The Wildlife Photographer of the Year award is triumphantly returning, ready to reward the planet’s snappers for both their aesthetic prowess, and their ability to not get eaten.
Now in its 60th year (!), the judges have trawled through tens of thousands of entries from 100+ countries before landing on the winning images, which will be displayed on special lightboxes (alongside dozens of runner-up shots) throughout the Natural History Museum’s gallery when the show opens this October.
The winning images will be divvied up into a dozen different categories, ranging from Black & White, to Underwater, to photographers 10 Years Old and Under. Yes, nine year olds took photos so good they’re winning awards.
Here’s a teaser of a few shortlisted images:
Moonlight Hunter by Xingchao Zhu
His fuzzy wuzzy widdle wascal has just caught and killed a Mongolian lark, and is eating it by moonlight.
Stormy Scene by William Fortescue
Not to kink-shame them or anything, but believe it or not, these two lions are actually mating in this image.
In the Spotlight by Shreyovi Mehta
Two peahens against the peachy dawn sky in Keoladeo National Park, India.
Precious Rocks by Samual Stone
This jackdaw was photographed right here in London, in Bushy Park. On the one hand, it’s inspiring. On the other, now none of us have an excuse.
The Disappearing Ice Cap by Thomas Vijayan
This is the third largest ice cap in the world, so it took 26 individual images stitched together to get this panorama.
Leaving the Nest by Sasha Jumanca
Another urban shot, these two were pictured in the middle of the day, in the centre of Munich.
Ziggy Spider by Lam Soon Tak
Yep, this spider is named after a David Bowie character. And no, it doesn’t come from Mars. It’s Malaysian. And the white disk underneath it is its eggs.
Going with the Floe by Tamara Stubbs
Apparently, crabeater seals are the most numerous marine mammals in the world. And these two? Are asleep.
As Clear as Crystal by Jason Gulley
What you’re looking at is the Crystal River in Florida, in which the manatee population has massively rebounded after conservation efforts. No wonder they seem happy.
There are literally dozens and dozens more incredible images just like these ready to be unveiled when the show opens – and you’ll even get to vote for your own favourite too…
NOTE: Wildlife Photographer of the Year runs at the Natural History Museum from 11th October 2024 to 29th June 2025. You can find out more, and book tickets at the Natural History Museum website.
The Natural History Museum | Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD
The Natural History Museum makes a pretty good date spot, incidentally. Find more inspiration in our pick of 101 London Date Ideas