Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The origins of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition go back as far as 1965, when BBC Wildlife Magazine was called Animals and there were just three categories and about 500 entries. But even then, it was the leading event of its kind for nature photographers. It grew in stature over the years, and in 1984, the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide joined forces to create the competition as it is today.

Now there have been more than 48,000 entries received from over 98 countries around the globe. There is a major exhibition at the Museum that tours worldwide throughout the year. The winning and commended pictures appear on this website, in BBC Wildlife Magazine and publications worldwide. As a result, the photographs are now seen by millions of people.