British Photographic Exhibitions Crown Awards

British Photographic Exhibitions offer crown awards to enable photographers who are successful in affiliated exhibitions to gain additional personal recognition. Exhibitors accumulate their acceptances in relevant national exhibitions and may apply for a crown rating award when various totals are reached. Successful applicants receive a certificate and ribbon, and are permitted to use the appropriate letters after their name. Photographers who achieve the top crown award rating (BPE5*) can aggregate acceptances and awards in member exhibitions and, upon reaching the relevant levels of success, may apply for associateship and fellowship. Successful applicants receive a certificate and medal, and are permitted to use the letters ABPE and FBPE after their name.

The regulations for granting awards are that:

●   each acceptance in an open section of an affiliated BPE exhibition is awarded one point;

●   a maximum of four points can be awarded to each entrant in a single section of each affiliated exhibition;

●  selectors at affiliated exhibitions can claim 2 points for each section in which they officiate;

points totals for the five levels of award are as follows:

●   BPE1 Crown Award -  25 points

●   BPE2 Crown Award -  50 points

●   BPE3 Crown Award - 100 points

●   BPE4 Crown Award - 200 points

●   BPE5 Crown Award - 300 points

●   acceptances are valid only from the date an exhibition becomes affiliated. These are:

●   Ashfield 1993;

●   Bromsgrove 1993;

●   Clay Cross 1991;

●   Cotswold 1998;

●   Dingwall 1991;

●   Guernsey 1993;

●   Leicester Forest 1991;

●   Rushden 1991;

●   Shrewsbury 1995;

●   Solihull 1991;

●   Southport 1991;

●   Vale of Evesham 1999, and

●   Wirral 1998.

●   no time limits apply to the acquisition of the points for a crown award; and

●   applicants do not have to have gain awards or commendations to qualify for the crown awards.

Exhibitors who wish to apply for a crown award should, having gained the required acceptances, apply to the BPE Awards Officer using the appropriate application form. Awards are granted only after confirmation that the required number of points has been accumulated. Results cards may be submitted as evidence where catalogues for recent exhibitions have not been issued. Successful applicants receive a certificate and a ribbon and, where a five-crown award has been gained, details of the associateship.