Press Photographer of the year 2024 – The Results

The British Press Photographers’ Association is delighted to announce that Danny Lawson of the Press Association has been named as The Press Photographer of the Year for 2024. In an unprecedented year, Danny also won four out of the ten separate categories as voted for by members of The BPPA.

The BPPA’s Press Photographer of the Year for 2024 – Danny Lawson

Category winners

Arts & Entertainment – Danny Lawson

Business – Danny Lawson

Essay – Stefan Rousseau

News – Danny Lawson

Portrait – Danny Lawson

Royal – Aaron Chown

Sport (action) – Clive Mason

Sport (away from the action) – Adrian Dennis

Sport (major events) – (joint winners) Marc Aspland & Julian Finney

Young Photographer – Jake Lindley

 

Highly Commended

Arts & Entertainment – David Parry

Business – Tony Johnson

Essay – Dan Kitwood

News – Chris Furlong

Portrait – Fabio De Paolo

Royal – Kelvin Bruce

Sport (action) – Julian Finney & Kirsty Wigglesworth

Sport (away from the action) – Michael Steele

Young Photographer – Ryan Jenkinson

 

Over 1400 photographs taken throughout the year were entered into ten categories by photographers working in the UK and abroad. Members of the association were then invited to vote for their favourite entries in each category with members of the board then choosing the overall winning portfolio from the category winners. A competition for press photographers, judged by press photographers.

 

You can view all the Winning and Highly Commended entries in our gallery HERE.

 

Comment from the Chair:

We see the work of British press photographers every day in our newspapers and on news websites and it’s all too easy to take it for granted. Putting this much quality work together from such a wide range of photographers makes it clear that photography is still a premier medium when it comes to communicating what’s happening in the news.

2024 was a stand-out year for sports, we had a general election, civil unrest, extreme weather, a difficult year for the Royal Family and much more. Seeing our photographers respond not only to these big jobs but also finding new and visually compelling ways of approaching typical diary jobs is what sets this year’s winners apart from the crowd.

Once again, the Young Photographer category has delivered a very high standard of work and we look forward to watching them as they continue to progress their careers over the next few years.

I’d like to thank everyone for entering, judging and to the team at The BPPA for their hard work running this competition on behalf of press photographers.

Jamie Lorriman, Chair, The BPPA

 

Our response to the IPO consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence

Back in December the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) launched a consultation on the use of copyright material for training AI models. They pointed out that this has presented new challenges for the UK’s copyright framework, and many rights holders (especially photographers) have found it difficult to exercise our rights in this context. They pointed out that it is important that copyright continues to support the UK’s world-leading creative industries and creates the conditions for AI innovation that allows them to share in the benefits of these new technologies.

This consultation sought views on proposals to deliver against the government’s objectives for this area, which are:

  • Boosting trust and transparency between sectors, by ensuring AI developers provide right holders with greater clarity about how they use their material.
  • Enhancing right holders’ control over whether or not their works are used to train AI models, and their ability to be paid for its use where they so wish.
  • Ensuring AI developers have access to high-quality material to train leading AI models in the UK and support innovation across the UK AI sector.

Thanks to a great deal of hard work from Board Member Andrew Wiard we have made a submission to the consultation which makes it clear that we, as photographers, have a lot to lose if the Government introduce an opt-out system for those wishing to not have their work used for creating AI models. We have pointed out that the current copyright laws, if enhanced and properly supported, offer rights holders the best chance of protection against widespread copyright theft that these AI models are employing.

If you’d like to read it, you can find The BPPA’s submission here

Voting Opens in The BPPA Press Photographer of the Year 2024

The time has come for our members to vote in the Press Photographer of The Year competition. After a last minute rush of entries we’re delighted to open the judging to all fully paid up members of the association.

Unlike many competitions out there where the judging takes place behind closed doors, with ours you see everything, every picture submitted is here for members to vote on. The BPPA exists to promote press photography and this competition is run by photographers for photographers, showcasing the very best out there.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ENTRIES

(we recommend looking on a computer rather than a phone)

All fully paid up members are entitled to vote for each category winner using the voting form which was been sent by email at 9am this morning (Monday 24th February 2025).

Please vote by 23:59 on Sunday 2nd March as we will not be extending the deadline this year. Please vote early to avoid missing the deadline.

Press Photographer of the Year 2024

PPOTY 2024

The British Press Photographers’ Association is delighted to announce the return of The Press Photographer of the Year competition for 2024.

Created by press photographers for press photographers, this unique competition enables images submitted to act as a showcase for the outstanding and unprecedented press photography taken for and used by the UK media.

 Our aim is to demonstrate once again that the still image burns the keenest, fastest impression on the public conscience and is the most effective way to show the world as it really is.

Entries will open for the following categories on Friday January 17th 2025 and close at midnight on Friday 24th January:

News Photographer of the Year
Arts and Entertainment Photographer of the Year
Portrait Photographer of the Year
Royal Photographer of the Year
Business Photographer of the Year
Essay Photographer of the Year
Sport Photographer of the Year – Action
Sport Photographer of the Year – Away from the action
Sport Photographer of the Year – Major Event
 (The Olympics, The Paralympics and EUROS 2024)
Young Photographer of the Year
 (under 25s either in full time photography employment or students studying photography at a further or higher education institution)

Each entry will consist of a portfolio of six images – with the exception of the essay category which will consist of ten images.
Entries must be taken between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024 (inclusive).

Photographs will be showcased on the website with the winners in each category being voted on by members of The BPPA. The winners of each category will then go forward for the chance to win The BPPA Press Photographer of the Year 2024.

The category and overall winners will receive a specially commissioned trophy and the winning photographs will be exhibited online.

For existing members of The BPPA the awards will be free to enter. The competition is also be open to non-members for a one-off entry fee of £25 for entry into all categories.

For full details and entry requirements – CLICK HERE.

Good Luck,

PPOTY Team

Assignments 2024 | The BPPA Exhibition ON TOUR

France's Caroline Garcia dives in an attempt to return the ball to Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova during their women's singles tennis match on the fifth day of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 7, 2023.

The best of British press photography has come to Port Sunlight in a new exhibition.

The British Press Photographers’ Association are bringing their annual exhibition, ‘Assignments 2024 – The BPPA Exhibition’, to the beautiful Bridge Cottage within historic Port Sunlight. It is the first time the exhibition has been presented in Merseyside and follows a successful showcase in London’s Southbank.

The exhibition is a showcase of the best 100 photographs from members of The BPPA, celebrating the best of press photography. Over the summer, a changing display of 50 photographs will take over Bridge Cottage, one of Port Sunlight’s most distinctive Arts and Crafts-style houses. The exhibition is presented in partnership with Port Sunlight Village Trust, the independent charity responsible for preserving and promoting the village.

Curated by five leading industry figures, this year’s exhibition covers stories from March 2023 through to the spring of 2024 and will feature everything from sports and entertainment through to politics and protest with royals, celebrities, and global events as seen through the eyes of the association’s photographers.

Founded in the mid-1980s, The BPPA has sought to promote and inspire the highest ethical, technical, and creative standards from within the industry, and once again is set to deliver an exhibition of photographs from the cutting edge of journalism.

Thanks to the support of Canon UK, Assignments 2024 is FREE to attend, with donations to Port Sunlight Village Trust welcome.

This year’s curators were photojournalist David Burnett, Reuters UK and Ireland Chief Photographer Suzanne Plunkett, photojournalist Steve Back, Press Association photographer Jane Barlow, and Getty Images sports photographer Justin Setterfield.

  • Assignments 2024 is FREE to attend.
  • The address is 10 Bridge St, Birkenhead, Wirral CH62 4UP
  • It’s open between Wednesday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, between 8th June and 1st September 2024.

Assignments 2024 | The BPPA Exhibition opens in London

The British Press Photographers’ Association presents its annual ‘Assignments’ exhibition celebrating the best of press photography from its members.

Curated by five leading industry figures, this year’s exhibition covers stories from March 2023 through to the spring of 2024 and will feature everything from sports and entertainment to politics and protests with royals, celebrities, and global events as seen through the eyes of the association’s photographers.

Founded in the mid-1980s, The BPPA has sought to promote and inspire the highest ethical, technical, and creative standards from within the industry and once again is set to deliver an exhibition of photographs from the cutting edge of journalism.

  • Assignments 2024 is FREE to attend.
  • Open from 11am to 6pm daily between 24th May and 2nd June 2024.
  • Covers 5 floors of The Bargehouse on London’s Southbank, part of Oxo Tower Wharf.
  • Once again the BPPA bookshop will return during the exhibition.

The Bargehouse can be found on Google Maps here , you can use the post code SE1 9PH or on What3Words the location is lovely.spirit.voted

Assignments Live – International Women’s Day

The British Press Photographers’ Association, in partnership with Sony Pro Imaging, U.K. & Ireland, are delighted to announce the return of our photography talks series ‘Assignments LIVE’. To kick off the new run we are excited to reveal our International Women’s Day panel talk at The Frontline Club on Friday 8th March. We are assembling leading professionals in the field to participate in a photography-focused discussion. Our aim is to delve into the evolving role of a Press Photographer, analysing the landscape of 2024 amidst challenges such as Artificial Intelligence, the decline in newspaper print sales, the growing demand for digital content, shifts in the political sphere, and international conflicts. We will also explore the pertinent question of whether press photography still maintains its significance. Spoiler alert: Yes, it unquestionably does! Join us as we uncover the reasons behind its enduring importance. BOOK TICKETS HERE

Chair:
Alexia Singh a Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the London College of Communications,  a multimedia producer and photo editor with 20 years’ experience leading creative teams in the news and NGO sectors. During a 16 year career at Reuters News Agency she set up and managed picture desks in London, Paris, and Singapore and launched the Emmy award-winning Wider Image website for immersive storytelling. She has worked for Magnum Photos, WaterAid, DEC and Save the Children as a photo editor and producer.

Panel:
Sarah Lee – who started her professional career 24 years ago as a contract freelancer for the Guardian. She is still there. She’s also one of BAFTA’s regular photographers, and an ambassador for Leica. She recently shot a number of campaigns for Transport for London. And her book “West of West” (loosely focusing on the end of Route 66 in California) was published by Unbound early in 2020. The subject Sarah is most thrilled to have shot is Iris Murdoch.
Lucy Young – a highly versatile London-based photographer specialising in news and features work for national newspapers and magazines, with the bulk of her work commissioned by The Times and the Sunday Times. Her work ranges from capturing breaking events to intimate portraits of the people in the news. Lucy’s work has included the revolution in Libya, the work of Islamic Relief in rural Kenya and images of the Royal family and top political figures in the UK.
Chloe Knott – a freelance sports photographer based in London working across commercial and editorial assignments. After starting out in football with Danehouse Photography, she has worked across a wide range of worlds class events including The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championships, The Rugby World Cup and Olympic events. Over recent years she has worked primarily under world renowned photographer Bob Martin for clients including The IOC, Sail GP, Manchester City FC and Wimbledon.
Helen Healy – a picture editor with over thirty years experience in the industry. She was the Head of Pictures at the Financial Times for seven years and has also worked at the Guardian, The Times and The Independent. She has seen the newspaper industry move from being a print to a mainly digital product. During her career she has been involved with covering many major news events, including 9/11, the wars in Ukraine and Iraq and Brexit.
Sarah Tilotta – who has worked as a photo editor and photographer for CNN in London since 2016, as part of an award-winning Visuals team covering news, politics, and features worldwide. Her publications as a picture editor and photojournalist have been recognised with Emmy, Webby, and Foreign Press Association awards, among others, on subjects including climate change, LGBTQI+ rights, and migration. Previously she held roles at NOOR Images in Amsterdam, and National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. She completed an MA in Photojournalism at the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University, and a BA in Visual Arts & Photography from Fordham University in New York.

Thanks must go to our fantastic sponsor Sony Pro Imaging, U.K. & Ireland who have enabled us to bring this event to you.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

The BPPA’s Statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies

The BPPA’s Statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies

The news that Shutterstock’s generative AI platform has been used to create and sell child-abuse content, as reported by Petapixel, will concern everyone.

Images of child abuse have been constructed from datasets built using millions of real photographs, without the consent of the photographers or those in the photographs. Photographers should be wary of lending their work to any agency that might use it in this way.

The BPPA is shocked and disappointed that Shutterstock made this possible. It harms our members when agencies market genuine photojournalism alongside such imagery.

We’ve taken time to consider how this reflects on the work of photojournalists more widely, and the impact this has on our members.

Generative AI images are fiction. Image manipulation of any sort is against The BPPA’s Code. Use of such content by news publishers harms them and their audiences.

Trustworthy photojournalism such as is produced by members of The BPPA every day requires direct documentation of events by skilled photographers working to the highest ethical standards. Anything short of that is dishonest.

Further reading:
https://thebppa.com/artificial-intelligence-press-photography-and-the-bppas-position/

Assignments 2023 – The BPPA Exhibition

The British Press Photographers’ Association presents its annual ‘Assignments’ exhibition celebrating the best of press photography from its members.

Curated by 5 leading industry figures, this year’s exhibition covers stories from July 2021 through to the spring of 2023 and will feature everything from sports and entertainment to politics and protests with royals, celebrities, and global events as seen through the eyes of the association’s photographers.

Founded in the mid-1980s, The BPPA has sought to promote and inspire the highest ethical, technical, and creative standards from within the industry and once again is set to deliver an exhibition of photographs from the cutting edge of journalism.

  • Assignments 2023 is FREE to attend.
  • Open from 11am to 6pm daily between 19th and 28th May 2023.
  • Covers 5 floors of The Bargehouse on London’s Southbank, part of Oxo Tower Wharf.
  • Once again the BPPA bookshop will return during the exhibition.

 

 

How to find us;

Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House St, London SE1 9PH

Train
Blackfriars, Waterloo or Waterloo East

Tube
Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines) 5 minutes walk
Southwark (Jubilee line) 7 minutes walk
Blackfriars (Circle and District lines) 5 minutes walk

Car
There is secure underground car parking adjacent to the centre. The venue is within the Congestion and ULEZ charging zones.

Boat
Blackfriars Millennium pier or Festival pier

 

Image Credit: Julian Simmonds

The BPPA’s Press Photographer of the Year 2022 Results

We are delighted to announce that Reuters photographer Hannah McKay has been named as The BPPA’s Press Photographer of the Year for 2022. More than 2000 photographs taken throughout the year were entered into the 10 categories by photographers working in the UK and abroad. Members of the association were then invited to vote for they favourite entries in each category with members of the board then choosing the overall winning portfolio from the category winners..

Category Winners

  • Arts & Entertainment- Robert Perry
  • Business – Simon Hulme
  • Essay – Simon Townsley
  • Essay (death of a monarch) Victoria Jones
  • News – Hannah McKay
  • Portrait – Joann Randles
  • Royal – Max Mumby
  • Sport (action) – Ben Stansall
  • Sport (away from the action) – Eddie Keogh
  • Young Photographer – George Cracknell-Wright

Highly Commended

  • Arts & Entertainment – Julian Simmonds
  • Business – Danny Lawson
  • Essay – Kiran Ridley
  • Essay (death of a monarch) – Ben Stansall
  • News – Chris Furlong
  • Portrait – Chris Furlong
  • Royal – James Whatling
  • Sport (action) – Shaun Botterill
  • Sport (away from the action) – Justin Setterfield, Michael Steele and Neil Hall
  • Young Photographer – Molly Darlington

Comment from the Chair:

It’s been another great year for The BPPA’s competition with an increase in the number of entries on last year and also the number of members of our association having their say as to who should be named as winners of each category. The quality of the images is absolutely first class.

It felt that 2022 provided more breaking news and sporting events to focus on than ever before. With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the summer and then the time following her passing later in the year, I feel that the galleries of photographs in the ‘Royal’ and ‘Photo Essay – Death of a monarch’ categories show how incredibly high the standard of press photography is in this country.

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the skill and bravery of photographers and many of their images are displayed in our ‘News’ and ‘Essay’ categories. On the sporting front, The Commonwealth Games, World Gymnastics as well as The World Cup and Premier League provided just a few of the subjects on show in the sporting categories.

The Arts, Business and Portraits really do show how creative photographers can be. Also, I’m delighted that once again we have a winner from the regional press as well as freelance winners based in Scotland and Wales representing press photography across the country.

I’d like to thank everyone for entering, judging and to the team at The BPPA for their hard work to run this competition on behalf of press photographers.

Paul Ellis, Chair, The BPPA

We would like to thank our friends at Canon for their continued support