Awards

The David Linton Award is given to a geomorphologist who has made a leading contribution to the discipline over a sustained period. The winner will receive a Medal and is invited to present the Linton Lecture, which is one of the central elements of the BSG Annual General Meeting.

Nominations are drawn together for the selection process in January each year and should be submitted by the end of December of the preceding year. In the nomination form you need to include the details of nominee (name, email and institution), a section outlining their key contributions and a statement of nomination (maximum 2000 characters).

Applications are assessed  and ranked independently by the members of the Research sub-committee and  then collectively discussed in the February/March sub-committee meeting to decide which nominations are to be awarded. These are then taken to the Executive Committee for ratification.

Strong applications clearly demonstrate the sustained impact of the applicant on the geomorphological community; this can be based on publications, the enhancement of knowledge, policy or wider outreach activities and/or mentoring and development. Each  application is judged on their individual merit within  the field.

Unsuccessful nominations will be carried forward for a maximum of two further years, if (i) the Research Committee deems them to be of a sufficiently high calibre to be competitive in future years and (ii) the nominee remains eligible for the Award.

Professor Stuart Lane

Citation: Professor Stuart Lane is an outstanding scholar who has had a substantial and sustained impact on the geomorphological community and made fundamental contributions to understanding of river form and process. His highly cited work has been enormously influential, in fields including gravel-bed braided rivers, flood modelling and natural flood management, river restoration, fluvial remote sensing, coupled glacial-fluvial systems and knowledge co-production. He has consistently been at the forefront of novel ways of answering geomorphological questions using innovative applications of field measurements, remote sensing techniques, and numerical modelling to pioneer new approaches in geomorphology. His work in braided rivers exemplifies his steadily evolving scholarship. Professor Lane initially focused on the quantitative interactions among hydraulics, sediment dynamics, and channel morphology, making highly detailed predictions of erosional and depositional volumes (work which has nearly 800 citations) to more recent work on the critical impacts caused by human-induced and climate warming on aquatic ecology, flow and sediment regimes in Alpine braided rivers. Stuart’s contributions to geomorphic scholarship, supporting and mentoring early career researchers and the dissemination of this scholarship are best exemplified through his dedication to the Editorship of Earth Surface Processes & Landforms (ESPL) since 2008 and Editor-in-Chief of WIREs Water, 2012-2021. Under his leadership, ESPL has been a flagship international journal in Geomorphology, and he has directly helped to shape constructively the work of many of our community. As part of this role he has diversified the editorial advisory board, guided the journal through the ongoing transition to open access, and led innovative initiatives to address challenges associated with GenAI. In short Professor Lane has made a stellar contribution to the discipline and is a model recipient of the Linton Award.

• David Thomas (2025)
• Sanjeev Gupta (2024)
• Colin Woodroffe (2023)
• Andrew Brook (2022)
• Lynne Frostick (2021)
• Ellen Wohl (2020)
• Tavi Murray (2019)
• Herve Piegay (2018)
• Tim Burt (2017)
• Jean Poesen (2016)
• Keith Richards (2015)
• Jonathan Phillips (2014)
• Gerald Nanson (2013)
• Angela Gurnell (2012)
• John Lewin (2011)
• Adrian Harvey (2010)
• Andrew Goudie (2009)
• Tom Dunne (2008)
• Des Walling (2007)
• Bill Dietrich (2006)
• Rob Ferguson (2005)
• David Sugden (2004)
• Olav Slaymaker (2003)
• Athol Abrahams (2002)
• Michael Thomas (2001)
• William Graf (2000)
• Ken Gregory (1999)
• John Thornes (1998)
• Asher Schick (1997)
• Michael Church (1996)
• Vic Baker (1995)
• M. Gordon Wolman (1994)
• Denys Brunsden (1993)
• Frank Oldfield (1992)
• C.A.M. King (1991)
• George H. Dury (1990)
• Mike Kirkby (1989)
• E.H. Brown (1988)
• J De Ploey (1987)
• Luna B. Leopold (1986)
• Leszek Starkel (1985)
• R.J. Chorley (1984)
• J.R.L. Allen (1983)
• Stanley Schumm (1982)
• R.A. Bagnold (1981)

The Gordon Warwick Award is made annually for excellence in geomorphological research by someone within 15 years of being awarded their doctorate (i.e. time since graduation). The winner will receive a Medal and is invited to present the Gordon Warwick Lecture, which is one of the central elements of the BSG Annual General Meeting.

