Head Judge Sophie Batterbury

  Sophie Batterbury FRPS is an experienced picture editor and independent curator. With a background leading major UK picture desks and collaborating with photographers, agencies, and creative teams, she brings strong editorial judgement and a refined curatorial eye to projects She is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and regularly contributes to the wider photographic community as a judge, mentor, and speaker. 

Picture Editor The Telegraph Media Group

Jason Green began his photography career as a secondary school darkroom technician. He joined Action Images in 1998, then became a freelance sports photographer in 2000. He gained picture desk experience at the Daily Mail before transitioning to entertainment photography. In 2011, he joined National News as a Picture Editor, then The Telegraph, progressing to Deputy Picture Editor and assuming the lead role in 2024.

Jane Sherwood is the Managing Editor, News EMEA at Getty Images where she is part of the team that creates Getty Images editorial newswire output for the region. Jane began her career 30 years ago as a receptionist at Rex Features and progressed through a series of picture desk roles on the Sunday Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Star, Daily Express, News of the World and Sunday Times to become the Picture Editor of the Sunday Express newspaper.  Leaving that role for Getty Images in 2015 she says “I wanted to work where photography was front and centre and investment in the medium was paramount".  I am well known to the judging panel of these awards and am thrilled to be included again this time. The Picture Editor’s Guild Award celebrates the very best of the UK’s press photography 

 Matthew Fearn graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 1998 with a BA Honours degree in Journalism and Politics.  In 1998 he won Photographer of the Year at the NUS/Guardian Student Media Awards.  Upon graduation he began a nine year career at the Press Association, joining as a bulletin board operator, becoming a staff photographer in 2000 and coming off the road to take the Deputy Picture Editor's role in 2007.  He sas been Picture Editor at The Telegraph from  January 2012 until his departure for The Times newspaper in 2024.

 Flora Smith is Managing Partner & CEO at Topfoto
Family-founded Topfoto, one of the world’s foremost independent photographic archives, has been licensing images since 1927.  The 3rd generation at the helm, Flora is expanding the collections and global reach, safeguarding rare and culturally significant archives including by Brian Harris and David Hoffman. 
Recent acquisitions include Graham Keen (early Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono) and Roger Bamber. These sit well with Topfoto’s major photographic news archives from the golden age of Fleet Street as well as major representations such as TakeStock (US Civil Rights) and Punch. Flora is increasingly invited to speak on ethical and practical issues facing archives 

 Picture Editor ,The Independent . Alan Hamilton

I started my journalistic career as messenger for a Glasgow publishing agency First Press Publishing in 1994

FPP was a small agency that published the Rangers News & Celtic View as well as the Old Firm match day programmes including Rangers first foray in the newly created Champions League.

In the days before digital pictures I would travel between the two grounds speaking to the editors picking up the pictures they wanted in their publication before heading back to the office to scan them in.

In 1996 I stayed in the office to concentrate on the magazines and other publications as FPP grew.

After 3 years I left to join the Scottish Daily Mail picture desk as assistant picture editor working under the guidance of the much missed Andy Allan.

I progressed to deputy picture editor on both the Scottish Daily Mail and the Scottish Mail on Sunday.

In 2002 I received a phone call asking if I wanted to join the Daily Record picture desk an offer I could not refuse.

So in June 2002 I joined as assistant picture editor becoming deputy picture editor in 2010 overseeing not just The Daily Record but The Sunday Mail and our regional titles around Scotland. Since October 2023 I have been the Picture Editors for the Independent.

Helen Healy 

Helen Healy is a picture editor with over thirty years experience in the industry. Most recently she was the Head of Pictures at the Financial Times. She has also worked at The Guardian, The Times, the Telegraph 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 stories, including 9/11, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and Brexit

Jon Mills is the Picture Editor at SWNS where he has been helping drive the picture operation for nearly two decades. He manages a nationwide team of staff photographers, a network of freelancers and many syndication contracts. He also oversees the development of new technical infrastructure for the agency’s global newswire. 

Fiona has over twenty years' picture editing experience across a range of newspaper titles. She was picture editor of the Guardian for ten years before taking up the role of Head of Photography for the Guardian News and Media Group. Throughout her career she has been involved in the coverage of some of the most historic news stories of our time including the events surrounding 9/11, conflicts around the world, large-scale natural disasters, and the humanitarian crises resulting from the growing refugee numbers across the globe.

In addition she has judged World Press, the Sony World Photography Awards, The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and is a regular nominator for the prestigious Prix Pictet Prize.

Steven Lawrence has been Picture Editor for the Metro since 2019, he trained as a reporter in New Zealand and fell onto a magazine picture desk when he arrived in London over 30 years ago. Spent time on Women's Weeklies and was then Picture Editor of Country Life. He spent a few years on illustrated travel guides before working for Mail Onlne for 14 years. 

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