Use your photography to contribute to something larger – and tell your story about our changing seas

A majestic tall ship anchored in calm waters, with snow-capped mountains towering in the background under a moody sky

The Brian Black Memorial Award is organized by Yachtly Monthly in association with The Week Junior and sponsored by Coppercoat, makers of the environmentally responsible multi-season antifoul (Image credit: Christopher Barrett)

If your photography centers around the sea and sailing adventures, then it's time to enter the Brian Black Memorial Award before the competition closes on September 1, 2025. It's not just a competition, it's a platform for photographers and storytellers who are engaging with one of the most important subjects of our time: the changing state of our oceans.

Brian Black Memorial Award

The Black family, with Yachting Monthly, established the award in honor of environmental broadcast journalist Brian Black – a passionate sailor whose writing and filmmaking highlighted the crises facing fragile Arctic ecosystems. His wife, Lesley Black, was also a sailor and author, and became Northern Ireland's first female yacht club commodore.

What makes the award stand out is its focus on environmental storytelling. It recognizes not only the quality of your images, but the thought behind them – the way you observe, document, and share what's happening in the marine world.

This year's theme, "Our Changing Seas," invites you to reflect on how the ocean is shifting – and what that means for those who live with, depend on, or simply love the sea. That might be a story of climate impact in a remote anchorage, or a quiet, local encounter with marine life. It could be something joyful or deeply unsettling. The point is: it's yours to tell. And you can submit your work to the adult photo competition, adult article competition, or junior photo competition.

A close-up of a polar bear swimming in clear blue water, gazing directly at the viewer with its expressive eyes — Video award winner Christopher Barrett joined the Ocean Warrior research ship *Linden* also in the Arctic and learned of the heart-wrenching difficulties facing polar bears which have to swim hundreds of miles to hunt, often distances that see their cubs die on the way (Image credit: Christopher Barrett)

There are practical reasons to enter, of course. The award offers £3,000 in prize money, Canon camera equipment, and publication opportunities. And YM will also be donating £1,000 to the marine conservation funding charity Sea-Changers.

Beyond the prize, this is an opportunity to have your work seen by a wider audience and to be recognized for using your photography in a way that contributes to something larger.

So if you're sailing adventures shed fresh light on marine environmental issues, take a moment and look through your work – there is something worth sharing. You can find more information about the Brian Black Memorial Award and how to submit your work on YM's website.

A sailboat anchored in calm waters near rocky shores and a tall lighthouse against a serene sky — Last year's winner Jon Amtrup wrote about living aboard his yacht in the Arctic, eloquently setting out the case for more sustainable living and highlighting the rate of change in the Arctic (Image credit: Jon Amtrup)

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, Kim explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture. Through her features, tutorials, and gear reviews, she aims to encourage readers to explore the medium more deeply and embrace its full creative potential.

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