Twenty-Four Windows into the Wild: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Shortlist
The Nuveen People’s Choice Award for 2026 presents twenty-four shortlisted photographs of wildlife from across the world. The public is invited to vote for their favourite image, which will be displayed at the Natural History Museum in London.
Sunlight catches a spinner dolphin mid-leap, scattering silver sparks across the ocean. In a rainforest, a sloth folds its offspring into its chest, pausing in the quiet of the canopy. These fleeting moments are two of twenty-four images shortlisted for the Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026, part of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London.
Each year, photographers from around the world submit thousands of images, but this year’s competition received more than 60,000 entries from 113 countries. The twenty-four chosen photographs highlight both the beauty and the fragility of the natural world. They celebrate astonishing behaviours, tender interactions, and the breathtaking diversity of wildlife, while also confronting urgent environmental challenges such as melting Arctic ice, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal poaching.
Dr Douglas Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, London, says:
“Photography has the power to make us care. These images capture behaviour, beauty, and stories that we cannot ignore.”
Now in its sixty-first year, the competition is one of the most respected platforms for wildlife photography worldwide. Its touring exhibition reaches audiences in the United Kingdom and internationally, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. It celebrates technical skill, emotional depth, and storytelling, inspiring new advocates for the natural world.
Join the People’s Choice Award
The Nuveen People’s Choice Award allows the public to choose their favourite photograph. Anyone, anywhere, can vote online or via digital screens in the exhibition.
- Voting closes: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
- Winner announced: Wednesday, 25 March 2026
- Exhibition closes: Sunday, 12 July 2026
The winning image and four runners-up will remain on display throughout the exhibition, giving visitors the chance to experience the photographs up close.
Vote online here: Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026
Feature image: © Alexandre Brisson, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
