History of the prize
The award was endowed by Sir Frederic Kenyon (1863–1952), elected a Fellow in 1903 and serving in turn as the Academy’s sixth president and second secretary. The medal was awarded for the first time in 1957.
Eligibility
a) Eligible nominations can be for any scholar whose work relates to classical studies and archaeology.
How to nominate
Nominations for the Kenyon Medal are currently closed. Nominations will open again in December 2021.
2020 winner
Professor Dame Averil Cameron FBA, for her lifetime contribution to the study of Byzantine history.
Averil Cameron was a classicist at Somerville (1958-62) and then taught classics, ancient history and later Byzantine studies at King’s College London, where she played a central part in the discovery of late antiquity as a historical field and embraced the reception and historiography of Byzantium. She returned to Oxford as the Warden of Keble College until her retirement in 2010. Her former husband Alan Cameron was also awarded the Kenyon Medal in 2013 and was an important early influence along with Arnaldo Momigliano, with whom she studied in London. She is the current President of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies.
“For me doing history is about discovery and following one’s curiosity and Byzantium certainly provides plenty of opportunities.”
– Professor Dame Averil Cameron, July 2020
Previous winners
2019 Professor Peter Parsons FBA
2015 Nigel Wilson FBA
2013 Professor Alan Cameron FBA
2011 Emeritus Professor David Peacock
2009 Dr James Adams FBA
2007 Professor Sir Geoffrey Lloyd FBA
2005 Professor Fergus Millar FBA
2003 Professor John Nicolas Coldstream FBA
2002 Dr Martin Litchfield West FBA