Northampton girl’s heart-shaped sleeping kittens image wins prize in RSPCA Young Photographer Awards

‘Sleeping Heart’ - a photograph of two kittens cuddling in the shape of a heart - taken by 12-year-old Katherine Walton, from Northampton, has been awarded a runner-up prize in the 12-15 Mobile phone and devices category of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2020.

The winners of these awards were announced during an online ceremony that took place on Thursday December 17. The awards saw a number of poignant, striking and funny pictures of animals judged by a panel of experts in wildlife photography for the thirteenth year of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards.

Katherine’s entry was picked from a record number of 11,000 entries this year. She said: “This was taken 3 days after the kittens arrived with us. I’m so happy that the judges liked my photo so much.”

Hosting and judging this year’s awards was photographer, TV Presenter and RSPCA Vice President, Chris Packham. Alongside him was award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker and BBC drone pilot Sam Rowley, former competition winner Catriona Parfitt, professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide Ellie Rothnie, nature photographer Julian Cox and the RSPCA’s multimedia manager Andrew Forsyth and senior photographer Emma Jacobs.

Chris Packham said: “The quality of entries this year as the competition celebrates its 30th anniversary has been astounding. We felt that the lockdown ironically worked in all the young photographers favour; they really did enter fantastic pictures.

“I’ve been judging the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards since they started. It’s exciting to have seen it move with the times, with new options regularly being introduced. This year we introduced a new category called Small World. We didn’t want our young photographers to feel limited by lockdown, so we devised this to inspire them to record what was close to home. We needn’t have worried though, as lockdown saw our entrants’ creativity and imagination soar.

“We’re also pleased that the Mobile Phone and Devices category continues, because as no separate camera is required, this has really opened up the competition to almost anyone.

The entries were judged across nine categories, including three different age groups and an INstagram category. The overall winner was chosen for each category by the panel of judges.

A selection of photos from this year’s Mobile Phone and Decides and Picture Perfect Pets will be put to the public vote in Spring 2021 to decide the People’s Choice Award.

Chris Packham added: “The RSPCA Young Photographer Awards is a true celebration of the animal kingdom and one I feel honoured to be involved with.

“Every person shortlisted should be proud of their contribution to a world that’s kinder to all animals.”

Visit the RSPCA website for a full gallery of the winning photographs.