Nominations are drawn together for the selection process in January each year and should be submitted by the end of December of the preceding year. In the nomination form you need to include the details of nominee (name, month/year PhD awarded, email and institution), a section outlining their key publications and a statement of nomination (maximum 2000 characters).

Applications are assessed  and ranked independently by the members of the Research sub-committee and  then collectively discussed in the February/March sub-committee meeting to decide which nominations are to be awarded. These are then taken to the Executive Committee for ratification.

Strong applications clearly demonstrate the impact of the applicant on geomorphological research; this is through both high quality publications and developing understanding in their field of geomorphology. Consideration may also be given to the nominees wider external esteem (such as contribution to expert panels and policy, editor roles, mentorship etc.)..

Unsuccessful nominations will be carried forward for a maximum of two further years, if (i) the Research Committee deems them to be of a sufficiently high calibre to be competitive in future years and (ii) the nominee remains eligible for the Award.

Dr Martin Hurst

Citation: Dr Martin Hurst obtained his PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2012 on the topic of hillslope geomorphology and landscape evolution. He then worked as a Research Scientist for the BGS in coastal geomorphology before taking up his current position in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow in 2016. Dr Hurst has made outstanding contributions in two quite different geomorphological fields, advancing understanding of both coastal processes and hillslope evolution. His innovative research combines modelling, cosmogenic radionuclide dating, and field-based approaches to quantify long-term erosion rates and predict future coastal change. During his PhD he published several seminal papers pioneering the use of hilltop curvature as a proxy for erosion rates, and showed how hilltop curvature records tectonic signatures (published in Science and ESPL). Although previously theorised, Dr Hurst was the first to demonstrate this with a combination of theory and field evidence. His innovative work on cliff retreat across global settings (published in PNAS and Nature Communications), revealed that rocky coasts are far more sensitive to sea-level rise than previously thought, transforming global perspectives on coastal vulnerability. To understand these relationships Dr Hurst developed new theoretical and numerical models using cosmogenic nuclides to calculate coastal retreat rates. Dr Hurst’s work has played a leading role in making predictions about landscape change on human-relevant timescales, which informs national policy and adaptation planning, including Scotland’s National Coastal Change Assessment and Scotland’s National Planning Framework. As Associate Editor of the Scottish Geographical Journal, Dr Hurst is a strong advocate for promoting Geomorphology in Scotland. In recognition of his research excellence, policy impact, and commitment to bridging science and practice, Dr Hurst is a highly deserving recipient of the Gordon Warwick Award.

• Lisa Mol (2025)
• Georgina King (2024)
• Louise Slater (2023)
• Rebecca Hodge (2022)
• Bethan Davies (2021)
• Joe Wheaton (2020)
• Walter Bertoldi (2019)
• Larissa Naylor (2018)
• Martin Austin (2017)
• Doug Jerolmack (2016)
• Kirstie Fryirs (2015)
• Simon Mudd (2014)
• Chris Stokes (2013)
• Dimitri Lague (2012)
• Joe Holden (2011)
• Dan Parsons (2010)
• Ian Candy (2009)
• Kristof Van Oost (2008)
• Niels Hovius (2007)
• Tom Coulthard (2006)
• Stephen Tooth (2005)
• Jo Bullard (2004)
• David Nash (2003)
• Andrew Nicholas (2002)
• David Higgitt (2001)
• Tavi Murray (2000)
• John Wainwright (1999)
• J.J. McDonell (1998)
• Tim Quine (1997)
• Gerard Govers (1996)
• J.R. French (1995)
• J Best (1994)
• Mark Macklin (1993)
• John Dearing (1992)
• Kenneth Pye (1991)
• M. Sharp (1990)
• J.S. Walder (1988)
• Colin Ballantyne (1987)
• Bill Dietrich (1986)

The Lynne Frostick award is made annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in geomorphology outreach, education and engagement over a sustained period. The winner will receive the Medal and be invited to give their award lecture at the annual conference. 

