£15,000 Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Ages 18 to 26)

The Natural History Museum in London runs Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which it calls the world's biggest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition. Entry to the adult competition normally costs £35, but the museum waives the fee for every entrant aged 18 to 26 on the closing date, wherever they live. You can enter up to 25 photos across 19 categories, including the Rising Star Award, a portfolio category only for photographers aged 18 to 26.

What you get:

• Wildlife Photographer of the Year Grand Title: £15,000, a trophy and a personalised certificate, on top of the category prize
• Rising Star Portfolio Award (ages 18 to 26): £1,500, a certificate, a one-to-one review of your work with a previous WPY winner or jury member, a trip to London for the awards ceremony and publication in the WPY Portfolio book
• Category winners: £1,250, a certificate, a trip to London for the awards ceremony and publication in the WPY Portfolio book
• Highly Commended: a certificate, an invitation to the awards ceremony and publication in the Portfolio book
• Winning images shown in the museum's London exhibition, which tours venues around the world, with international media coverage

What you'll do:

• Submit up to 25 wildlife photos taken on or after 1 November 2021, with a full caption for each
• For the Rising Star Award, submit one portfolio of 6 to 10 photos
• Photograph in natural situations with no baiting or interference, and no AI generated content

Key dates:

• Competition opened 19 October 2026
• Entries close 3 December 2026 at 11:30 GMT
• First round results 22 January 2027
• Final decision 12 March 2027

More information:

• Read the full WPY competition rules, translated into 14 languages, before entering

What you get:

• Grand Title: £15,000, trophy and personalised certificate, on top of the category prize
• Rising Star Portfolio Award (ages 18 to 26): £1,500, certificate, one-to-one portfolio review with a previous WPY winner or jury member, trip to London for the awards ceremony, publication in the Portfolio book
• Category winners: £1,250, certificate, trip to London for the awards ceremony, publication in the Portfolio book
• Highly Commended: certificate, invitation to the awards ceremony, publication in the Portfolio book
• Exhibition in London and on an international tour

What you'll do:

• Submit up to 25 photos across 19 categories, taken on or after 1 November 2021
• Rising Star Award: one portfolio of 6 to 10 photos
• Write a complete caption for each photo, up to 2,500 characters

Key dates:

• Competition opened 19 October 2026, 10:30 GMT
• Entries close 3 December 2026, 11:30 GMT
• First round results 22 January 2027
• Final decision 12 March 2027

More information:

• The full rules, prizes and how to enter are on the museum's competition pages, with the rules translated into 14 languages

• Aged 18 to 26 on Thursday 3 December 2026 for free entry (the adult competition is open to anyone 18 or over; entrants 27 and over pay £35 unless they live in one of the fee-exempt countries)
• Open worldwide
• Not open to people involved in organising or judging the competition, their partners and family, or employees of the Natural History Museum, its trading company or the official sponsor
• Photos must be taken on or after 1 November 2021, in natural situations without baiting or interference
• No AI generated images or AI added content; no farm animals, pets or cultivated plants and fungi
• You must own the copyright in every photo you submit