Ahead of the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition, the Natural History Museum has revealed the winners whose captivating shots will be displayed to the world. The winners have finally been selected from 65,403 entries across 121 countries and territories and will be showcased in an exhibition starting Friday, October 16, 2026.
For the first time in the competition's history, both the adult and young overall winners have been recognized for black-and-white photography.
Italian wildlife photographer Federico Veronesi claims the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 for his powerful image, The Aftermath, featuring a female elephant carrying a deceased calf in Huab River Valley, Namibia. Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, said, “This photograph works on so many levels. Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all.”
Meanwhile, Oscar Whitfield has been named Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year thanks to Labour of Love, which captures the arduous exertion of a dung beetle pushing its precious cargo using a fast shutter speed and high light sensitivity.
Below are the winners, runners-up, and highlights from the competition. The exhibition runs from October 16, 2026, to July 11, 2027, and tickets are available here. The exhibition will subsequently embark on a global tour.