Geomorphology outreach, education and engagement are considered the processes of extending intellectual expertise, knowledge, skills and resources that engage and widen the public understanding of geomorphology through any of the following aspects:
 

1. The scientific nature of geomorphology – it’s history, approaches, methods and findings; 
2. its application to the key issues facing the world; 
3. an appreciation of the beauty, fragility and robust nature of geomorphological features and processes;
4. its contribution to developing a stronger sense of wellbeing and an affinity to the natural world; 
5. its role in developing a respect for the physical environment and the role of humanity towards responsible stewardship of the Earth and the processes that drive the shaping of the planet. 

Strong statements will clearly demonstrate the impact of the nominee on the public understanding of geomorphology outside academia, including, but not limited to, through non-academic publications and/or digital resources or media, public events or exhibitions, traditional or social media contributions, primary or secondary education, industry and public policy, the arts or any other appropriate outreach channel. They may also have contributed to making geomorphology more accessible and inclusive to traditionally hard-to-reach or under-represented groups.  

Dr Chris Skinner

Citation: Dr Chris Skinner is recognised for excellence in geomorphology outreach. For over a decade Chris has been dedicated to innovative outreach work. He is inexhaustible in his creativity, passion and energy for public engagement and education of geomorphological topics with many varied contributions and research publications on the topic. Chris is a pioneer of Serious Games. The Flash Flood! serious game uses real geomorphology survey data to simulate the events and impact of a flood event in a simulated video. This VR game was shown to increase both an interest in flooding and geomorphology. In addition, Chris has hosted the Geoscience Games Night at EGU since 2018,encouraging researchers to play, develop and share geoscience-themed games. Chris doesn’t just do the outreach, he is also a passionate science communication educator and facilitator. Earth Arcade was a project that helped other researchers develop their own games, activities and exhibits, spanning a 4-year period. Earth Arcade was fixture at countless local and national science festivals. But, it also featured in countless music and culture festivals – bringing science (and geomorphology) to people where they least expect it. In recent years Chris has led sessions for early career researchers, teaching them about effective and engaging outreach. For example, Chris has been running Play you PhD workshops for the Flood CDT, helping new cohorts of geomorphology researchers unlock new ways to communicate their research. It is hard to think of a more worthy recipient of the inaugural Lynne Frostick Award.

One of Dick Chorley’s lasting contributions to geomorphology lies in the post-graduate students whom he inspired and guided at the start of their academic careers. Many have gone on to academic careers themselves, and include several of the leading figures in British geomorphology. In recognition of Dick’s commitment to serving the future of the discipline, the BSG has decided to honour his memory by creating the Dick Chorley Medal and Prize (£500) for Postgraduate Research.

The award is made for a published paper based on PhD research, where the nominee is expected to be the first author. Nominees should be within 4 years of their PhD award at the time of nomination. The winner will receive a Medal and is invited to present the Dick Chorley Lecture, which is one of the central elements of the BSG Annual General Meeting.

Nominations are drawn together for the selection process in January each year and should be submitted by the end of December of the preceding year. In the nomination form you need to include the details of nominee (name, month/year of PhD, email and institution PhD was awarded at), details of the nominated publication (included a PDF copy to upload) and a statement of nomination (maximum 2000 characters).

Applications are assessed  and ranked independently by the members of the Research sub-committee and  then collectively discussed in the February/March sub-committee meeting to decide which nominations are to be awarded. These are then taken to the Executive Committee for ratification.

