Among the judges are:
- Lord William Burlington, a leading UK photographer and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Devonshire. Lord Burlington was educated at Eton College and University of Cambridge. He subsequently studied photography under Jorge Lewinski
- Clive Nichols, one of the world’s finest flower and garden photographers. Over the past 25 years he has amassed a stunning collection of over 60,000 images. Clive regularly gives master classes in flower and garden photography for The Royal Horticultural Society
- Professor Chris Baines, one of the UK’s leading environmentalists and an award-winning writer and broadcaster. Professor Baines also works as an adviser to large companies in the house building, water, finance and aggregates industries and advises government agencies and local authorities on sustainability issues
- Lia Leendertz, a freelance garden writer and winner of the GMG Practical Journalist of the Year Award, 2012. Lia writes about gardening for the Guardian, The Telegraph and Gardens Illustrated and contributes an opinion column to The Royal Horticultural Society’s magazine, The Garden. She has also written several books about gardening
- Sir Tim Smit, Executive Chairman of Eden Regeneration Ltd and co-founder of the award-winning Eden Project. Sir Tim was appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in January 2011 in recognition of his work at the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project. The award was made substantive in June 2012
- Mark Diacono, an award-winning author. Mark runs Otter Farm, Britain’s only climate change farm. As well as planting and maintaining the farm’s vineyards, forest garden and vegetable patch, he formerly led the Garden Team at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage
- Rasika Krishna, Director, Digital Strategy & User Experience at international IT company, APCO Worldwide. Rasika will be reviewing the technical elements of the entries for the Website of the Year and New Media Award categories
Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH DL, who will be presenting the Alan Titchmarsh New Talent Award, said: “We are all passionate about gardening, and the more we can do to pass on our enthusiasm and wake up a new generation to the importance and fulfilment of looking after their own patch, along with the wider landscape, the better.
“I am now in my fiftieth year of gardening for a living, but I am as committed as ever to promoting it as a valuable and worthwhile profession, as well as the most fulfilling of pastimes. It is vital that gardening writers and broadcasters younger than I am continue to spread the word with enthusiasm, passion and knowledge, opening the eyes of the young to a pursuit that is enriching, transforming of their surroundings and vitally important in terms of the wellbeing of the planet. Gardeners are at the sharp end of conservation, natural history, plant science and feeding the nation. It is time that more folk realised that and came out into the fresh air.”
Entries for the Garden Media Guild Awards 2013 awards are up substantially on the 2012 event with a record number of entries for five categories. The Blog of the Year and Photographer of the Year categories smashed last year’s total with an increase of 81% and 82% respectively while the Alan Titchmarsh New Talent Award was up a full 100%.
The Garden Media Guild Awards celebrate the very best examples of media work in the horticultural industry, rewarding the talent, skill and inspiration of gardening communications professionals. They present an opportunity for individuals and organisations to allow their work to be judged by experts in the field.
The Garden Media Guild brings together professional garden writers, authors, photographers, broadcasters, editors, lecturers and allied trades. Its aims are to raise the quality of gardening writing, photography and broadcasting and keep members up to date with events in the world of gardening and horticulture.
Sponsors of the Garden Media Guild Awards 2013 include:
- Briggs & Stratton
- Brother
- Hartley Botanic
- HTA (Horticultural Trades Association)
- redheadPR
- Scotts Miracle-Gro
- Thompson & Morgan
- Westland Horticulture
The Garden Media Guilds Awards ceremony will take place at the InterContinental London Park Lane, 1 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7QY on Wednesday 27 November 2013.
