Past OWPG Awards for Excellence Winners
Each year the Guild makes literary and photographic awards to its members in recognition of their work during the previous twelve months. Current award winners are listed here, and previous ones are listed below. Other categories of past winners can be found at:
Guidebook
2023: David Lintern for “Scottish Wild Country Backpacking“
Highly Commended: Lisa Drewe for “South West England Paddleboarding“
2022: James Rushforth for Photographing Iceland (fotoVue)
Highly Commended: David Taylor for 111 places in Newcastle you shouldn’t miss
2021: No award this year
2020: Lisa Drewe for Islandeering (Wild Things Publishing)
Highly Commended: John Gillham for The Shropshire Way (Cicerone Press)
Highly Commended: Kingsley Jones for Tour du Mont Blanc (Vertebrate Publishing)
2019: Jan Bakker (and Christine Oriol) for Trekking in Tajikistan (Cicerone Press)
Highly commended Lily Dyu for Fastpacking (Cicerone Press)
2018: Viv Crow for Walking in Northumberland (Cicerone Press)
Highly commended Rudolf Abraham for Trekking the Peaks of the Balkans Trail, Adrian Hendroff for The Mourne and Cooley Mountains and Jacquetta Megarry for Arran Coastal Way
2017: Kingsley Jones for Trail and Fell Running in the Chamonix & Mont Blanc Region (Cicerone Press).
Highly commended Steve Davison for Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal (Cicerone Press) and Adrian Hendroff for Family Walks Around Dublin (Collins Press).
2016: Max Landsberg and Jacquetta Megarry Trek to Everest (Rucksack Readers)
Highly commended Vivienne Crow Wales Coast Path: Pembrokeshire (Northern Eye Books)
2015: Ronald Turnbull Walking the Jurassic Coast (Cicerone)
Highly Commended David Taylor Mastering Landscape Photography (Ammonite Press)
2014: Carl Rogers and Tony Bowerman Wales Coast Path – Llyn Peninsular (Northern Eye)
Highly Commended Ben Hoffler Sinai – the Trekking Guide (Trailblazer)
2013: Vivienne Crow Walks to Waterfalls (Northern Eye)
2012: John Gillham Best Day Walks in Snowdonia (Frances Lincoln)
Highly Commended Adrian Hendroff, Keith Bradbury
2011: Kev Reynolds Trekking in the Alps: 20 Classic Routes (Cicerone Press)
Highly Commended Chris Craggs, Keith Fergus, Carl Rogers
2010: Vivienne Crow The Lake District (pb Cadogan)
2009: Chris Craggs Lofoten Rock by Chris Craggs and Thorbjørn Enevold (Rockfax)
2008: Rudolf Abraham The Mountains of Montenegro (Cicerone Press)
2007: Bill Birkett A Year in the Life of the Duddon Valley
2006: Andrew Bibby Wensleydale & Swaledale (Frances Lincoln)
2005: Christopher Mitchell Lake District Natural History Walks
2004: Chris Craggs & Alan James (non-member) Western Grit (Rockfax)
2003: Chris Barber Exploring Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site
Highly Commended Andrew McCloy The Land’s End to John o’ Groats Walk
2002: Chris Craggs Peak Gritstone East (Rockfax)
Highly Commended Roger Thomas Brecon Beacons: Official National Park Guide
2001: Ian R. Mitchell
Highly Commended Terry Marsh AA Essential England
2000: Terry Marsh The Shropshire Way (co-author Julie Meech)
1999: Ronald Turnbull Coast to Coast Trail Guide
Highly Commended Leigh Hatts
1998: John Spencer & Ann Beedham The Star Family Walks – The Peak District and South Yorkshire
1997: Brian Evans (with Aileen Evans) Short Walks in Lakeland Book 2 North Lakeland
1996: John & Anne Nuttall The Tarns of Lakeland Vol 1
Highly Commended John Macadam
1995: Richard Gilbert Exploring the Far North West of Scotland
1994: Terry Marsh Northern Coast to Coast (Cicerone)
1993: John & Anne Nuttall Walking Round The Lakes
1992: Don Philpott
1991: Leigh Hatts Walks Along the Thames Path
Outdoor Book
2023: no award
2022: Josephine Collingwood for Geology of Dartmoor
Highly Commended: Viv Crow for Joss Naylor’s Lakes Meres and Waters of the Lake District
2021: Ralph Storer for Corrour Bothy
Highly Commended: Roly Smith for Walking Class Heroes
2020: David Lintern for The Big Rounds
2019: Chris Townsend for Along the Divide (Sandstone Press)
Highly Commended Tony Howard for Quest Into the Unknown (Vertebrate Publishing)
2018: Andrew Bibby Backroads Through Middle England (Gritstone Co-operative)
Highly Commended Kev Reynolds The Mountain Hut Book (Cicerone)
2017: David Bellamy Arctic Light (Search Press)
Highly Commended Andrew McCloy The Pennine Way (Cicerone)
2016: Chris Townsend Out There (Sandstone Press)
Highly Commended Kev Reynolds Abode of the Gods (Cicerone)
2015: Peter and Leni Gillman Extreme Eiger (Simon & Schuster)
Highly Commended Stephen Neal Wild Camping (Adlard Coles); Julian Rollins Wilder Wales (Graffeg)
2014: no award
2013: Terry Marsh Great Mountain Days in the Pennines (Cicerone)
