RPS Honorary Fellowship

The Society’s Annual Awards are offered to individuals who have made significant contributions to the art and science of photography. The Society has adopted a wide definition of photography which refers to the art and science of the recording of light or other radiation on any medium on which an image is produced or from which any image may by any means be produced. Award nominations are considered by a committee headed by the immediate Past President – for the 2013 Awards this will be Rosemary Wilman HonFRPS – and recommendations are put to The Society’s Council for confirmation.

The Society has made Awards to photographers and those in photography since 1878 when its Progress medal was first awarded. There are now fifteen categories (see list left each of which includes an historical record of winners). In addition The Society also awards Honorary Fellowships of The Society – an honour it first bestowed in 1895. Recent Award winners have included photographers Terry O’Neill, Albert Watson, Annie Leibovitz and Martin Parr, and individuals Philippe Garner, Sir David Attenborough and Tim Berners-Lee, alongside scientists and museum and gallery curators.