Historic Photographer of The Year 2021 reveals iconic winners

The Historic England category was won by Sam Binding’s atmospheric view of the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge (Image credit: Sam Binding)

Winners of the 2021 Historic Photographer of the Year Awards have been announced, and the overall winner is Steve Liddiard for his magical shot of the Whiteford Point Lighthouse in the Gower Peninsula, south Wales. 

Historic Photographer of the Year calls on photographers from around the globe to explore and capture the very best historic places and cultural sites that the world has to offer. 

Last year, photographers had to scour their archives to share their most astonishing imagery of those places which dominate our past. Despite the challenges of 2021, the Awards still attracted another huge amount of submissions from amateurs and professionals who had captured stunning shots of historical sites from every corner of the globe.

Historic Photographer of the Year

This dramatic image of Whiteford Point Lighthouse in the Gower Peninsula was voted as the overall winner by the judging panel this year (Image credit: Historic Photographer of the Year)

The Where History Happened category run in partnership with Sky HISTORY went to Iain McCallum for his picture of the wrecks of the Wastdale H and Arkendale H which collided in the River Severn in October 1960

The Where History Happened category run in partnership with Sky HISTORY went to Iain McCallum for his picture of the wrecks of the Wastdale H and Arkendale H which collided in the River Severn in October 1960 (Image credit: Historic Photographer of the Year)

Commenting on the Awards, judge Dan Snow said: “This year’s awards featured an outstanding array of fantastic and fascinating historical places across the globe. The wonderful entries we’ve seen highlight both the immense heritage that surrounds us, along with the often precarious and fragile nature of some of our most precious locations of cultural value. 

The awards demonstrate the huge dedication that entrants often go to when trying to capture that perfect shot, whether rising in the dead of night to capture the perfect sunrise or climbing, hiking and trekking their way to discover far flung places from our past.”

St Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor was among the shortlisted entries

St Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor was among the shortlisted entries (Image credit: Adam Burton)

An unusual nighttime capture of The Shambles, York

An unusual nighttime capture of The Shambles, York (Image credit: David Oxtaby)

The 1935 MV Western Belle, Glenridding

The 1935 MV Western Belle, Glenridding (Image credit: Andrew McCaren)

Official partners for the Historic Photographer of the Year 2021 include History Hit TV, broadcaster Sky HISTORY, the Association For Historical And Fine Art Photography, and Historic England, the public body that helps people enjoy and celebrate England’s historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops.

If history is your hobby, then check out all the winners here.

Lauren Scott
Freelance contributor/former Managing Editor

Lauren is a writer, reviewer, and photographer with ten years of experience in the camera industry. She's the former Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, and previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine, Technique editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, and Deputy Editor of our sister publication, Digital Camera Magazine. An experienced journalist and freelance photographer, Lauren also has bylines at Tech Radar, Space.com, Canon Europe, PCGamesN, T3, Stuff, and British Airways' in-flight magazine. When she's not testing gear for DCW, she's probably in the kitchen testing yet another new curry recipe or walking in the Cotswolds with her Flat-coated Retriever.

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