“Games between siblings” by Paolo Della Rocca (Italy). Overall Winner.
An epic tussle between two snow leopard siblings won the 2024 Nature Photographer of the Year (NPOTY). The striking image, taken in northern India, garnered Italian photographer Paolo Della Rocca top honors in a highly competitive contest. The judges were not only blown away by the technical excellence of the photograph, but Della Rocca’s tenacity to reach the location high in the snowy mountains of India’s Spiti Valley.
Della Rocca had dreamed of traveling to this location and finding snow leopards since he was a child, making the capture all the more meaningful to him.
“This image was anything but easy to obtain. I waited over six hours at the edge of a canyon as the two siblings rested in a cave,” he shares. “The cold—reaching -25 degrees and intensified by a snowstorm—seeped into my bones. When calm finally returned, the snow leopards began to move, chasing each other up the snowy slopes, playing in front of my astonished eyes. I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t happening; it can’t be real!’ And then, I captured this frame. Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine photographing such a moment.”
NPOTY Chairman Tin Man Lee emphasizes what a rare treat Della Rocca’s photo is: “In this extraordinary photograph, the photographer has captured what many consider the holy grail of wildlife photography—not just one, but two snow leopards in a dramatic confrontation. The image freezes a breathtaking moment as these elusive cats rear up on their hind legs, their powerful forms perfectly separated against the snowy landscape, creating a scene of raw power and natural drama.”
In addition to the overall winner, 12 individual category winners, as well as a portfolio prize, were also handed out. Spanish scientist, birding guide, and photographer Hector Cordero won the Fred Hazelhoff Award for his moving portfolio documenting the crisis with migratory birds colliding with glass on buildings. His compelling visuals perfectly tell the story of this critical conservation issue for birds, which kills an estimated 1 billion birds annually in the United States.
Scroll down to see all the winners and runners-up of the 2024 Nature Photographer of the Year Award. And, if you are interested in throwing your hat in the ring, the entry period for the Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 edition will open on December 20, 2024.
Here are the incredible winners of the 2024 Nature Photographer of the Year awards.
“Besties” by Marcia Walters (USA). Animal Portraits, Winner
“Giant Octopus Dofleini” by Andrey Shpatak (Russia). Underwater, Winner
“Ocean Dance” by Junqi Peng (USA/China). Plants and Fungi, Winner
“My Pet Tiger” by Aaron Gekoski (UK/Philippines). Humans and Nature, Winner
“Disturbing Shadow” by Sebastien Blomme (France). Other Animals, Winner
A record-breaking 22,851 images were submitted by photographers from over 96 different countries.
“Golden Eye” by Luca Lorenz (Germany). Birds, Winner
“Brace!” by D’Artagnan Sprengel (New Zealand). Youth, Winner
“Black lava beach” by Baard Næss (Norway). Landscapes, Winner
“Cross to bear” by Paul Goldstein (United Kingdom). Black and White, Winner
“Colorful seagull” by Mathijs Frenken (The Netherlands). Nature of “De Lage Landen,” Winner
“Amino acids mimicking nature” by Dirk Vermaire (The Netherlands). Nature Art, Winner
“Glenmalure Waterfall” by Ciaran Willmore (Ireland). Landscapes, Runner-Up
“Another perspective” by Oscar Diez Martinez (Spain). Animal Portraits, Runner-Up
“Old and wise surrounded by treefield and melting snow” by Jarno Artika (Finland). Plants and Fungi, Winner
“Milky Way” by Ismael Domínguez (Spain). Youth, Runner-Up
“March of the Mussels” by Theo Bosboom (The Netherlands). Other Animals, Runner-Up
12 category winners were named and demonstrated excellence in many types of nature photography.
“The Path to Bath” by Lakshitha Karunarathna (Sri Lanka). Mammals, Runner-Up
“A Dangerous Addiction” by Lakshitha Karunarathna (Sri Lanka). Humans and Nature, Runner-Up
“Observed” by Luca Lorenz (Germany). Black and White, Runner-Up
“Love in the Deep” by Luca Luigi Mario Ghezzi (Italy). Underwater, Runner-Up
“Shorebird Hunt” by Nick Dunlop (USA). Birds, Runner-Up
“Sanderling Siesta” by Mathijs Frenken (The Netherlands). Nature of “De Lage Landen,” Runner-Up
A portfolio award was also given to Hector Cordero for his compelling story about birds and building collisions.
“Invisible killers – The impact of light and glass on migratory birds” by Hector Cordero (Spain). The Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
A volunteer is holding a bunch of dead migratory birds after hitting the glass in buildings of downtown Manhattan, New York, USA
“Invisible killers – The impact of light and glass on migratory birds” by Hector Cordero (Spain). The Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
Two migratory bird species (Ovenbird and Northern Waterthrush) were found dead together after a collision with a building in downtown Manhattan, New York, USA.