Gilmour won the Walkley in the Daily Life/Feature Photography section of the awards, announced at a gala dinner in Sydney last night.

The Walkleys are the most coveted prizes in Australian journalism, recognising excellence across all media.

His photograph captured a moment of true commitment to Aussie beach culture, as one couple braved a summer storm at Towradgi Beach.

Gilmour was on a news assignment in January when he noticed a storm approaching over the Illawarra escarpment.

As the couple's beach umbrella turned inside out, they calmly raised their boogie boards above their heads to shelter from the storm.

The Walkley judges commented: "Blame it on the boogie! Technically it is very good to catch the rain cloud. It is a mischievous image, really quirky. Interesting that even the lifeguards went home – yet the subject and the photographer remained. That's Australia, that's summer".

Mercury journalist Jodie Duffy was a finalist for her work on the Warrawong public housing shame in the Community and Regional Affairs category.

That section was won by the ABC for its establishment of a community radio station at Kinglake in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires.