Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 winners announced!

We are delighted to present our amazing winners and final leaderboards for the 2024 awards. APOY and Young APOY have once again both been hotly contested, and the Camera Club competition has been impressive too. The quality of imagery has continued to amaze us, and this year it's also been a nail-biting conclusion to the main award, with the winner, and Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024, only being decided in the final round.

A huge congratulation to all our winners, and also the many excellent photographers who were shortlisted or achieved Top 10 placings during the ten rounds. We're sure you'll enjoy looking back over all those images that our judges selected, and we're already looking forward to the 2025 contest kicking off again soon!

Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024

Congratulations to the winner and

Lynn Fraser, Muir of Ord

Lynn Fraser, Muir of Ord

280 points

With 12,000 entries from over 2,200 photographers, this year’s Amateur Photographer of the Year competition was a tough contest to win, and in fact to be anywhere near the top of the leaderboard by the end required a high degree of consistency across the entire year.

Lynn Fraser, from the Scottish Highlands, has displayed that consistency, with a shortlist or better in all 10 rounds. But her climb to the top spot has been dramatic! Thanks to her 5th place in Round 1, and shortlists in every round from 2 to 8, she was in 11th place with two rounds to go. She has then wowed with a stunning second placed image in Round 9 (Travel), and then finished with a strong 5th place in Round 10 (Open). With that she has leapfrogged the field and is this year's deserving main prize winner. Nigel Atherton says: "Lynn has impressed us all throughout the year with her work. She has avoided the most common travel cliches by visiting off-the-beaten-track places and her portraits of the people she met were made with skill and sensitivity. It's no surprise that she scored points in every round. Congratulations to a deserving winner."

See more of their work

2nd in Travel with 90 points (main image)
5th in Open with 60 points (above)

5th in Black & White with 60 points (above)

Shortlisted in Landscapes with 10 points (above)

Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024

Congratulations to the winner of

Lucy Monckton, Stretton

Lucy Monckton, Stretton

540 points

Over 1,000 photographers competed in this year's Young APOY contest, but from early on it became a battle between two. Yousef Naser Mohamed from Cairo was looking to make it a hat-trick of victories, but he has been pushed into second place this year by a truly dominant display by Lucy Monckton from Stretton in Staffordshire. Incredibly, Lucy has won four of the ten rounds, and placed in the Top 10 in three others. Nigel Atherton says: "Lucy came back from being runner up to Yousef Naser in 2023 by reversing the tables on him this year to secure a well-deserved win. The fact that she won 40% of all the rounds this year speaks volumes about the quality and consistency of her work. Well done."

See more of their work

1st in Animal Kingdom with 100 points (main image)
1st in Landscapes with 100 points (above)

1st in Macro with 100 points (above)

1st in Travel with 100 points (above)

Camera Club Winners 2024

Congratulations to the

Plymouth Camera Club, Devon

620 points

In the fourth year of the Camera Club competition, it's a huge well done to Plymouth Camera Club, who have improved on last year's second place to be crowned this year's best performing club across the APOY 2024 competition. With all three previous competitions being won by Launceston Camera Club, the search was on for a club that could take their crown, and one has been found!

17 of Plymouth's photographers achieved shortlists or better across the year, and that depth of talent was what proved the difference, aided by impressive Top 3 placings from Tim Burgess and Paul Farina.

Visit Plymouth Camera Club

Tim Burgess of Plymouth Camera Club came second in Round Four, Action, achieving 90 points (above)

Check out the final 2024 leaderboards

APOY 2024 Leaderboard Young APOY2024 Leaderboard UK Camera Clubs Leaderboard

Browse all the category winners

Judging panel

All images submitted to APOY 2024 will be reviewed by our panel of photography experts from Amateur Photographer magazine, joined by some special guest judges for individual rounds.

Read more about our judges
Nigel Atherton

Nigel Atherton

Editor, Amateur Photographer magazine

Amy Davies

Amy Davies

Features Editor, AP magazine

Geoff Harris

Geoff Harris

Deputy Editor, AP magazine

Hollie Latham Hucker

Hollie Latham Hucker

Technique Editor, AP magazine

Ailsa McWhinnie

Ailsa McWhinnie

Project Manager, APOY Awards

Jessica Miller

Jessica Miller

Deputy Online Editor, AP magazine

Dominique Nok

Dominique Nok

Photographer and Curator

David Clark

David Clark

Acting Features Editor, AP magazine

Rod Wheelans

Rod Wheelans

Hon. Life Vice President, PAGB

Tyler George

Tyler George

Portrait & Events Photographer

Aneesa Dawooji

Aneesa Dawooji

Guest Judge - Round 1

Ben Hall

Ben Hall

Guest Judge - Round 2

Peter Dench

Peter Dench

Guest Judge - Round 3

Amy Shore

Amy Shore

Guest Judge - Round 4

Paul Sanders

Paul Sanders

Guest Judge - Round 5

Carolyn Mendelsohn

Carolyn Mendelsohn

Guest Judge - Round 6

Tracy Calder

Tracy Calder

Guest Judge - Round 7

Liam Man

Liam Man

Guest Judge - Round 8

Bella Falk

Bella Falk

Guest Judge - Round 9

Maria Falconer

Maria Falconer

Guest Judge - Round 10

Ben Brain

Ben Brain

Guest Judge - Round 10

Guest Judge

Guest Judge

Guest Judges Title

Name of Round

Guest Judge

Guest Judge

Guest Judges Title

Name of Round

More than £17,500 worth of prizes up for grabs

Be in with the chance of winning the title of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 and other fantastic prizes courtesy of our sponsors Adobe, Camera Centre UK and ViewSonic.

Our grand prize winner will take home a £1,000 voucher for the Camera Centre UK, and round winners will also get over £1,000 of prizing, including a £500 Camera Centre UK voucher and an ‘All Apps’ Adobe subscription worth £660.

The top ten entries from every round will also be published in Amateur Photographer magazine.

The Young APOY grand prize winner will receive a £500 Camera Centre UK voucher, and round winners will win an Adobe Photography subscription worth £120.

This year’s Camera Club prize is better than ever, with £2,500 of ViewSonic prizing to the winning club, comprising a 4k ViewSonic projector worth £1,500, and a ViewSonic monitor worth £1,000 to the club member who contributed the most points to their club’s final points tally.

* Please note that for 2024, the Camera Centre vouchers are available only to winning photographers who are based in the UK.

Explore the full prize details

Explore previous Amateur Photographer of the Year competitions.

Get 4 issues for £4!

Get 4 issues for £4!

Subscribe to Amateur Photographer magazine and get your first 4 issues for just £4 (GBP).

Subscribe here

Amateur Photographer Magazine

Amateur Photographer is the world’s oldest consumer photographic magazine, published every week since October 1884. Since then, AP has been the bible for both amateur and professional photo-enthusiasts around the world. It has helped generations of photographers to improve their skills.

Amateur Photographer magazine is also available in digital format, for your iPad, mobile device or PC.

Keep up to date with APOY 2024

amateurphotographer.co.uk

Frequently asked questions

Can photographers worldwide enter APOY 2024?

Yes, APOY 2024 is open to photographers based anywhere in the world.

What are the APOY 2024 rounds?

There are 10 rounds in APOY 2024. All rounds close to entries at midnight (UK time), and shortlists and results are published at midday (UK time):

1. Black & White
Opens 27th March | Closes 22nd April | Shortlist 8th May | Results on Photocrowd 30th May

2. Animal Kingdom
Opens 23rd April | Closes 20th May | Shortlist 5th June | Results on Photocrowd 27th June

3. Urban Life
Opens 21st May | Closes 17th June | Shortlist 3rd July | Results on Photocrowd 25th July

4. Action
Opens 18th June | Closes 15th July | Shortlist 31st July | Results on Photocrowd 22nd August

5. Landscapes
Opens 16th July | Closes 12th August | Shortlist 28th August | Results on Photocrowd 19th September

6. People
Opens 13th August | Closes 9th September | Shortlist 25th September | Results on Photocrowd 17th October

7. Macro
Opens 10th September | Closes 7th October | Shortlist 23rd October | Results on Photocrowd 14th November

8. Dusk to Dawn
Opens 8th October | Closes 4th November | Shortlist 20th November | Results on Photocrowd 12th December

9. Travel
Opens 5th November | Closes 2nd December | Shortlist 16th December | Results on Photocrowd 9th January 2025

10. Open
Opens 3rd December | Closes 31st December | Shortlist 22nd January 2025 | Results on Photocrowd 6th February 2025

(all dates 2024 unless stated)

Who can enter?

The 10 rounds are open to ‘amateur’ photographers of all ages and nationalities. ‘Amateur’ in this context means photography is your hobby, and not your primary source of income.

Photographers aged between 13 and 21 on 31st December 2024 are welcome to enter the ‘Young Amateur Photographer of the Year’ category in each round, which is free to enter.

Any entrant under 18 on the date when they enter must gain the permission of a parent or guardian to enter the competition. People under the age of 13 are not permitted to register on the Photocrowd platform.

What are the key dates?

The opening date of Round 1 is 27th March, 2024.

The closing date for entries in Round 10 is 31st December 2024.

The overall winners of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 will be announced in a future issue of Amateur Photographer magazine, followed by an announcement on Photocrowd.

The results and shortlists for each round will be announced throughout the year.

How many images can I enter?

For the main APOY 2024 award, you can enter up to 5 images in each of the 10 rounds. 1 free entry per round can be obtained via a unique code published in Amateur Photographer magazine during the period in which that round is open. Without the code, you’ll be able to enter a maximum of 4 images per round.

For the Young APOY 2024 award, eligible photographers can enter up to 4 free images per round.

How are the overall winners of the ‘APOY 2024’ and ‘Young APOY 2024’ awards decided?

A leaderboard of photographers for both APOY 2024 and Young APOY 2024 is running throughout the competition, and will be updated after the results of each round are announced. It will be accessible from the main awards portal on Photocrowd.

Any images given a Top 10 place or shortlisted by the judges will be given points, and your highest-placed entry in each round will count towards your overall leaderboard ranking. The photographers who finish top of the leaderboards at the end of all ten rounds will win the titles of ‘Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024’ and ‘Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024’ respectively.

Points are allocated in each round as follows:

1st – 100 points
2nd – 90 points
3rd – 80 points
4th – 70 points
5th – 60 points
6th – 50 points
7th – 45 points
8th – 40 points
9th – 35 points
10th – 30 points
Shortlisted – 10 points

What is the UK camera club award?

Over the ten rounds you can accumulate points for your UK camera club. Each of your members’ best-placed images in each round of the main APOY contest (not Young APOY) will count towards your club’s score, with no limit on how many of your members can enter - they’ll all count. After all ten rounds are complete, the club with the most points will win this year's title, and the accompanying prizes.

You'll have the option to tell us your UK camera club when you fill out our simple agreement form before you enter your first image.

How much does it cost to enter?

The cost is based on the number of images you want to enter. Entries are bought in advance and can then be used at any time before midnight (UTC+1) on 31st December 2024. The following entry bundles are available for the main APOY 2024 competition, and entries can be used across any of the 10 rounds:

1 image – £8

4 images - £24 (£6 per image)

12 images - £48 (£4 per image)

40 images - £100 (£2.50 per image) – this image bundle will reduce in size and cost as the rounds progress, to reflect the maximum number of images that can still be submitted at the time of purchase

A discount on the price of entry bundles of 10%, 20% or 30% is available for Photocrowd Challenger, Pro or Master subscribers, respectively. Find out more about Photocrowd subscriptions here.

Multiple bundles can be purchased (eg. 3 x 1 image bundles = 3 total entries) but the maximum number of paid entries that can be made across all 10 main categories is 40 (4 images per category).

A voucher for one free entry per round in the main APOY 2024 competition is printed in Amateur Photographer magazine, which costs £4.25 from most good newsagents and supermarkets (£5.99 for the premium editions). Amateur Photographer is also available in digital format, for your iPad or mobile device, in iTunes, Kindle, Google Play and Zinio, for £2.49. Also available on Readly.

The Young Amateur Photographer of the Year award is free to enter.

Are AI generated images allowed?

No, all images uploaded to APOY must have been shot by the photographer uploading them, and be their copyright. This extends to all the elements within an image, if the image is a composite of any kind.

All winning images, and a selection of other Top 10 and shortlisted images, will be verified for authenticity.

Verification of an image will require the photographer to provide the original, unedited RAW file(s) for the image, as well as a screengrab of their image cataloguing software (such as Lightroom) showing the winning image alongside other images of the same subject from the same shoot.

Photographers unable to verify images will be assumed to have submitted AI or otherwise stolen imagery, and will be eliminated from APOY2024 and all future editions of the awards.

No. The same image can only be entered into one category. And by ‘image’, we mean the same original file – so a manipulated/altered version of the same file can’t be entered in a different category.

Each entry to a category counts as one entry, for the purposes of payment.

Please note, once the submissions period for a round has closed, entries cannot be withdrawn/swapped, and refunds will not be available for images that are ruled out for consideration due to repeated use.

I've entered Young APOY 2024, but can I also enter my images into the main APOY competition?

Yes. Photographers aged between 13 and 21 who have entered Young APOY 2024 can also enter the main APOY competition (standard charges apply). You are also welcome to enter the same images into both Young APOY and APOY.

How many times can I enter the awards?

Each photographer can enter up to 5 images into each of the 10 rounds (4 purchased images + 1 free entry via code in Amateur Photographer magazine), using one Photocrowd account. More than one image bundle can be purchased, but there is a maximum of 40 purchased images that can be entered by each photographer across the competition.

Photographers who are eligible for Young APOY 2024 are also permitted to enter the main competition, but must use the same Photocrowd account.

How recently do submitted images have to have been taken?

There is no rule regarding how recently an image must have been taken.

Can I withdraw or swap an image once I’ve entered it?

If the round in which the image has been entered is still open, then at any time you can remove a submission and enter a different one in its place. Once the deadline for entries has passed in each round, and judging is underway, images cannot be removed or swapped out for other images.

Do I have to sign up to Photocrowd to enter?

Yes, there’s a simple signup process to register on Photocrowd, which will then give you full access to the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 awards.

Can images be taken on a phone?

Yes, images can be taken on any device capable of producing a digital image of sufficient size for entry. For full guidelines on minimum image requirements see the ‘How should I prepare my images for submission?’ FAQ, below.

Do images have to be taken in the United Kingdom?

No. The APOY 2024 Awards is an international competition and you may enter photographs taken anywhere in the world.

Can I enter an image that has been submitted into a previous year of APOY or YAPOY?

Maybe. Any image that has finished in the top 10 of any round in a previous year of APOY or YAPOY, is not eligible for entry in APOY 2024 or YAPOY 2024, but images that have been previously entered without finishing in the top 10 of any round can be re-submitted this year.

Can I enter a photo that has previously won another photo awards?

Yes, you are allowed to enter photos that have won other photo awards previously.

How should I prepare my images for submission?

File type
Images should be saved as jpegs at the highest quality available, with a colour profile attached. Either the RGB or sRGB colour profiles are recommended. Digital scans from film are also eligible providing they meet these technical guidelines.

Image size and resizing
Whilst no image sizes will be rejected at upload, winning images will be required to be printed, and so must be of sufficient quality to allow this. It is therefore advised that images measure a minimum of 2,500 pixels on the shortest side after any cropping. Where images submitted are smaller than this, it will be assumed that this is the largest image size available to the photographer, and may affect that image’s chances of winning. The submission of larger file sizes is encouraged if available.

There are Photoshop and other image software tutorials online that show you how to best resize an image.

Image Manipulation
There are no restrictions regarding the manipulation of images using software or other techniques in these awards, provided that all imagery is the exclusive work of the submitting photographer and does not include any element that is the copyright of another. That includes not using any image elements such as skies that are available in some image editing software.

Image sharpening, noise reduction and colour saturation
Excessive sharpening, noise reduction and colour saturation techniques should be avoided. We appreciate that entrants will attempt to prepare their entries to optimise appearance and appeal on screen, and this may include these techniques. Excessive use of any or all of them can result in an entry that will be unsuitable for printed media and therefore become invalid as a result.

Image descriptions
Please include a description about your work during the upload process. This is a great way to tell a story or other interesting facts about your image. The panel will be able to read this while judging to give them insight into how you came about the shot.

Metadata
We would advise all entrants to add copyright information in the metadata of all submissions.

Terms and Conditions

The Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 competition is hosted on Photocrowd.com, and Photocrowd’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy apply.

In addition please note the following in relation to these awards:

1. The Promoter

The promoter is Kelsey Media Ltd. which has its registered offices located at Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL, and is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 05822990.

2. Eligibility

The competition is global and open to people of all nationalities.

Any entrant under 18 on the date at which they enter the competition must gain the permission of a parent or guardian. Entrants under the age of 13 at the closing date of the competition (31st December 2024) are not permitted to enter any of the rounds.

The Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 contest is only open to persons aged 13-21 on the date of closure of the competition on 31st December 2024. Entrants aged 13-21 are also eligible to enter the main categories of the competition (standard entry charges will apply).

It is the responsibility of each entrant (and the entrant's parent or guardian) to ensure that they have read and will abide by these rules and Photocrowd’s terms and conditions. By submitting an entry, each entrant (and the entrant's parent or guardian) agrees to these rules, that their entry complies with these rules, and that they will be liable to the Promoter and their licensees in respect of any damages or losses incurred as a breach of the rules.

Employees or agents of Kelsey Media Ltd. and Photocrowd, their families or other persons connected with this promotion (excluding the sponsors) are not eligible to enter.

Proof of eligibility must be provided upon request. Use of a false name or other false details will result in disqualification.

3. Submission Rules

All entries must be submitted via the Photocrowd online platform. No entries will be accepted by email or post.

No AI generated imagery is permitted to be entered into the awards.

All winning images, and a selection of other Top 10 and shortlisted images, will be verified for authenticity.

Verification of an image will require the photographer to provide the original, unedited RAW file(s) for the image, as well as a screengrab of their image cataloguing software (such as Lightroom) showing the winning image alongside other images of the same subject from the same shoot.

Photographers unable to verify images will be assumed to have submitted AI or otherwise stolen imagery, and will be eliminated from APOY2024 and all future editions of the awards.

Full guidelines on permissible image sizes and types, and what image manipulation and retouching is allowed are provided in the FAQs section, above.

The Promoter and Photocrowd reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify or remove any entry that does not comply with the rules or the spirit of the awards, at any stage of the awards.

4. Prizes

Please refer to the prizes section on this website for details of prizes.

5. Competition Judging

Once the entry period has closed for each round, the panel of judges will convene to determine their prizewinners.

For each round in both APOY 2024 and Young APOY 2024, a shortlist will be announced at the end of the judging period, followed by the announcement of each round's final results.

The grand prize winners will be unveiled after the final round’s winners are announced.

Please refer to our judges page for more information on the judging panel. The judges’ decisions are final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the decisions.

6. Copyright and permissions

All imagery MUST be the exclusive work of the submitting photographer and may not include any element that is the copyright of another. The Copyright for each image entered will remain with the submitting photographer. By entering the Competition and submitting your photograph(s), you hereby grant the Promoter, its sponsors and their hosting partner Photocrowd a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use your photograph(s) for any purpose connected with the Competition, including (but not limited to), promoting the Competition within printed and online media, the inclusion within printed and digital versions of any Competition book, the inclusion within printed and digital versions of any Competition calendar or other merchandise, display at exhibitions, use in press, promotional and marketing materials, social media networks and for the promotion of any future photographic competition in both print and online media.

7. Publicity

You agree to participate in related publicity and to the use of your name and likeness for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation.

Any personal information, including without limitation, your name, age, address (including postcode) and/or email address will be used by Kelsey Media Ltd. in accordance with its privacy notice.

8. Liabilities

The promoter is excluded from liability for any loss, damage or injury which might occur to any of the winners arising from their acceptance of the prizes. Entrants indemnify the Promoter for all liabilities, including legal costs, in relation to any action or complaint taken by any third party against the Promoter in relation to the entrant’s photograph(s).

9. General

The promoter and Photocrowd reserve the right to cancel this Competition, in which case any entry fees paid will be refunded.

The promoter and Photocrowd reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by English law. When a photograph is submitted and the entry date has passed, the entry cannot be changed or withdrawn. No refunds will be given. Entry to the Awards shall be deemed full and unconditional acceptance of the terms & conditions.