Strong applications clearly demonstrate the geomorphological significance of the nominated paper; the nominee must be the first author of the publication and where there is evidence of the nominee showing research independence and clear leadership of the research will be viewed favourably.

Unsuccessful nominations will be carried forward for a maximum of two further years, if (i) the Research Committee deems them to be of a sufficiently high calibre to be competitive in future years and (ii) the nominee remains eligible for the Award.

Awarded to the paper by Dr Yuval Shmilovitz:

Shmilovitz, Y., Tucker, G. E., Rossi, M. W., Morin, E., Armon, M., Pederson, J.,Campforts, B., Haviv, I., & Enzel, Y. (2024). Impacts of rainstorm intensity and temporal pattern on caprock cliff persistence and hillslope morphology in drylands. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 129(2),e2023JF007478, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007478

Citation: The paper “Impacts of rainstorm intensity and temporal pattern on caprock cliff persistence and hillslope morphology in drylands” led by Yuval Shmilovitz is an excellent piece of novel research addressing a long-standing geomorphological problem and as such is highly deserving of the BSG Dick Chorley Award. Based on PhD research, the paper examines the long-term dynamics of desert escarpments. Combining rigorous data analysis with novel model simulations, Shmilovitz and co-authors have demonstrated that escarpment morphology and evolution are sensitive to changes in the frequency and magnitude of rare, intense storms, even when overall mean precipitation does not vary. By making connections between rainfall, process mechanics, and landforms, this contribution represents a major step forward in understanding landscape evolution in dryland environments. A key aspect of this work is the careful integration of data on rainfall, topography, and sediments to document the relationship between rainfall and terrain along a lithologically-uniform escarpment in the Negev Desert. This quantitative understanding of how spatial variations in rainfall are linked to variations in topography and erosion rate provided the basis to develop a novel numerical model of cliff evolution which captures both the hydrodynamics and sediment transport of brief, intense rainstorms, while integrating landscape changes over millennia. The rigorous approach, new insights, and the significant contribution to geomorphology make this paper led by Dr Yuval Shmilovitz a work that is highly deserving of recognition.

• Sophie Horton (2025)
• Anya Leeman (2024)
• Carmine Donatelli (2023)
• Zacchary Larkin (2022)
• Alvise Finotello (2021)
• Duna Roda-Boulda (2020)
• Nico Batz (2019)
• Edwin Baynes (2018)
• Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva (2017)
• Jeremy Ely (2016)
• Michelle Johnson (2015)
• Ann Rowan (2014)
• Victoria Milner (2013)
• Elisa Vignaga (2012)
• Ian Thrasher (2010)
• Tibi Codilean (2009)
• Alex Whittaker (2008)
• Keith Richardson (2007)

The Mike Kirkby award is given to the best paper published in the BSG’s Journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (ESPL), as decided by the ESPL editorial board. The paper is selected from the volume of the journal for the year previous to the Award.

Awarded to the paper by Christian Erikson Carl Renshaw and Francis Magilligan:
Erikson, C.M., Renshaw, C.E. & Magilligan, F.J. (2025) Finer grained sediment pulses decrease variability in entrainment thresholds of bed material. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 50(11), e70149. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.70149

Citation: The 2025 Michael J. Kirkby award for the best paper published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms for 2025 is made to Christian Erikson Carl Renshaw and Francis Magilligan for a paper entitled Finer grained sediment pulses decrease variability in entrainment thresholds of bed material. The paper addresses a classic question; how the incursion of finer sediment into a stream bed modifies river bed shear stress partitioning and hence sediment transport. What is unique about this paper is its use of a three-year natural rather than a short-term scaled laboratory experiment to address this process. Natural experiments likely represent a fuller range of the drivers and degrees of freedom of channel response. The results show that laboratory-findings do not transfer simply to a field case, due to high rates of sediment supply causing burial and the effects of tributary-derived coarse sediment. The paper stands out for its methodological rigour and its sophistication in interpretation and so clearly merits the 2026 Michael J. Kirkby Award.

• Wren Raming et al (2025)
• Alexander Neely and Roman DiBiase (2024)
• Edwin Baynes (2023)
• Rebekah Harries (2022)
• Olivia Steinemann et al (2021)
• Catriona Thompson (2020)
• Joanmarie Del Vecchio (2019)
• Bradley Johnson (2018)
• Stuart Grieve (2017)
• Herve Guillon (2016)
• Liran Goren (2015)
• Clifford Riebe and Darryl Granger (2014)
• Sebastian Doetteri (2013)
• Gary Parker (2012)
• Peter Haff (2011)
• Walter Bertoldi (2010)
• Richard Hindmarsh and Chris Stokes (2009)
• Paul Bishop (2008)

These awards are made upon recommendation by the BSG’s Journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (ESPL) Board as a tribute to Fiona Kirkby, who was the Assistant Editor of ESPL from 1978 to 2019. They recognise outstanding contribution to the journal by reviewers. ESPL is, of course, very fortunate to have an extremely large number of excellent reviewers. But, occasionally, we see reviewers who go the extra kilometre in supporting our authors in publishing the very best geomorphological research and want to recognise this.

This years award winners are:

• Russell Callahan, University of Connecticut, USA 

• Daniel Falaschi, Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA-CONICET) in Mendoza, Argentina

• Sean Gallen, Colorado State University, USA

• Taylor Johaneman, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

• Laura Krone, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium

• Elizabeth Orr, University of Edinburgh, UK

• Gilles Rixhon, Université de Strasbourg, France

• Fritz Schlunegger, University of Bern, Switzerland

2025:

• Xavier Bodin, Université de Savoie-Mont Blanc, France
• Theresa Frimberger, Technische Universität München, Germany
• Karen Gran, University of Minnesota Duluth, USA
• Ralf Hetzel, Universität Münster, Germany
• Lu Honghua, East China Normal University, China
• Anya Leenman, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
• Ivo Pink, Durham University, UK
• Julianne Scamardo, Utah State University, USA
• Monica Sund, Hydrology Department, Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Norway
• Fanny Ville, Universidad de Lleida, Spain

2024:

• Dr. Heinrich Bahlburg, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
• Dr. Constanza Carbonari, University of Florence, Italy
• Dr. Irene Delgado Fernandez, University of Cadiz, Spain
• Dr. Inci Guneralp, Texas A&M University, USA
• Dr. Harrison Martin, California Institute of Technology, USA
• Dr. Nicole Pietrasiak, University of Nevada, USA
• Dr. Charlotte Priddy, University of Aberdeen, UK

2023:

• Katy Burrows, Geosciences Environment Toulouse, France
• Rebecca Hodge, Durham University, UK
• Evan Miles, WSL, Switzerland
• Steffen Mischke, University of Iceland, Iceland
• Annette Patton, University of Oregon, USA
• Simon Stephenson, University of Oxford, UK
• Daniel White , Colorado State University, USA
• Vincent Godard, Aix-Marseille Université, France

2022:

• Dr. Rachel Bosch, Northern Kentucky University, USA
• Dr. Christine Fey, University of Natural Resources, Vienna, Austria
• Dr. Sarah Greenwood,Department of Geological Sciences, University of Stockholm, Sweden
• Dr. Guillaume Piton, INRAE, University of Grenoble, France
• Dr. Anne Sofie Søndergaard, Institute of Physics, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
• Dr. Wei Wang, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, China
• Dr. Laure Guerit,Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France
• Dr. John Mylroie, Mississippi State University, Geosciences, USA

2021: Jamie Woodward, University of Leeds

2020: Dr. Katie Whitbread, British Geological Survey

The Marjorie Sweeting Dissertation Prize is awarded annually for the best undergraduate geomorphological dissertation (no higher than Level 6) undertaken at a UK university.

The nomination deadline is September 30th every year.

