(Image source from: petapixel.com)

The photo of a little girl crying at the United States-Mexican border which had gone viral during Donald Trump’s new immigration policy earlier this year has won 2019 World Press Photo of the Year.

John Moore, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with Getty Images who clicked the photo titled 'Crying Girl on the Border' won the prestigious award at the 62nd annual World Press Photo of the Year contest.

The Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation announced the winners of the annual awards on Thursday. The photo also won the 1st prize in the Spot News category.

The photo which was widely shared on social media had become the face of Donald Trump's new 'zero-tolerance' immigration policy.

The photo which was clicked on June 12, 2018, is of a Honduran toddler named Yanela Sanchez. The tot was crying as she and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, are taken into custody by the United States border officials in McAllen, Texas. The picture of the child had also made it to the cover of TIME Magazine alongside the cutout of American President Donald Trump demonstrating the government's orders.

As the photo went viral, it led to social media outrage with people hitting out at the new law that separated children of immigrants from their parents. Following a strong public outcry, Trump reserved the controversial practice on June 20. The prize-winning photos will be put on display for a year-long exhibition that visits 45 countries and 100 cities.

Overall and category winners received a Golden Eye Award and a diploma at the Awards Show. The winners of the World Press Photo of the Year and the World Press Photo Story of the Year won a cash prize of 10,000 euros.

Several other photographers were also awarded in different categories. Contest jurors which are a group of photojournalism professionals from around the world reviewed 78,801 photographs from 4,738 photographers, with 43 nominees from 25 countries.

-Sangam Sowmya