Online event instead of The Savoy for the horticultural ‘Oscars’
Despite an online event rather than the Savoy lunch, the Garden Media Guild 2020 award winners were celebrated by all who logged in to watch. Lockdown has seen one million new gardeners seeking expert advice from the gardening media in all its formats.
More than 200 garden media professionals tuned in, hosted by designers/TV presenters Ann-Marie Powell and James Alexander Sinclair. Here are 2019’s winners. Headline sponsor Candide Gardening donated £10, the cost of a planted tree, to the Community Forest Trust for every ticket sold as part of its Tree Inspired campaign.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anna Pavord won the Lifetime Achievement Award, author of the best-selling The Tulip. In a video sent from her garden, she said: “Gardening has boomed over the last 30 years…all of us have been lucky to discover we can make a living from what we love best.”
Tamsin Westhorpe, co-chair of the GMG, said: “This year has been a rollercoaster for all of us, including gardening journalists. We are proud that, as an industry, we campaigned hard to get the Government to reopen nurseries and garden centres ahead of many other businesses.
“By pressurising ministers to see sense and open them up, we managed to avert disaster for many growers, whose plants were rotting in greenhouses because they couldn’t be sold. We believe gardeners can help lead the way to a cleaner, greener and happier country. The horticulture industry is worth £24 billion, and we have never been more aware of the importance of gardening in helping to keep us happy and healthy.”
Garden Media Guild 2020 award winners
- PRACTICAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by Thompson & Morgan: Lucy Chamberlain – Amateur Gardening.
- THE BETH CHATTO ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD sponsored by Beth Chatto Education Trust: Jean Vernon for her article “Return of the bees always gives me a buzz” in the Daily Telegraph.
- THE ALAN TITCHMARSH NEW TALENT AWARD sponsored by Hayloft Plants: Humaira Ikram.
- FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Roses UK: Jason Ingram.
- PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Field Studies Council Publications: Nicola Stocken.
- THE GORDON RAE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Candide: Jason Ingram.
- COVER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Cobra: RHS The Garden.
- JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Johnsons Lawn Seed: Val Bourne.
- BLOG OR VLOG OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Mr Fothergill’s: Katy in the Garden – Katy Watson.
- WEBSITE OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Honda: Gardensillustrated.com.
- SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by STIHL: Michael Perry.
- RADIO BROADCAST OR PODCAST OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by Evergreen Garden Care: The Organic Gardening Podcast.
- THE ROY LANCASTER TV BROADCAST OF THE YEAR sponsored by the HTA: Growing Vines by Penny Meadmore, broadcast online in August 2020 for the Virtual Shrewsbury Flower Show.
- THE PETER SEABROOK PRACTICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR sponsored by the Garden Press Event: Heritage Apples by Caroline Ball.
- THE GARDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Briggs & Stratton: I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast – Michael Holland.
- THE DR DAVID HESSAYON GARDEN COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR sponsored by Marshalls: Alan Titchmarsh.
- GARDEN PUBLICATION OR GARDEN SECTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Westland: The Garden – editor Chris Young.
- LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD sponsored by Candide: Anna Pavord.
More information at www.gardenmediaguild.co.uk/awards.