Entries are invited for this annual competition. Applications are assessed by the BSG Outreach and Education sub-committee.

The award (£200 plus funded attendance at the BSG Annual Conference) is presented to the successful nominee at the Annual General Meeting.

Full details of the nomination criteria can be found here.

Awarded to Cameron Sanderson for their dissertation titled Incorporating Spatially Variable Erodibility into River-Inversion Analysis of Rock Uplift in Southern Turkey.

Cameron’s dissertation challenges long-held assumptions of constant erodibility within a river catchment. Using river-inversion analysis (χ (chi) transformation) the interpretation of rock uplift and channel elevation was critically evaluated. Field measurements of rock hardness (as a proxy for erodibility), in Southern Turkey, were incorporated into a χ-inversion of local rivers to test the influence of spatial variations in erodibility on river system evolution. The panel were particularly impressed by the sophisticated nature of the project. In particular, Cameron’s analysis rigorously combines field data, DEMs, and mathematical modelling. The resulting datasets, and interpretations, have implications far beyond the study region. The findings will help other geomorphologists to critically evaluate local erodibility and have the potential to help reduce the offsets between predicted and observed channel elevation changes. A stand-out dissertation that truly pushes the boundaries of geomorphology.

• Sophie Snowball (2025)
• Athena Eftychiou (2024)
• Tamsin Carpenter (2023)
• Tom Cockbain (2022)
• Jennelle Anderson (2021)
• Aaron Wyld (2020)
• Jessica Kitch (2019)
• Natasha Wallum (2018)
• Caitlin Curry (2017)
• James Cave (2016)
• Hannah Mallinson (2015)
• Benjamin Chandler (2014)
• Emma Washington (2013)
• Barnaby Bedford (2012)
• Chris Checkley (2011)
• Sophie Brown (2010)
• Alexander Lane (2009)
• Sally Tyldesley (2009)
• Ellen Flint (2008)
• Helen Miller (2008)

Bernie Smith’s enduring impact on geomorphology is evident through the post-graduate students he mentored and inspired. In tribute to Bernie’s dedication to fostering the discipline’s future, the BSG has chosen to commemorate his legacy by establishing the Bernie Smith Postgraduate Award linked to the BSG Annual General Meeting every year.

The Bernie Smith Postgraduate Awards are given to the best poster and talk by a postgraduate at the BSG Annual General Meeting.

The Bernie Smith Award winners from the 2026 BSG Annual General Meeting are:

Best talk: TBC at the upcoming annual meeting in Lincoln

Best poster: TBC at the upcoming annual meeting in Lincoln

2025:

Best talk: Matthew J. Morris (Imperial College London) – Seeing through Nature’s Complexity to Understand Landscape Evolution

Best poster: Jayesh Mukherjee (Aberystwyth University) – A thriving early-mid Holocene river? Emerging geochronological evidence from the Luni River floodout zone, northwestern India

2024:

Best talk: Adam Smith (University College London) – Discovery of lithospheric drip explains topographic rejuvenation of the Uinta Mountains, USA

Best poster: Zareena Khan (Queen Mary University of London) – Global signatures of life in landscapes: magnitude and coherence of animal geomorphic effects

We sadly don’t have records of the Bernie Smith Prize prior to 2024. If you are a previous winner or know someone who was, please get in touch with Emma, the Vice Chair for Research, (emma.shuttleworth@manchester.ac.uk) to share details.

Only members of the BSG can nominate a colleague for an award – not a member? Click here, and click ‘Register’ to join the society

All nominees must be in compliance with BSG Conflict of Interest policy outlined here.

Process for nomination:

1. On the BSG website go into “My Account” and you will see the  “Award Nominations” section listed on the left-hand panel.
2. Select this and it will show the Awards that are open for nomination.
3. You will be asked to supply details of the nominee (including their institution and email address) and a 2000 character statement of nomination – specific requirements for each award is detailed in the individual award categories.

The deadline for nominations is 31 December each year.