Camelot UK Lotteries, the licensed operator of The National Lottery is the headline partner for Brilliantly British. It will benefit from branded collateral around the editorial content for the duration of the 14 day Express editorial and marketing initiative.
The campaign will start with a search for the Brilliantly British Photograph, a competition to find a positive image that captures a modern, inclusive Britain in 2020.
The winning photograph will be displayed in the V&A and printed in the Daily Express and eight regional titles, including the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Birmingham Mail. The winning photographer will win the latest iPhone 12 Pro.
The Brilliantly British Photograph is open to amateur photographers up and down the country. Entries can be shot on anything from a camera phone to the latest Canon.
The judging panel includes:
- Actress and fashion icon Twiggy
- V&A Director Tristram Hunt
- The Young Vic’s Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah
- Star of stage and screen Shobna Gulati
- Award-winning Fleet Street photographer Mike Moore
- Daily Express Editor Gary Jones
- Express Digital Arts Editor Stefan Kyriazis.
Shane Davison, Marketing Director for Reach national titles said, “Brilliantly British is a positive and modern collaboration between The Express, commercial partners and the arts supporting our readers and businesses, which is crucial now more than ever.”
Express Editor-in-Chief Gary Jones said: "Let’s celebrate and support a modern Britain. We’re delighted to be working with Camelot as well as launching a search for the Brilliantly British Photograph. The very best photographs bring an intense emotional reaction - and that's what we're hoping the winning Brilliantly British image will successfully convey.”
Nigel Railton Chief Executive at Camelot said, "At Camelot, we have the privilege of looking after a British institution, the National Lottery. That’s why at this time of national crisis, I’m proud to support the Brilliantly British campaign which is designed to get us all pulling together, buying British products and supporting British retailers and manufacturers. Let’s make 2021 the year of the fight back."
Lead judge Twiggy said: "I have been involved with the arts all my adult life, both on camera and behind it, and have worked with some of the greatest photographers in the world. After a year like 2020, we need art more than ever, it offers hope, and gives a voice to those who need one most. When the Express asked me to be a judge on the Brilliantly British Photography panel, I was thrilled to be involved.”
Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A said: “The V&A cares for one of the most important photography collections in the world, and we have been conserving and interpreting photography since 1852. We are delighted to be showcasing the winning Brilliantly British Photograph, and to be celebrating the creativity and hope that photography and the arts can offer our diverse British culture in 2020.”
Director of the Young Vic, Kwame Kwei-Armah said: “I wanted to be part of this Brilliantly British photography campaign because, although 2020 will go down as a very hard year for many of us, what it did show is that diverse Britain stood up and stood together. We united in a powerful way. This was particularly evident during the summer of social injustice, when people came together to say things must change. That was the highlight of 2020. And I hope the photographs submitted will capture this sense of togetherness and unity in a way that words cannot. I look forward to helping find that positivity through the lens of a brilliant photographic artist.”
Actor Shobna Gulati said: "I'm excited to be judging the winning Brilliantly British Photograph. Art makes it possible to reflect upon and escape the sometimes harsh realities of life. It can create an opportunity to find beauty and solace. I will be looking for an image that represents this and our brilliant diverse nation. After a year like 2020, I think we all need to escape, even momentarily."
Award winning photographer Mike Moore said: “I worked in Fleet Street for more than 30 years, so I know the power of a good photograph. I’ll be looking for a picture that leaps out, and reflects our lives in a multicultural modern Britain. Perhaps it will make us smile, but it’ll most certainly make us think."
The competition launches on 2 December 2020 and entries close on 2 January 2021. A winner will be announced on 15 January 2021, with the photograph displayed in the V&A the following week, alongside some of the biggest names in photography.
