Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Shortlist Announced from 65,000 Entries

The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, selecting 100 images from over 65,000 entries submitted by photographers from 121 countries. The shortlist spans categories such as animal behavior, portraits, and photojournalism, highlighting both the beauty of wildlife and the impacts of human intervention. Notable images include Ernest Porter's 'Mutual Friends,' showing an oxpecker cleaning its bill on a rhino's snout in South Africa, and Jens Cullmann's 'Split-Second Escape,' capturing an African bullfrog missing a butterfly in Botswana. Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen's 'Lifted to the Surface' depicts an orca supporting a calf's body in Norway, while Pietro Rojas' 'The Show Goes On' documents a muzzled brown bear in a circus in Doha, Qatar, underscoring the ethical concerns of using wild animals in entertainment. Other highlights include Audun Rikardsen's polar bear image from a seal's-eye view, Bence Máté's 'Flock of Gold' in Kenya, Shane Gross's 'Calm Amid the Storm' in the Seychelles, Jack Crockford's 'The Art of Flying' showing a swift near a plane in London, Gil Wizen's 'Hidden Dragon' katydid in Ecuador, and Andrea and Maceo Grammatico's 'Biting Back' depicting a mosquito feeding on a viper in Costa Rica. The winners will be announced on October 13, and the exhibition runs from October 16 to July 11, 2027, at the Natural History Museum in London.