Wildlife Photographer of the Year reveals sneak peek of exceptional photographs from record-breaking year of competition entries

The world’s leading wildlife photography competition, the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year, kickstarts its 62nd year with a sneak peek of its 100 winning images for 2026. The full set will be showcased in an exhibition at the Museum in London from Friday 16 October 2026.

The exhibition will spotlight inspiring and powerful images of our natural world, selected from a record-breaking over 65,000 entries and judged anonymously on their creativity, originality, technical excellence and the often-powerful stories they tell by an international panel of expert judges across wildlife photography, filmmaking, science and conservation.

The newly released images include an inquisitive polar bear gazing down a seal’s breathing hole in the Arctic sea ice by photographer Audun Rikardsen, and the beautifully intertwined lives of a rhino and an oxpecker by Ernest Porter, showing the bird as it cleans its bill against the rhino’s skin in the soft afternoon light. Other released images include young photographer Jack Crockford’s swift silhouetted against an incoming plane to Heathrow Airport, London, and Allegra Hutton’s shot of a young leopard chasing a squirrel up a tree in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on Tuesday 13 October 2026 at a ceremony hosted at the Natural History Museum by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. The ceremony will be available to watch live on the Natural History Museum’s YouTube channel.

Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, says: “Every year I think the entries to our competition can’t get any stronger... and every year I am proven wrong! Selected from a record-breaking 65,403 images, this preview presents just a small insight into the 100 incredible images in store for visitors to our exhibition in October. These images pave the way for a deepened appreciation and commitment to our natural world."

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, says: “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. 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.”

The exhibition will also continue to help visitors understand how our planet’s habitats are changing by providing insight into the Natural History Museum’s groundbreaking metric, the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII). BII measures how much of a region’s natural biodiversity remains on a scale of 0 to 100%. Adopted as an official Global Framework Biodiversity indicator for decision-making, it is an essential tool for understanding, monitoring and communicating biodiversity changes on a global scale and tracking international progress towards conservation goals.

Our Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is supported by Lead Corporate Sponsor, Nuveen.

Bill Huffman, CEO, Nuveen, says:“We’re delighted to celebrate the remarkable vision and creativity of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year entrants. Each entry shares a unique perspective and challenges us to consider powerful themes, including the bonds between nature and humanity. We are equally proud to continue our partnership with The Natural History Museum, a renowned British institution whose work has inspired generations to deepen their understanding of the living world and their place within it. Together, we honour the power of storytelling to spark curiosity, inspire stewardship, and foster a greater appreciation for the planet we all share.”

Tickets are on sale now for the sixty-second edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year which launches at the Natural History Museum on Friday 16 October 2026 and runs until Sunday 11 July 2027. The exhibition will also embark on a UK and international tour to inspire millions to appreciate and conserve the natural world.

Images and Media Contact
Please contact Laura Gosney, Communications Manager, at wildpress@nhm.ac.uk

Exhibition at Natural History Museum, London

• Opens Friday 16 October 2026 and closes Sunday 11 July 2027
• Tickets on sale: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year
• Adult tickets from £19.00*, concession tickets £15.20*, and child tickets £9.50*. Off-peak adult tickets from £17.00, off-peak concession ticket £13.60, and off- peak child ticket £8.50 (*Prices excluding optional Gift Aid donation to the Museum)
• The exhibition is open Monday – Sunday, 10.00-17.50 (last admission at 16.30), and weekends sell out quickly
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 36, edited by Keith Wilson and with a foreword by Kathy Moran, will be published on 14 October 2026, RRP £28

Social Media
If using our images on social media, please use the following tags:

• Instagram: @nhm_wpy
• Facebook: /WildlifePhotographerOfTheYear
• #WPY62

Our Next Competition

• Opens for entries at 11.30am GMT on Monday 19 October 2026
• Closes for entries at 11.30am GMT on Thursday 3 December 2026
• Entrants to the adult competition may enter up to 25 images for a £35 fee
• Entrants aged 18-26 and under may enter up to 25 images for free, and entrants aged 17 and under may enter up to 10 images for free. Entrants from 114 countries across Africa, Southeast Asia and South America can also enter for free (please find the full list in the link below)
• Find out how to enter: www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition

About Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Now in its sixty-first year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the Natural History Museum, London’s, global platform for the world’s best nature photography and wildlife photojournalism. Our annual competition, receiving over 65,000 entries, is open to photographers of all ages, nationalities and experience levels. With our touring exhibition and outreach activities engaging millions around the globe every year, we invite ever more people to celebrate and advocate for the natural world.

About the Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum is a world-leading scientific research centre and the UK's number one visitor attraction.

We are welcoming more than 7 million people to our blockbuster exhibitions, galleries and gardens and our 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency - from reversing biodiversity loss to resourcing the green economy.

With over 80 million specimens, spanning 4.5 billion years, the breadth and depth of the Museum’s collection make it the most important of its kind in the world.

Through our NHM150 campaign, we are raising an additional £150 million to transform our iconic building and meet our mission of creating over 100 million advocates for the planet by 2031 – the Museum’s 150th anniversary.

About Nuveen

Nuveen is a global investment leader, managing $1.4T¹ in public and private assets for clients around the world, as of June 30, 2026. With broad expertise across income and alternatives, we invest in the growth of businesses, real estate, infrastructure, and natural capital, providing clients with the reliability, access, and foresight unique to our 125+ year heritage. Our prevailing perspective on the future drives our ambition to innovate and adapt our business to the changing needs of investors — all to pursue lasting performance for our clients, our communities, and our global economy.