The Natural History Museum has revealed a preview of 100 winning photos from the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Selected from a record 65,403 entries, the collection will be on display in London from October 16 until July 11, 2027.
The 65,403-entry surge in global submissions
The Natural History Museum in London has seen an unprecedented level of interest in its 62nd annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. According to the report, a record 65,403 submissions were entered, reflecting a growing global obsession with capturing the natural world. this surge suggests that high-quality photography equipment is becoming more accessible to a wider range of enthusiasts and professionals worldwide.
The selection process for these 100 images focused on technical skill, originality, and the ability to tell a story. The Natural History Museum utilized an anonymous judging process to ensure that the prestige of the photographer did not influence the outcome, focusing instead on the raw power of the imagery.
From Tokyo streets to the Namib Desert's sandstorms
The winning images highlight the stark contrast between pristine wilderness and urban encroachment. As reported by the Natural History Museum, the preview includes Sora Miyazawa’s shot of an Eastern Japanese toad navigating the streets of Tokyo after rain, alongside Dewald Tromp’s image of a chameleon battling a sandstorm in the Namib Desert.
Other entries emphasize the intricate, often unseen relationships between species. For instance, Ernest Porter captured an oxpecker cleaning its bill against a rhinoceros in South Africa, while French twins Andrea and Maceo Grammatico provided a viper's-eye view of a mosquito feeding on its blood. These images move beyond simple portraiture to document biological interactions in real-time.
The Doha circus bear and the Heathrow swift
A significant portion of the 62nd competition focuses on the intersection of wildlife and human infrastructure. Pietro Rojas documented a brown bear riding a small motorcycle in a Doha circus ring, a jarring image that contrasts sharply with the natural behaviors seen in other entries. Similarly, Jack Crockford captured a swift silhouetted against the sky as an airraft approached London's Heathrow Airport.
These specific images reflect a broader trend in contemorary wildlife photography:the move toward documenting the "Anthropocene," or the era of human impact.. By placing a circus bear and an airport bird alongside the Arctic polar bears captured by Audun Rikardsen, the Natural History Museum prompts viewers to consider the various ways humans dominate or disrupt animal habitats.
Who sat on the anonymous international judging panel?
While the Natural History Museum confirms that the judging was conducted by an international panel of specialists in science, conservation, filmmaking, and photography, the specific identities of these judges remain undisclosed in the preview. This anonymity is a core part of the competition's integrity, but it leaves open the question of which specific conservation philosophies guided the final selection of the 100 images.
Additionally,the report does not detail the specific weighting given to "creativity" versus "technical skill." It remains unclear whether the jury prioritized the aesthetic beauty of a shot—such as Shane Gross's bigeye trevally in the Seychelles—over the raw doocumentary value of survival scenes, like Andrew Parkinson's vulture on a caiman carcass in Brazil.
A long-term display running through July 2027
The full exhibitin will be hosted at the Natural History Museum's South Kensington location, opening on October 16 and remaining open until July 11, 2027. This extended timeline allows the museum to engage a massive audience over several years, turning a yearly competition into a long-term educational tool.
Kathy Moran, the chair of the competition jury, stated that the strength of the entries continues to exceed expectations. According to Moran, the goal of the exhibition is to use these dramatic images to foster a deeper commitment to protecting the diversity of life on Earth.
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