Winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Announced

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 winners have been announced, showcasing a range of stunning wildlife photography. James Lewin won in the Animals in Their Environment category for his image of a young bull elephant spraying a group of zebra in the Kenyan Chyulu Hills, using an infrared camera to soften the harsh light. Anton Sorokin received the award for Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles for capturing a California newt laying eggs while holding onto vegetation with another newt's egg clutch. Alex Visbal's photograph, which won in the Wetlands: The Bigger Picture category, documented the impact of industrial use and climate change on Utah's Great Salt Lake. Loren Elliott won the Photojournalist Story Award for his image of a coyote in Bernal Heights Park, San Francisco. Tony Wu's underwater photograph of Abbott’s moray eels during mating rituals earned him the Under Water category award. Kutub Uddin's work on slime molds won the Portfolio Award, while Francisco Negroni's photo of a dead puma in Argentine Patagonia received the Photojournalism award. Aaron Sanders captured a common octopus in southwest England, winning in the Animal Portraits category. Oscar Whitfield, at 14 years old, won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image of a dung beetle. Alex Lindbloom's photograph of a whale shark near a fishing platform won in the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category. Isak Pretorius's encounter with shoebill storks in a wetland earned him the Behavior: Birds award. Federico Veronesi's powerful image of an elephant carrying a dead calf won both the Behavior: Mammals category and the Overall Winner title for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026. Michał Michalski's photograph of birds in a field of sunflowers won in the Natural Artistry category. Lastly, Sitaram Raul captured a scorpion burrowing in the Thar Desert, winning in the Behavior: Invertebrates category. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, with captions provided by the photographers and organizers.