Professor Francis Hodgson has been recognised for his “major achievement in the field of photographic criticism”.
Professor Hodgson, former photography critic for the Financial Times and former Head of Photographs at Sotheby’s, said: “I'm very proud even to have been considered for the award, since the previous winners are a stellar list of UK writers and curators on photography.
“It is the only major award specific to my very particular field, and it had never occurred to me that I might be thought a proper recipient.”
The RPS is one of the oldest photographic societies in the world and its awards are recognised across all photographic communities.
Professor Hodgson, co-founder of the leading photographic prize, the Prix Pictet, is an internationally-recognised critical writer on photography. He has published monograph texts on photography, has lectured to academic and scholarly audiences, and to the business community and those involved in collecting photographic prints.
Appointed professor at Brighton in 2013, Professor Hodgson has been the chairman of judges on the Sony World Photography Awards, judged the Jerwood Awards, the Design and Art Direction awards, British Journal of Photography Awards and the Association of Photographers awards.