Wildlife Photographer of the Year reveals first-look from a record-breaking number of entries submitted into its sixty-first competition

The exhibition will spotlight 100 inspiring and powerful images of our natural world, selected from a record-breaking 60,636 entries and judged anonymously on their creativity, originality and technical excellence by an international panel of expert judges across wildlife photography, filmmaking, science and conservation.

Among the newly released images features a dramatic stand-off between a lion and a cobra by Gabriella Comi, a portrait of an inquisitive pack of Arctic wolves by Amit Eshel and awe-inspiring photographs of flamingoes, coyotes and red deer by some of the finest emerging young wildlife photographers today, some as young as nine years old.

The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on Tuesday 14 October 2025 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.

The exhibition will also help visitors understand how our planet’s habitats are changing. Alongside the award-winning photographs, the sixty-first exhibition will provide insight into some of the habitats pictured by including 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.

Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, says: “Selected from a record-breaking over 60,000 images, this preview presents just a small insight into the 100 awe-inspiring, impactful and moving images in store for visitors to our exhibition in October. As an advocate for the power of photography, there is nothing more rewarding or moving than seeing our relationship to the natural world, in all its complexity and splendour, shared on the world’s biggest platform for wildlife photography.”

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, says: “Now in its sixty-first year, we are thrilled to continue Wildlife Photographer of the Year as a powerful platform for visual storytelling, showing the diversity, beauty and complexity of the natural world and humanity's relationship to it. With the inclusion of our Biodiversity Intactness Index, this year’s exhibition will be our best combination of great artistry and groundbreaking science yet, helping visitors to become inspired to be advocates for our planet.”

Tickets are on-sale now for the sixty-first edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year which launches at the Natural History Museum on Friday 17 October 2025 and runs until Sunday 12 July 2026. The exhibition will also embark on a UK and international tour to inspire millions to appreciate and conserve the natural world.

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

#ENDS#

NOTES TO EDITORS

Images and Media Contact

Download photographs for print and online use (please obtain the password by contacting the email below): https://bit.ly/WPY61PreviewAnnouncement

Exhibition link to be embedded in all coverage: https://bit.ly/WPY61Exhibition

To obtain the password, arrange interviews with photographers or judges or express interest in attending the Media preview of the exhibition at the Natural History Museum, please contact the Natural History Museum press office at wildpress@nhm.ac.uk

Exhibition at Natural History Museum, London

· Opens Friday 17 October 2025 and closes Sunday 12 July 2025

· Tickets on sale: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year

· Adult tickets from £18.00*, concession tickets £14.40*, and child tickets £9*. Off-peak Adult tickets from £15.50, off-peak concession ticket £12.40, and off-peak child ticket £7.75 (*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 35, edited by Keith Wilson and with a foreword by Kathy Moran, is now available on pre-sale and will be published on 15 October 2025, RRP £28

Social Media

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

Instagram: @nhm_wpy

Facebook: /WildlifePhotographerOfTheYear

#WPY61

WildPhotos 2025

· Tickets are now on sale for a one-day photography symposium on Friday 17 October 2025: https://wildscreen.org/wildphotos/

· This event will take place in-person at the British Library, London, and online

· Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Wildscreen have partnered to host WildPhotos where a world-class line-up of speakers will come together for a unique programme of talks and panels that will explore the triumphs and challenges of capturing nature in photography, as well as the future of the genre

WPY62 – The Sixty-Second Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition

· Opens for entries at 11.30am GMT on Monday 20 October 2025

· Closes for entries at 11.30am GMT on Thursday 4 December 2025

· 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 60,000 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, London, is a world-leading science centre and one of the most visited attractions in the UK. A global source of curiosity, inspiration and joy. Our vision is to build a future in which both people and the planet thrive. We aim to be a catalyst for change, engaging advocates for the planet in everything that we do. Our 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency in all aspects of life. Visit, join and support the Natural History Museum today.

Protecting the planet. It's in our nature.

About Nuveen

Nuveen is a global investment leader, managing public and private assets for clients around the world and on behalf of TIAA, our parent company and one of the world’s largest institutional investors[1]. 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.

Invest like the future is watching.

[1] Pensions & Investments, 16 Jun 2025. Rankings based on total worldwide institutional assets as of 31 Dec 2024 reported by each responding asset manager, with 369 firms responding; updated annually. TIAA is the parent company of Nuveen.