The World Nature Photographs Of The Year!

The World Nature Photography Awards 2026 celebrated breathtaking images of wildlife and nature, with Australian Photographer Jono Allen winning the top prize of $1000 for his rare shot of a white humpback whale and her mother.

From stunning animal portraits to captivating glimpses of behaviour in their natural habitat, the World Nature Photography Awards contest showcases the intricate relationship between animals, plants, fungi, and humans.

Three winners -- Gold, Silver and Bronze -- in every category are chosen.

The 2026 competition attracted thousands of entries from photographers across 51 countries and six continents, highlighting the beauty, fragility and power of the natural world.

Underwater

GOLD and World Nature Photographer of the Year: Jono Allen, Mãhina

IMAGE: Captured in the tropical waters of Vava’u, Tonga, this rare white humpback calf -- named Mãhina, meaning 'moon' in Tongan -- glowed like a beam of light as she travelled through the deep blue water with her protective mother. Photograph: Jono Allen/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Matthew Sharp, What lies beneath

Photograph: Matthew Sharp/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Aimee Jan, Green sea turtle surrounded by glass fish

Photograph: Aimee Jan/World Nature Photography Awards

Animal portraits

GOLD: Mary Schrader, Shared wonder

IMAGE: An unexpected visitor, a vibrant butterfly, appeared out of nowhere, fluttering gently through the air.
Captivated, the young gorilla's eyes widened, and in that moment, a beautiful interaction unfolded as a silent, shared wonder between two vastly different beings. Photograph: Mary Schrader/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Rich Brooks, Ernie the ermine

Photograph: Rich Brooks/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Elizabeth Yicheng Shen, Determination

Photograph: Elizabeth Yicheng Shen/World Nature Photography Awards

Animals in their habitat

GOLD: Charlie Wemyss-Dunn, Splash

IMAGE: A hungry brown bear launches headlong into a creek in Alaska's Katmai National Park to try to catch one of the many sockeye salmon spawning in large numbers during their seasonal migration. Photograph: Charlie Wemyss-Dunn/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Jonathan Hodgetts, Tigers cross the lake in fog

Photograph: Jonathan Hodgetts/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Harry Skeggs, Between the cracks

Photograph: Harry Skeggs/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour amphibians and reptiles

GOLD: Dewald Tromp, Stoicism in a sandstorm

IMAGE: The Namib desert is one of the most extreme environments on earth, with temperatures exceeding 45C. Despite this, a Namaqua chameleon has to endure the sting of pebbles blowing against its skin. Photograph: Dewald Tromp/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Roman Balaz, Last look

Photograph: Roman Balaz/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Henning Olsen, A delicate balance

Photograph: Henning Olsen/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour birds

GOLD: Fenqiang Liu, Arrival

IMAGE: At Kraft Azalea Garden in Central Florida. Moments when backlight reveals the elegance and structure of their wings in flight. Photograph: Fenqiang Liu/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Vince Burton, Eye on the prize

Photograph: Vince Burton/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Hemin Patel, Home building

Photograph: Hemin Patel/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour Invertebrates

GOLD: Minghui Yuan, Home on the leaves

IMAGE: In the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna, a moss moth larva creating a protective net nest on newly grown tender leaves of plants. Photograph: Minghui Yuan/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Reka Baranyi, Illusion of light

Photograph: Reka Baranyi/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Eduardo Salvador Cabrera, The nectar drop

Photograph: Eduardo Salvador Cabrera/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour Mammals

GOLD: Vaidehi Chandrasekar, Water ballet

IMAGE: As the sun dipped low over the dry Makgadikgadi landscape in Botswana, a lone giraffe stepped to the water’s edge. Towering and graceful, it bent its long legs, lowering its neck for a drink. Photograph: Vaidehi Chandrasekar/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Michael Stavrakakis, Bear hug

Photograph: Michael Stavrakakis/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Paul Goldstein, Chasing tail

