Austin Bradley Wins AOP 2026 Emerging Talent Gold for Glacier Highline Project
At the AOP's 2026 Emerging Talent Awards, Austin Bradley received the gold award for his project titled 57 Metres: Iceland's Shrinking Glacier. The AOP, a photography organization based in the U.K., recognizes photographers with less than three years of experience. To capture the glacier's yearly retreat caused by rising temperatures, Bradley set up a 57-meter highline across Sólheimajökull Glacier, working alongside highliners, a film crew, and a glaciologist. Ritchie Elder earned the silver award for Saturday School, which portrays the last day at the Ukrainian Saturday School at Leith Academy, aiding displaced Ukrainian children in learning about their heritage. Other honorees included Amaan Ali, Leela Ramsay, Nikki Stirton, Kadeen Brown, Tee Waite, Won Jang, and Caroline Lacoma. Bradley's work will be showcased in London from October 19 to 25.
Key facts
- Austin Bradley won the gold award at the AOP's 2026 Emerging Talent Awards for 57 Metres: Iceland's Shrinking Glacier.
- The AOP is a U.K.-based photography association; the Emerging Talent Awards are open to photographers practising for less than three years.
- Bradley rigged a 57-meter-high (187 feet) highline across Iceland's Sólheimajökull Glacier, representing roughly the glacier's annual retreat.
- The project involved highliners, a small film crew, and a glaciologist, and will form the basis of a forthcoming documentary.
- Ritchie Elder won silver for Saturday School, documenting the final day of term at the Ukrainian Saturday School at Leith Academy.
- The Ukrainian Saturday School, established more than three years ago, is the first of its kind in Scotland and supports Ukrainian children displaced by the war.
- Elder's series is part of a wider documentary project with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.
- Bradley's winning images will be exhibited from October 19 to 25 on selected billboards in London.
Entities
Artists
- Austin Bradley
- Ritchie Elder
- Amaan Ali
- Leela Ramsay
- Nikki Stirton
- Kadeen Brown
- Tee Waite
- Won Jang
- Caroline Lacoma
Institutions
- Association of Photographers
- Ukrainian Saturday School
- Leith Academy
- Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
Locations
- Iceland
- Sólheimajökull Glacier
- Scotland
- London
- United Kingdom