Environment: Entries Open for 2023 Brian Black Memorial Award
Entries for Yachting Monthly’s Brian Black Memorial Award for marine environmental journalism are now open and for the first time there are cash prizes up for grabs for the best article and the best video.
Published 2 years ago
The Brian Black Memorial Award 2023 sponsored by B&G is back with a new video competition, alongside the well-established writing competition, each with £2,000 on offer for the best video story and best written story about marine environmental issues explored by sailing boat. The award also includes a donation of £1,500 to marine conservation charity, Sea-Changers.
The Brian Black Memorial Award was established in 2021 to commemorate Brian and Lesley Black who were trailblazing sailors, daring small-boat explorers and passionate story tellers. A film-maker and broadcaster, Brian used his boat to capture first-hand footage of melting glaciers to tell the story of global warming decades before it was in the public awareness.
Focus on Coastal Biodiversity
The award aims to encourage other sailors to use their boats to share the stories of the places and wildlife they encounter on their voyages with the wider world. This year, the award is focusing on coastal biodiversity, its beauty and wonder and the crisis it is facing.
Marine electronics brand, B&G®, is sponsoring the award for a third year in a row, but for 2023 is creating two separate prizes. As in 2022, there is a prize of £2,000 for the best 1,800-word article and accompanying images.
New for 2023, there is also a prize of £2,000 for the best video of up to 10 minutes and runners up prizes for two additional runners up in each category. The winning article and video, along with the runners up, will be published in Yachting Monthly and on Yachting Monthly’s online channels.
Donation to Charity
The award also includes a donation of £1,500 to the marine conservation charity, Sea-Changers, which raises funds for grass-roots conservation projects around the UK coastline.
Tracy Cox, Global Brand Manager for B&G, said: “B&G is delighted to once again sponsor the Brian Black Memorial Award for its third year, and we are excited to see the extraordinary stories brought to life by talented and passionate adventurers.
“‘Sustainability’ has become quite a buzzword, but it has long been at the heart of what we do, as – at our core – B&G is a team of sailors dedicated to making products for sailors of all levels, we share that deep connection with the ocean and with nature. We are privileged to be in a position to work with scientists and sailors who are dedicated to driving forward positive change.
“The Brian Black Memorial Award continues to do a stellar job of raising the profile of some lesser-told stories.”
Previous winners include Jon Amtrup, who witnessed the retreat of glaciers in Svalbard during voyages to the island over 12 consecutive years and Sophie Dingwall, who crossed the Atlantic and recounted how remote islands are being buried beneath mountains of ocean plastic.
Judging Panel
The judging panel for the award includes Volvo Ocean Race skipper Dee Caffari MBE; Vendée Globe veteran Mike Golding OBE; conservation expert Dr Bob Brown, Sarah Brown, a marine environmental consultant and daughter of Brian and Lesley Black plus the Yachting Monthly team.
Sarah Brown said: “Dad would go that extra mile for a story or an image. Whether he was confronting people illegally threatening wildlife or getting washed away by a collapsing glacier he was pretty fearless when he had a story to unearth. Every year he would sail his small yacht north and capture stories about retreating glaciers and threatened wildlife and come home to share them with TV audiences. Often battered and bruised, he loved the adventure associated with ‘getting that shot’ and I hope we see some of that come through in this year’s entrants!”
Yachting Monthly editor Theo Stocker: “The drive towards sustainability has a long way to go, but is gathering momentum as more data, stories and understanding of complex issues emerges. We hope this award does justice to the truly trailblazing work of Brian and Lesley Black, and contributes even just a little to the sea-change that needs to happen. We are thrilled to have B&G as sponsors once again, and feel that the company’s efforts to reduce its own environmental impact make it a great fit for this award. I can’t wait to read and watch, the stories that emerge this year.”
Deadline for Entries
Entries should be submitted by 6 August 2023. For more details and full terms and conditions, visit: Brian Black Memorial Award 2023.
For further information contact: yachtingmonthly@futurenet.com
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Related to the following Cruising Resources: Citizen Science, Environment, General
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