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Celebrating sixty years: First look at the new Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
A ‘dancing’ stoat, a moonlight hunter and a David Bowie spider are just a few of the extraordinary images from the Natural History Museum, London's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in its sixtieth year.
The upcoming Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will showcase 100 photographs from around the world from 11 October 2024 in London. To mark the sixtieth anniversary, the Museum’s flagship exhibition will feature a timeline of key moments in the competition’s history.
The sixtieth competition attracted a record-breaking 59,228 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 117 countries and territories. Entries were judged anonymously on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.
The winners of each category, and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards, will be announced on 8 October 2024 at a ceremony hosted by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. This year we have introduced a new award in both the young and adult competitions, the Impact Award, to recognise a conservation success, a story of hope and/or positive change. The special prize forms part of the Natural History Museum’s vision of a future where both people and planet thrive.
Among the newly-released Highly Commended images is the first ever awarded smartphone image showing the successful completion of a mule deer doe’s circle of life by Randy Robbins. William Fortescue witnessed the complex relationship of mating lions, Tommy Trenchard records the distressing moment a shark was hauled aboard a Spanish longliner in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, and in the 10 Years and Under category, an atmospheric image of a peafowl in Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, India, by Shreyovi Mehta.
Chair of the judging panel, Kathy Moran says, “In this selection you see species diversity, a range of behavior and conservation issues. These images represent the evolution of the competition through the years, from pure natural history to photography that fully embraces representation of the natural world - the beauty and the challenges. It is a powerful selection with which to kickstart a milestone anniversary.”
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Museum says, “As we celebrate sixty years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, we also celebrate the generations of visitors who have been inspired by the beauty and majesty of its images, and the millions of connections made with nature.
Over the decades, Wildlife Photographer of the Year has pushed the boundaries of wildlife photography as the competition evolved alongside technological advancements. But still today, the competition remains true to one of its founding objectives: ‘to enhance the prestige of wildlife photography in the hope that ultimately the awards would benefit animals by creating greater public interest in them and in that all-important topic – conservation’.”
The sixtieth edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year opens at the Museum in South Kensington on Friday 11 October until Sunday 29 June 2025. The exhibition will also embark on a UK and international tour to inspire millions to appreciate and conserve the natural world.
The sixtieth Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been supported by Associate Donor The William Brake Foundation.
Download photographs for print and online use: https://bit.ly/WPY60_PressPreview
Notes to editors
Images and media contact
Download photographs for print and online use: https://bit.ly/WPY60_PressPreview
To obtain the password, arrange interviews with photographers or judges or express interest in attending the Media preview of the exhibition at the Natural History Museum, please contact the Natural History Museum press office:
Email: wildpress@nhm.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654
Exhibition at Natural History Museum, London
Opens Friday 11 October 2024 and closes Sunday 29 June 2025.
Tickets are now on sale: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year
Adult tickets from £18.00*, concession tickets £14.50*, and child £10.95*. Off-peak Ault 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.)
The exhibition is open Monday – Sunday, 10.00-17.50 (last admission at 16.30), and weekends sell out quickly.
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.
Get behind the lens of some of the world's best wildlife photographers with a new Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition tour: www.nhm.ac.uk/events/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-tour
#WPY60
WildPhotos
Tickets are now on sale for a one-day photography symposium on Sunday 13 October 2024: https://bit.ly/WPY60-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.
Sixty-first Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
Opens for entries at 11.30am GMT on Monday 14 October 2024.
Closing 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 on 28 November 2024.
Entrants aged 17 and under may enter up to 10 images for free.
Find out how to enter: www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition
About Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Now in its sixtieth year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the Natural History Museum, London’s global platform for the world's best nature photography and wildlife photojournalism. Our annual competition with nearly 60,000 entries is open to photographers of all ages, nationalities and experience levels. With our touring exhibition and outreach activities engaging millions around the globe every year, we invite ever more people to celebrate and advocate for the natural world.
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.
About the Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum, London 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.