Summary
- The Natural History Museum has revealed the first Highly Commended images from the main Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition.
- A record 65,403 images were submitted from 121 countries and territories.
- The Grand Title and Young Grand Title winners will be announced on October 13.
- The exhibition of 100 selected images opens in London on October 16, 2026.
- This is the main competition, not People’s Choice
- A polar bear above the camera
- Biting Back
- Wings of Darkness
- Flock of Gold
- Mutual Friends
- Lifted to the Surface
- Up a Tree without a Squirrel
- Split-Second Escape
- Hidden Dragon
- Calm Amid the Storm
- Pooltime Pastime
- Ocean Protector
- The Show Goes On
- Eye of the Storm
- Urban Wanderer
- The Art of Flying
- When the winners will be announced
- What we think
- Frequently asked questions
The Natural History Museum has revealed the first Highly Commended images from the main Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, ahead of the winner announcement in October.
The 62nd edition received a record 65,403 images from 121 countries and territories. Entries were judged anonymously for creativity, originality, technical excellence and storytelling.
This is the main competition, not People’s Choice
The preview concerns the 100 selected images from the main competition, not the Nuveen People’s Choice award. PTTL previously covered the 24 People’s Choice finalists and winner Josef Stefan. This is a separate process leading to the Grand Title and Young Grand Title.
A polar bear above the camera
Audun Rikardsen photographed a polar bear peering into a seal’s breathing hole in Arctic sea ice. The underwater viewpoint turns the frame into a direct encounter while revealing the animal’s hunting strategy.
Biting Back
Andrea and Maceo Grammatico photographed a mosquito drinking from a fer-de-lance viper in Costa Rica. The final picture is a 37-frame focus stack.
Wings of Darkness
In Brazil’s Pantanal, Andrew Parkinson captured a black vulture above a yacare caiman. The caiman’s wound may have been caused by a boat strike.
Flock of Gold
Bence Máté used golden light in Kenya to transform a huge flock of red-billed quelea into a moving cloud.
Mutual Friends
Ernest Porter shows an oxpecker cleaning its bill against a white rhino. The birds remove parasites and can also warn the mammal of danger.
Lifted to the Surface
Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen documented an adult orca carrying a dead calf in a Norwegian fjord, behaviour that may relate to attempted revival or mourning.
Up a Tree without a Squirrel
Allegra Hutton froze the moment a young leopard climbed after a squirrel in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Split-Second Escape
Jens Cullmann captured an African bullfrog lunging at—and narrowly missing—a butterfly in the Kalahari.
Hidden Dragon
Gil Wizen turned the 15mm lichen dragon katydid’s camouflage into a visual puzzle in the Ecuadorian Andes.
Calm Amid the Storm
Shane Gross used a split shot to connect a school of bigeye trevally with D’Arros Island in the Seychelles, a protected no-take reserve.
Pooltime Pastime
Loren Elliott photographed a black bear cooling off in a California pool, an image about the growing overlap between wildlife and urban life.
Ocean Protector
Ralph Pace shows a sea hare grazing algae in Monterey Bay, indirectly helping the eelgrass ecosystem.
The Show Goes On
Pietro Rojas documented a muzzled brown bear riding a bicycle in a Doha circus, raising direct animal-welfare questions.
Eye of the Storm
Dewald Tromp photographed a Namaqua chameleon enduring a sandstorm in one of Earth’s driest environments.
Urban Wanderer
Sora Miyazawa, in the 11–14 Years category, used a slow shutter speed to isolate an eastern Japanese toad on a rain-soaked Tokyo street.
The Art of Flying
Jack Crockford, aged 15–17, paired the silhouette of a swift with an incoming aircraft near Heathrow.
When the winners will be announced
The category winners, Grand Title and Young Grand Title will be revealed on October 13, 2026 at the Natural History Museum. The 100-image exhibition opens October 16 and runs through July 11, 2027.
What we think
The preview works because it is not limited to beautiful animals. It combines technical precision, behaviour, urban ecology and difficult photojournalism. From 65,403 entries, each final image must hold attention and carry a complete story.
You can also revisit our first look at the 2025 main competition.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the People’s Choice award?
No. This is the main Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and its 100-image exhibition.
How many entries were submitted?
The Natural History Museum confirms 65,403 images from 121 countries and territories.
When are the main winners announced?
October 13, 2026.
