <strong><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/why-nadine-labaki-believes-beirut-blast-marks-the-birth-of-a-new-world-there-s-a-revolution-inside-us-1.1161892">Why Nadine Labaki believes blast marks the ‘birth’ of a new world</a></strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/art/as-sursock-palace-picks-up-the-pieces-owner-wants-the-beirut-landmark-to-be-turned-into-a-museum-1.1161288">Sursock Palace owner wants Beirut landmark to be turned into a museum</a></strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/beyond-the-headlines-piecing-together-the-beirut-disaster-1.1060293">Beyond The Headlines podcast: Piecing together the Beirut disaster</a></strong>