The natural world is full of extraordinary moments, but capturing them on camera takes a special combination of patience, skill, and sometimes a little luck. Every year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organized by London's Natural History Museum, celebrates photographers who manage to do exactly that. The winners of the 2026 edition have now been revealed, showcasing everything from fascinating animal behaviors to powerful reminders of the challenges wildlife faces. This year's competition, now in its 62nd edition, attracted a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories. The 2026 winning photographs will also be featured in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, opening on October 16, 2026, and running until July 11, 2027. Visitors can explore 100 awarded images, each offering its own perspective on the natural world. The exhibition will also travel across the UK and internationally, allowing more people to experience these extraordinary photographs.
Taking the top honor this year is Italian photographer Federico Veronesi, whose heartbreaking black-and-white photograph, “The Aftermath,” captures an elephant carrying a deceased calf in Namibia. Meanwhile, the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year went to Oscar Whitfield, a young British photographer living in Zimbabwe, for his striking image of a dung beetle pushing its cargo across the dusty ground. Interestingly, this marks the first time in the competition's history that both overall winning photographs have been captured in black and white.
We've gathered a selection of this year's incredible winning photographs below, and they're definitely worth a closer look. Scroll down to discover the extraordinary moments these talented photographers managed to capture, and don't forget to upvote your favorites! We'd also love to hear which image impressed you the most, so let us know in the comments.