Photograph: Paul Goldstein/World Nature Photography Awards

Black and white

GOLD: Christopher Baker, Sunbathing

IMAGE: An adult pond slider turtle perched atop a stump bathing in the early morning sun. Photograph: Christopher Baker/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Ross Wheeler, Shy but still majestic

Photograph: Ross Wheeler/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Preeti and Prashant Chacko, The rugby players

Photograph: Preeti and Prashant Chacko/World Nature Photography Awards

Nature art

GOLD: Simon Biddie, Ghost of the reef

IMAGE: Small fish, like many of their land-based insect equivalents, evade predators by being experts in hiding. These small reef fish are also known as 'cryptobenthic' fish – crypto as they hide in crevices, or use camouflage. Photograph: Simon Biddie/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Indranil Basu Mallick, Tale of a tail

Photograph: Indranil Basu Mallick/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Mark Bernards, Galactic amphibiospawn

Photograph: Mark Bernards/World Nature Photography Awards

Nature Photojournalism

GOLD: Alain Schroeder, Chimp Paradise 30

IMAGE: Kayla, a 37-year-old female, in the procedure room and her stomach shaved for an ultrasound (sonography). Photograph: Alain Schroeder/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Sandesh Kadur, The Great Turtle Rescue

Photograph: Sandesh Kadur/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Jonathan Wosinski, Fire alert

Photograph: Jonathan Wosinski/World Nature Photography Awards

People and nature

GOLD: Deena Sveinsson, The wildlife photographer

IMAGE: After an snowfall in the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA, bull moose decided to check out the camera gear. Photograph: Deena Sveinsson/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Bill Klipp, Pool party at our tent

Photograph: Bill Klipp/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Zhiyue Shi, Plastic wings

Photograph: Zhiyue Shi/World Nature Photography Awards

Planet Earth's landscape and environments

GOLD: Miki Spitzer, The eye of the dragon

IMAGE: Drone photo of a natural geothermal pool in central Iceland at Hveravellir. In the photo, you can see the pool, which looks like a dragon's eye. Photograph: Miki Spitzer/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Stuart Chape, Glacial blue

Photograph: Stuart Chape/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Thiago Campi, Climate change

Photograph: Thiago Campi/World Nature Photography Awards

Plants and fungi

GOLD: Duncan Wood, Elder in flame

IMAGE: Golden autumn colours explode in this intimate portrait of an incredible, lichen-laden elder birch in full seasonal display - bold, brilliant, and full of character, like a woodland peacock. Taken in Glen Affric, this image captures a fleeting moment of drama and beauty from one of Scotland’s most vibrant autumn landscapes. Photograph: Duncan Wood/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Giovanni Vicari, Explosion of life

Photograph: Giovanni Vicari/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Kai Hypen, Against the light

Photograph: Kai Hypen/World Nature Photography Awards

Urban wildlife

GOLD: Robert Gloeckner, Trash trail temptations

IMAGE: In this striking image, a polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba, investigates a heap of discarded electronics and household items - part of a growing and very human-made trash trail that’s reshaping how wildlife interacts with civilization. Photograph: Robert Gloeckner/World Nature Photography Awards

SILVER: Arghya Adhikary, I am the boss

Photograph: Arghya Adhikary/World Nature Photography Awards

BRONZE: Rajarshi Banerji, Bear at the tiger temple

Photograph: Rajarshi Banerji/World Nature Photography Awards

Key Points

Australian photographer Jono Allen won the top prize and $1,000 cash award.
Winning image captured a rare white humpback whale and her mother.
Gold, Silver and Bronze winners chosen in every category.
2026 competition received thousands of entries.
Participants from 51 countries across six continents.

Please click here to view all the fabulous winning entries from the World Nature Photography Awards 2026.

You can also order Nature photography prints and canvases for your home or office from the online WNPA store

Published with kind permission from Martin Konderla/World Nature Photography Awards

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff