The winners of the first Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards, a photography competition dedicated to encouraging amateur photographers, have been announced! Les Gawin has won the title Amateur Motorsport Photographer of the Year with a photograph that captures the spirit of Goodwood Revival.
Amateur Motorsport Photographer of the Year 2024
Les Gawin
From The Photographic Adventure Company Ltd: The Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards (AMPA) run by Trackside Focus (The Photographic
Adventure Company Ltd) are thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural 2024 motorsport photography competition. Recognising exceptional talent among amateur motorsport photographers, this year’s awards celebrate the passion, creativity, and skill of individuals capturing the world of UK
motorsport from unique perspectives at race circuits and motorsport events across the United Kingdom.
Entries to the competition were exceptional, spanning a diverse range of motorsport events and photography styles. After rigorous deliberation by an esteemed panel of judges at the world renowned Silverstone Circuit, we are proud to unveil the winners across three categories, along with a highly
commended recipient, a runner-up, and the overall winner, who will be crowned Amateur Motorsport Photographer of the Year 2024.
Amateur Motorsport Photography Category Winners
- On Track Action: Richard Newby – “For an exhilarating image that captured the raw speed of rallying.”
- Pit Lane and Paddock: Chris Nicholson – “For a beautiful, early morning composition showing a glimpse of life behind-the-scenes of motorsport.”
- Portraits: Joy Richings – “For a stunningly artistic black and white take on motorsport, capturing the anticipation of a sidecar team just before going out on track”
Highly Commended: Sam Pelling: “For an image of a Mercedes AMG GT3 that stood out for its technical execution, earning special recognition from the judges.”
Runner-Up: Nicola Sim: “For an exceptional image that ticked all the boxes in terms of storytelling, bringing the viewer into the image as if they were trackside themselves in that very moment.”
Winner & Amateur Motorsport Photographer of the Year 2024: Les Gawin: “For a truly exceptional image that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of Goodwood Revival. This photograph stood above all others, showcasing a masterful balance of technical expertise and artistic flair, with simply stunning use of reflections and composition.”
A Platform for Aspiring Talent
The Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards is committed to nurturing amateur talent amongst motorsport photographers, providing winners with unique opportunities to showcase their work. The winners will all receive a number of fantastic prizes to celebrate their success in this year’s
competition. The overall winner will be crowned with the esteemed title of Amateur Motorsport Photographer of the Year 2024. Alongside that title, they will also receive a host of prizes both photography and motorsport related.
They will receive a £250.00 workshop voucher for Trackside Focus, to invest in further learning. They will be presented with a host of photography equipment to help them on their photography journey including a Vanguard VEO 2S CM-264 Monopod, a Peak Design Slide Strap and a Peak Design 35L Travel Duffel. They will also receive a framed A3 print of their winning image, along with a £100.00 voucher to spend at Bob Books. The winner will also be awarded with an array of motorsport prizes. These are an incredible Silverstone driving experience, 2 x BTCC tickets for the 2025 season at Silverstone Circuit, 4 x Castle Combe event tickets for an event of the winner’s choice plus an annual subscription to The Pit Stop Magazine.
The runner up will receive a £150.00 Trackside Focus workshop voucher, a Vanguard Technical pack, a Peak Design Slide Lite Strap, an A4 print of their winning image, a £50 Bob Books voucher, an annual subscription to The Pit Stop Magazine plus 2 x BTCC tickets for the 2025 season.
The highly commended will receive a £100.00 Trackside Focus workshop voucher, a Vanguard Technical pack, an A4 print of their winning image, a £25 Bob Books voucher, an annual subscription to The Pit Stop Magazine plus 2 x BTCC tickets for the 2025 season. All winners will also receive a free copy of the AMPA 2024 photo book.
Richard Towler, Professional Motorsport Photographer, said, “The winning image captured the behind the scenes at Goodwood Rival in so many ways. The people, the cars, and the use of the reflections all make it an outstanding image and I was pleased to see this take the overall win.”
Rob Hansford, Co-Founder and Editor of The Pit Stop Magazine, said, The level of quality in the inaugural AMPA competition was simply sublime. It was amazing to see so many well composed and executed images from a vast array of amateur photographers, many of which would give professional photographers a run for their money. Congratulations to the winners, their images all really told a story which is what I was looking for throughout the judging process and their awards are fully deserved!”
See more photos from AMPA 2024
Further reading:
- Best photography exhibitions to see in 2025
- Olympic surfer photo impresses again in top sports photography contest
- Portrait of Britain Vol.7 winning portraits light up the UK!
- Marrakesh silhouette street photo wins in Travel competition
