The winners of the 2025 National Historic Ships UK Photography Competition, Marsh Volunteer Awards, and Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award were revealed on Wednesday 19th November, in an Awards film premiered on YouTube. The Awards film also celebrated the four Flagships of the Year, announced earlier in the season. It was filmed in the historic port city of Bristol, and jointly hosted by SS Great Britain Trust, M Shed, Underfall Yard, and Bristol Community Ferry Boats.
National Historic Ships UK’s (NHS-UK) annual awards are a celebration of maritime heritage around the UK. They encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with historic vessels through photography, volunteering, conservation, online activities, and skills-based training.
Watch the Awards film on YouTube
MARTYN HEIGHTON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME CONSERVATION
In honour of NHS-UK’s late Director, Martyn Heighton, the Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award was launched in 2019 to mark best practice in the conservation of historic vessels.
WINNER:
Raybel Charters CIC (Sittingbourne, Kent) - Raybel
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Mike Barnes (St Olave's, Norfolk) - Sparklet
Meet our 2025 Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award Winners
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
The Photography Competition is always hugely popular, with hundreds of entries each year from Britain and around the world. This year's theme was 'Craft & Crew', and it attracted a record 750 entries featuring historic vessels and the people who engage with them.
WINNER: Photographer of the Year
Top Down Triangulation by James Crisp (Heybridge, Essex)
Highly Commended:
Tollesbury Saltings Sunrise From Above by Dan Brand (Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk)
WINNER: True Classic Award
Boom Man by Lucy Tulloch (Canterbury, Kent)
WINNER: Newcomer of the Year
New Paint by Greg White (London)
WINNER: People’s Choice Award
Getting Ready for the Off by Kev Maslin (Tipton, West Midlands)
THE MARSH VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The Marsh Volunteer Awards recognise outstanding volunteers in the conservation or operation of historic vessels in the UK. These Awards, run in partnership with the Marsh Charitable Trust, celebrate the hard work and achievement of the many diverse individuals and groups who volunteer in support of maritime heritage. There are three Award categories: Group, Individual, and Shipshape Project – for projects listed on NHS-UK’s Shipshape Network.
WINNER: Marsh Volunteer of the Year - Group
The Norfolk Wherry Trust (Ludham, Norfolk)
WINNER: Marsh Volunteer of the Year - Individual (Joint award)
John Aitken, Tall Ship Glenlee (Glasgow)
Richard Brown, Britannia Sailing Trust (Exeter, Devon)
WINNER: Marsh Volunteer of the Year - Shipshape Project
Shirley Cochrane, Donaghadee Heritage Preservation Company (Co. Down)
Highly Commended:
The Marsh Charitable Trust also recognised Ambler's Friends (Rio Dulce, Guatemala) as a Highly Commended project.
Meet our 2025 Marsh Volunteer Awards Winners
FLAGSHIP OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The annual Flagship of the Year Awards provide an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate the value of historic vessels to the wider public, through online activities, museum engagement, events, open days and special tours. Flagships promote the role of NHS-UK and ‘fly the flag’ as ambassadors for the UK’s maritime heritage sector. This year, the judges awarded Flagship status to four Operational Flagships.
Flagships of the Year 2025:
Barnabas (Newlyn, Cornwall)
Sir Walter Scott (Loch Katrine, Highlands)
Llanthony (Chertsey, Surrey)
Dane (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Meet our 2025 Flagships of the Year
Congratulations to all our Awards winners!
