© Shane Gross, Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

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The Swarm of Life: Shane Gross wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024

Selected from a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories, the winners of the Natural History Museum's prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition were revealed at an awards ceremony in South Kensington this evening.

Celebrating its sixtieth year, the flagship Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition featuring the 100 awarded images will open on Friday 11 October 2024 at the Natural History Museum, London.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024

Canadian Marine Conservation Photojournalist, Shane Gross, was awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 for his image ‘The Swarm of Life’, a breathtaking photograph that shines a light on the magical underwater world of western toad tadpoles.

Shane captured the image whilst snorkelling for several hours through carpets of lily pads in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, making sure not to disturb the fine layers of silt and algae covering the bottom of the lake. A near threatened species due to habitat destruction and predators, these tadpoles start their transition into toads between four and twelve weeks after hatching, but an estimated 99% of them will not survive to adulthood.

Kathy Moran, Chair of the Jury and Editor, says: “The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles. We were equally excited by the addition of a new species to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year archive. Over the last few years, the competition has highlighted environments and species that are often overlooked yet provoke the same wonder and delight when shared as the more typically photographed wildlife and wild places.”

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024

Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany was awarded Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 for his up-close image ‘Life Under Dead Wood’, depicting the fruiting bodies of slime mould on the right and a tiny springtail on the left.

Life Under Dead Wood. © Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Life Under Dead Wood. © Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Alexis quickly rolled over a log to take the intriguing image, moving fast as springtails can jump many times their body length in a split second. Alexis used a technique called focus stacking, where 36 images, each with a different area in focus, are combined. 

Springtails are found in almost every corner of the globe as one of the most abundant of all macroscopic animals. They are vital for improving soil health by feeding on microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, helping organic matter to decompose.

“A photographer attempting to capture this moment not only brings great skill, but incredible attention to detail, patience and perseverance. To see a macro image of two species photographed on the forest floor, with such skill, is exceptional.” says Kathy Moran.

A Global Stage

The two Grand Title winners were selected from 18 astounding category winners that showcase the wonder and richness of biodiversity on our planet, whilst also, in many cases, shining a light on the numerous challenges wildlife across the globe faces today. In an intensive process, each entry was judged anonymously by an international panel of experts on its originality, narrative, technical excellence and ethical practice.

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, says: “Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s longevity is a testament to the vital importance and growing appreciation of our natural world. We are delighted to feature such inspiring images in this year’s portfolio – these are photographs that not only encourage further wildlife conservation efforts, but that spark the creation of real advocates for our planet on a global scale.”

To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and in line with the Museum’s vision of a future where both people and planet thrive, the competition introduced the Impact Award for both the Adult and Young Photographer categories. This award recognises a conservation success; a story of hope and/or positive change.

The Young Impact Award was given to Liwia Pawłowska from Poland, who entered the competition’s Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year category with her image ‘Recording by Hand’. This photograph spotlights a relaxed common whitethroat as part of bird ringing, a technique that aids conservation efforts by recording a bird’s length, sex, condition and age to help scientists monitor populations and track migratory patterns.

Australian photographer Jannico Kelk won the Adult Impact Award with his image ‘Hope for the Ninu’. The greater bilby, a small marsupial also referred to as the ninu, was brought to near extinction through predation by introduced foxes and cats. Jannico’s image showcases a greater bilby in a fenced reserve, a method that has eradicated predators so that the greater bilby can thrive.

Please find a full list of this year’s Category Winners in Notes to Editors below.

Celebrating Sixty Years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year

To honour the sixtieth anniversary of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, this year’s exhibition spotlights past Grand Title winners across the competition’s history and includes photographs, trophies and camera technology highlights that encapsulate the competition’s sixty years of revealing nature’s stories.

The exhibition also includes videos showing the impact wildlife photography can have globally alongside insights from jury members, photographers and Museum scientists to invite visitors to advocate for the natural world. The journey continues outside South Kensington too with planet-positive actions that audiences can take, found on our website, and an extensive tour of the exhibition across the UK and internationally to venues in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, with more to be announced.

The sixtieth Wildlife Photographer of the Year is supported by Associate Donor, The William Brake Foundation.

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Category Winners for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year are:

  • Alberto Román Gómez (Spain), Winner of the 10 and Under Category

  • Parham Pourahmad (USA), Winner of the 11-14 Category

  • Alexis Tinker Tsavalas (Germany), Winner of the 15-17 Category

  • Igor Metelskiy (Russia), Winner of Animals in Their Environment

  • John E Marriott (Canada), Winner of Animal Portraits

  • Jack Zhi (USA), Winner of Behaviour: Birds

  • Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod (Sri Lanka), Winner of Behaviour: Mammals

  • Karine Aigner (USA), Winner of Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles

  • Ingo Arndt (Germany), Winner of Behaviour: Invertebrates

  • Justin Gilligan (Australia), Winner of Oceans: The Bigger Picture

  • Fortunato Gatto (Italy), Winner of Plants and Fungi

  • Jiří Hřebíček (Czech Republic), Winner of Natural Artistry

  • Matthew Smith (UK / Australia), Winner of Underwater

  • Robin Darius Conz (Germany), Winner of Urban Wildlife

  • Shane Gross (Canada), Winner of Wetlands: The Bigger Picture

  • Britta Jaschinski (UK / Germany), Winner of Photojournalism

  • Thomas Peschak (South Africa / Germany), Winner of the Photojournalist Story Award

  • Sage Ono (USA), Winner of the Rising Star Portfolio Award

The Exhibition at Natural History Museum, London

  • The exhibition opens Friday 11 October 2024 and closes Sunday 29 June 2025.

  • The exhibition is open Monday – Sunday, 10.00-17.50 (last admission at 16.30), and weekends sell out quickly.

  • Adult tickets from £18.00*, concession tickets £14.50*, and child £10.95*. Off-peak Adult tickets from £15.50, off-peak concession ticket £12.50, and off-peak child ticket £9.25 (*Prices excluding optional Gift Aid donation to the Museum.)

  • Please use the hashtag #WPY60 when sharing images and information on social media.

The Sixty-First Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition

  • Opens for entries on Monday 14 October 2024 and closes for entries at 11.30am GMT on Thursday 5 December 2024.

  • Entrants to the adult competition may enter up to 25 images for a £30 fee, which increases to £35 in the final week on Thursday 28 November. There is an entry fee waiver for photographers entering the adult competition who live in Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America.

  • Entrants aged 18 to 26 may enter up to 25 images for free. Entrants 17 and under may enter up to 10 images for free.

WildPhotos

  • This event will take place in-person in Bristol Aquarium, UK, and is available 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.

Media Contact

For access to high-resolution images or to arrange interviews with photographers, jury members or Museum spokespeople, please contact Laura Gosney, Communications Manager for Wildlife Photographer of the Year, at the Natural History Museum Press Office.

  • Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5106

  • Mobile: +44 (0)7957 650 531

About Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year was founded in 1965 by BBC Wildlife Magazine, then called Animals. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the competition as it is known today. The annual competition and touring exhibition are now run and owned by the Natural History Museum, London.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 34, edited by Keith Wilson and with a foreword by Kathy Moran, is now available on pre-sale and will be published on 9 October 2024, RRP £28.

Touring venues in the UK currently include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery; Bristol Museum & Art Gallery; Chester Zoo; The Base, Greenham; The Beacon, Whitehaven; Sewerby Hall & Gardens, Bridlington.

International touring venues currently include the Australian National Maritime Museum and Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Australia; Royal BC Museum and Royal Ontario Museum in Canada; Statens Naturhistoriske Museum (Danish Natural History Museum) in Denmark; Montier Photo Festival in France; Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Westfälisches Pferdemuseum Münster and Naturkunde Museum Reutlingen in Germany; Palazzo della Permanente in Italy; Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (Natural History Museum Basel) in Switzerland.

About the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum 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 The William Brake Foundation

The William Brake Foundation has supported a wide-ranging variety of charities important to the family, over a number of years. Assistance, education and research are big factors in our decision making. Our longstanding support of the Natural History Museum reflects our faith in the scientific expertise unlocking answers to big issues facing the planet while offering a vast array of specimens from natural history in a wonderful inspiring environment.