In a contest that drew more than 3,500 submissions, National Geographic Traveller UK named Edward Hasler the 2026 grand prize winner for his aerial shot of Namibia’s Sossusvlei sand dunes. The competition also highlighted category winners from Seoul, Iceland, Svalbard, Chennai, Kolkata, Ecuador, and Ethiopia, each image telling a distinct story of place and people.

Hasler’s Namibia Dunes: A Water‑Patterned Masterpiece

Edward Hasler topped the aerial category with a photo of swirling sand dunes in the Namib Desert, captured after heavy rains turned the dunes into tree‑branch‑like patterns. "The flow of water had created these patterns in the sand that looked like the branches of a tree when viewed from above," Hasler explained, a detail that judges praised for its scientific curiosity and artistic flair.

Seoul’s Dumpling Stall Brings Street Food to Life

Zaeem Jafri earned the food category by photographing a bustling dumpilng stall in Seoul’s Namdaemun Market. Jafri described how he positioned his camera above the crowd to catch the exact moment steamed dumplings were presented, capturing steam and anticipation in a single frame.

Iceland’s Ice Cave Reveals a Vanishing Landscape

James Campbell’s landscape win came from inside an ice cave in Katla, Iceland, where he looked out through blue glacial walls toward a distant stream. Campbell noted that ice caves “are never truly fixed, melting and reshaping over time,” making his image a fleeting snapshot of a scene that may never repeat.

Wildlife, Urban, and Cultural Moments Across Continents

Felix Belloin captured a sleeping polar bear from a drone in Svalbard, while Somdutt Prasad photographed a passerby mirroring a mural in Kolkata. Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan’s rising star image of an elderly vendor in Chennai’s Kapaleeshwarar Temple shop,and Nurettin Boydak’s people winner showing thousands of Ethiopian women in Eid prayer, round out the diverse portfolio of winners.

What the Judges Highlighted About the Growing Community

Associate picture editor Aisha Nazar said, "We received many stunning entries this year. I particularly enjoyed judging the landscape and wildlife categories." She added that the increasing volume and quality of submissions demonstrate a growing community of adventurous travelers eager to share their perspectives through photography .

Who Is Still Uncertain About the Selection Process?

While the competition’s criteria are clear, the source does not disclose the exact number of judges or the weighting of technical versus narrative elements. It also leaves unanswered whether any regional quotas were applied to ensure global representation.