2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award Winner Announced
Josef Stefan's photograph 'Flying Rodent' has been selected as the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award for 2026. The image depicts a young Iberian lynx playing with a rodent in Spain, captured after two weeks of observation. Stefan, an Austrian photographer, expressed that the award highlights conservation success for the endangered lynx. The competition saw a record 85,917 votes, with 24 shortlisted entries. Four highly commended images were also recognized, and all winning works will be displayed at the Natural History Museum in London until July 12, 2026.
Key facts
- Josef Stefan won the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award with 'Flying Rodent'.
- The photograph shows a young Iberian lynx in Spain interacting with prey for about 20 minutes.
- Stefan noted the Iberian lynx population has rebounded to over 2,000 due to conservation efforts.
- A record 85,917 votes were cast in the competition, which included 24 shortlisted photographs.
- The winning and highly commended images are exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London until July 12, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Josef Stefan
- Alexandre Brisson
- Christopher Paetkau
- Will Nicholls
- Kohei Nagira
Institutions
- Natural History Museum, London
Locations
- Ciudad Real, Spain
- Walvis Bay, Namibia
- Hudson Bay coast, Canada
- Jasper National Park, Canada
- Notsuke Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan
- London, United Kingdom