“Icy Window” by Audun Rikardsen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animal Portraits
Audun Rikardsen (Norway) depicts a polar bear from a seal’s perspective as it gazes down a breathing hole in the Arctic sea ice.
A polar bear peers through a looking glass (aka Arctic sea ice) while a butterfly narrowly escapes the sticky tongue of an African bullfrog. These are just two of the incredible images that are finalists in the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. The prestigious photo contest has given us a sneak peek at its 100 winning images to kickstart its 62nd year. The full array will be on view at the London-based institution beginning Friday, October 16, 2026, where the category winners, Grand Title, and Young Grand Title awards will also be announced.
This year’s competition saw a record-breaking number of entries. Over 65,000 photos were submitted, showcasing the beauty, ferocity, and unforgiving nature of our world. Judges evaluated images anonymously for creativity, originality, technical skill, and storytelling.
The selection of winning photographs shows that there’s fierce competition for the top prizes. One compelling image highlights the symbiotic relationships in the wild world. Photographer Ernest Porter captured a rhino and oxpecker, showing how the bird cleans its bill against the rhino’s skin. Another image emphasizes the realities of predator and prey, as shot by Allegra Hutton. Her dramatic Highly Commended photo depicts a young leopard chasing a squirrel up a tree in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. In each image, it’s clear there’s so much to learn from our natural world and why we should always work to protect it.
“Through a collection of truly extraordinary images, selected from a global reach of 121 countries and territories, this exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to experience the wonder of our planet through the eyes of some of the world’s most talented photographers,” remarks Dr. Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum. “At a time when nature is under more pressure than ever before, these photographs remind us of both what is at stake and what is worth protecting. It will be impossible to leave without feeling a renewed sense of wonder for our incredible planet.”
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The exhibition of the 2026 winning images will be on view at the museum through Sunday, July 11, 2027. Visit the website to learn more and get your tickets.
The prestigious Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 has given us a sneak peek at its 100 winning images to kickstart its 62nd year.
“Split-Second Escape” by Jens Cullmann / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles
Jens Cullmann (Germany) gets eye-level with an African bullfrog as it lunges for an African babul butterfly—and misses.
The full array will be on view at the London-based institution beginning Friday, October 16, 2026.
“Mutual Friends” by Ernest Porter / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Birds
Ernest Porter (South Africa) is delighted by an oxpecker cleaning its bill against a rhino’s skin in the soft afternoon light.
The category winners, Grand Title, and Young Grand Title awards will also be announced.
“Biting Back” by Andrea and Maceo Grammatico / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animal Portraits
Andrea and Maceo Grammatico (France) get a snake’s-eye view of a mosquito drinking a venomous viper’s blood.
“Flock of Gold” by Bence Máté / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Birds
Bence Máté (Hungary) observes a flock of birds descend to quench their thirst at a small pond.
“Calm Amid the Storm” by Shane Gross / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture
Shane Gross (Canada) slowly approaches a school of bigeye trevally as the morning light breaks and a storm approaches.
“Urban Wanderer” by Sora Miyazawa / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, 11-14 Years
Sora Miyazawa (Japan) focuses on an Eastern Japanese toad as it wanders through the street after a rainfall.
“Ocean Protector” by Ralph Pace / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture
Ralph Pace (USA) glimpses a sea hare gliding through an eelgrass meadow in Monterey Bay.
“Lifted to the Surface” by Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen (Norway) watches an adult orca supporting the body of a calf in the freezing waters of a Norwegian fjord.
“The Art of Flying” by Jack Crockford / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, 15–17 Years
Jack Crockford (UK) watches as a low-flying swift passes by, its shape echoed by an incoming plane to Heathrow Airport.
“Pooltime Pastime” by Loren Elliott / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Urban Wildlife
Loren Elliott (USA) observes a black bear stopping for a dip in a Southern California pool.
“Eye of the Storm” by Dewald Tromp / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animals in their Environment
Dewald Tromp (South Africa) witnesses a chameleon battling a sandstorm in the Namib Desert.
“Hidden Dragon” by Gil Wizen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Invertebrates
Gil Wizen (Israel/Canada) shares the beauty of this lichen dragon katydid.
“The Show Goes On” by Pietro Rojas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Photojournalism
Pietro Rojas (Guatemala) documents a brown bear riding a small motorcycle, muzzled and secured to the apparatus as it circles a circus ring in Doha.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
“Wings of Darkness” by Andrew Parkinson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animal Portraits
Andrew Parkinson (UK) spies a black vulture over the carcass of a yacaré caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands.
The exhibition of the 2026 winning images will be on view at the museum through Sunday, July 11, 2027.
“Up a Tree without a Squirrel” by Allegra Hutton / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
Allegra Hutton (USA) watches a young leopard chase a squirrel up a tree in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