2012: Ronald Turnbull Sandstone and Sea Stacks: a beachcomber’s guide to Britain’s coastal geology (Frances Lincoln)
Highly Commended Karen Frenkel, Chris Townsend
2011: Adrian Hendroff From High Places – a journey though Ireland’s great mountains
Highly Commended Alf Alderson, Karen Frenkel
2010: Ronald Turnbull Granite & Grit: a walkers’ guide to the geology of British mountains (Frances Lincoln)
2009: Fran Halsall The Peak District (Frances Lincoln)
2008: Ronald Turnbull The Life & Times of the Black Pig: a cultural biography of Ben Macdui (Millrace Books)
2007: Graham Swanson Cruising Cork and Kerry
2006: Martin Varley Wild Lakeland (Halsgrove)
2005: Bill Birkett A Year in the Life of the Langdale Valleys (Frances Lincoln)
2004: Jon Sparks Lake District Moods
2003: Richard Sale To the Ends of the Earth
Highly Commended Terry Marsh & Jon Sparks The Magic of the Scottish Islands
2002: Ronald Turnbull The Book of the Bivvy (Cicerone)
Highly Commended Ian R. Mitchell
2001: John Gillham & Ronald Turnbull Coast to Coasting (David & Charles)
2000: Marion Shoard A Right to Roam
1999: Ian R Mitchell Scotland’s Mountains before the Mountaineers (Luath)
Highly Commended John Macadam
1998: Ed Douglas Chomolungma Sings the Blues
1997: Alf Alderson Surfing – A Beginner’s Manual
1996: David Bellamy Wilderness Artist (HarperCollins)
1995: Gordon Stainforth The Cuillin
1994: Peter Gillman – Everest anthology
1993: Chris Townsend The Backpacker’s Handbook
1992: Stephen Venables
1991: not awarded
1990: Stephen Venables
Outdoor Feature
2023: MaryAnn Ochota for “The Wild Life“
Highly Commended: Susie White for “The Land of Waterfalls and Wildflowers“
2022: Jon Sparks
2021: Huw Kingston Highly Commended Andrew McCloy
2020: Huw Kingston Highly Commended Viv Crow and James Forrest
2019: Jen Benson Highly Commended David Lintern
2018: Viv Crow Highly Commended Judy Armstrong
2017: John Metcalfe Highly Commended James Forrest and John Metcalfe
2016: Judy Armstrong Highly Commended James Forrest
2015: Chris Townsend
2014: Carey Davies
2013: Judy Armstrong
2012: Vivienne Crow
2011: Jon Sparks
2010: Vivienne Crow
2009: Rudolf Abraham
2008: Chris Townsend
2007: Peter Gillman
2006: Anthony Toole
2005: Anthony Toole
2004: Paul Lamarra
2003: Marion Shoard
2002: Stephen Goodwin
2001: Stephen Goodwin
2000: Mike Gerrard
1999: Stephen Goodwin
1998: Peter Gillman
1997: Judy Armstrong
1996: Leni & Peter Gillman
1995: Alistair Macdonald
1994: Ed Douglas
1993: Roly Smith
1992: Steve Ashton Highly Commended Roly Smith
1991: Nick Crane
1990: Catherine Moore
Technical Feature
2023: James Forrest
2022: Tony Howard
2021: Ronald Turnbull
2020: David Lintern Highly Commended Chris Scaife
2019: Alex Roddie
2018: Kingsley Jones
2017: Chris Townsend Highly Commended Kingsley Jones and Stephen Neale
2016: Chris Townsend Highly Commended Ronald Turnbull
2015: David Lintern
2014: Chris Townsend
2013: John Manning
1999 – 2012 not awarded
1998: John Manning
1997: John Manning
1996: Chris Townsend
1995: Peter & Leni Gillman
1994: Alec & Val Scaresbrook
1993: Pat Constance
1992: Hazel Constance
1991: Pat Constance
1990: Hazel Constance
Digital production
2023: No outright winner this year Highly Commended Lisa Drewe
2022: No outright winner this year Highly Commended Jon Doolan
2021: Alex Roddie
2020: Chiz Dakin Highly commended David Taylor
2019: David Lintern
2018: Jacquetta Megarry
2017: Thomas Smallwood. Highly Commended John and Ann Nuttall
2016: Two awards – Terry Abraham and Stephen Neale. Highly commended Keiron Gribbon, Rob York
2015: Henry Iddon
2014: Terry Abraham
2013: Alf Alderson
Photography
2023: James Rushforth Highly Commended Chris Howes
2022: Josephine Collingwood, Highly Commended James Rushforth, Felicity Martin
2021: James Rushforth
2020: Chris Howes Highly Commended David Forster
2019: Chris Howes Highly Commended Mark Gilligan
2018: Chris Howes Highly Commended David Forster
2017: Chris Howes Highly Commended David Forster
2016: Chris Howes Highly Commended David Forster
2015: Chris Howes
2014: David Taylor
2013: Chris Howes
2012: Rudolf Abraham
2011: David Taylor Highly Commended Jon Sparks, Dave Willis
2010: Andy Latham
2009: Fran Halsall
2008: Chiz Dakin
2007: Andy Latham
2006: Allan Wright
2005: Jason Friend
2004: David Chapman Highly Commended Jon Sparks
2003: Jeremy Moore Highly Commended Karen Frenkel
2002: David Chapman Highly Commended Jon Sparks
2001: Jeremy Moore
2000: Tom Hutton
1997-8 Awards sponsored by Fuji Professional with 1st, 2nd and 3rd places
1998: 1st Chris Howes; 2nd Ray Wood; 3rd John Beatty
1997: 1st Rob Howard; 2nd Jeremy Moore; 3rd Bill Birkett