Maruša Puhek (Slovenia). Overall Winner, World Nature Photographer of the Year and Gold, Nature Art. Location: Murščak, Slovenia. Subject: Deer.
From thousands of entries submitted by photographers from 48 countries, the 2025 World Nature Photography Awards selected its winners. Founded on the belief that nature photography can influence how the public treats our planet, the awards shine a spotlight on superlative imagery.
This year, Slovenia’s Maruša Puhek was named Nature Photographer of the Year and won the Nature Art category for her striking image of two deer running through a snowy vineyard. Puhek was overjoyed to learn that she won the contest, as she doesn’t consider herself the typical nature photographer. Rather than traveling to an exotic location, she photographed this image in a small Slovenian village using her 14-year-old camera.
“It was a cold January day when I spotted two deer running. I took a few shots and felt frustrated that I didn’t have a telephoto lens,” she wrote. “I had wished for one so badly, but they cost a fortune. Only later, while editing, did I realize how lucky I actually was. Shooting with a wide lens meant the scene wasn’t overly zoomed in, allowing the snowy surroundings to remain an essential part of the composition. I knew the photo was somehow different, but I never realized how special it really was.”
“I’m still in shock,” she said of her win. “This win means the world to me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and it came at exactly the right time in my life.”
In addition to the overall winner, the photo contest also awarded 14 category winners. Notable winners include Marcio Esteves Cabral, who won the Plants and Fungi category for his striking photo of glowing wildflowers at Brazil’s Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, and Paul Goldstein, whose photo of five beautiful cheetahs feasting on a hartebeest won the Black and White category.
“As always, it’s such a thrill to witness the amazing caliber of entries into the awards,” shares contest co-founder Adrian Dinsdale. “Seeing these images cannot fail to motivate one to do everything to protect this fragile planet of ours.”
Scroll down to see more winners, and go to the official website to see the complete gallery of winners and finalists. Several of the winning images are also available at the competition’s online shop as affordable wall art.
The 2025 World Nature Photography Awards have announced the winners of the prestigious photo contest.
Paul Goldstein (UK). Gold, Black and White. Location: Olare Conservancy, Kenya Subject: Five cheetah feeding on a young hartebeest.
Marcio Esteves Cabral (Brazil). Gold, Plants and Fungi. Location: Veadeiros Tablelands, Brazil. Subject: Paepalanthus.
Khaichuin Sim (Malaysia). Gold, Animal Portraits. Location: Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. Subject: Lanternflies.
Tom Nickels (Finland). Gold, Behavior – Mammals. Location: Svalbard, Norway. Subject: Polar bear.
Malini Chandrasekar (UK). Gold, Animals in their habitat. Location: Svalbard, Norway. Subject: Walrus.
Niki Colemont (Belgium). Gold, Behavior – Invertebrates. Location: Belgium. Subject: Robber fly.
Georgina Steytler (Australia). Gold, Behavior – Amphibians and Reptiles. Location: Roebuck Bay, Broome, Western Australia. Subject: Blue-spotted mudskipper (Boleophthalmus caeruleomaculatus).
Thousands of photographs from photographers in 48 countries were entered into the competition.
Daniel Flormann (Germany). Gold, Underwater. Location: Kasait, Timor Leste. Subject: Olive ridley sea turtle.
Clive Burns (UK). Gold, Behavior – Birds. Location: Snettisham, Norfolk, England. Subject: Red knots.
Ael Kermarec (Iceland). Gold, Nature Photojournalism. Location: Svartsengi, Reykjanes, Iceland. Subject: Volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland.
Jake Mosher (USA). Gold, Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments. Location: Hyalite Lake, Montana, USA. Subject: Hyalite Lake, Montana, USA.
Robert Middleton (UK). Gold, People and Nature. Location: Phu Yen, Vietnam. Subject: Fishermen harvesting anchovies.
Tom Way (UK). Silver, Black and White. Location: Uganda. Subject: Silverback mountain gorilla.
Jules Oldroyd (UK). Silver, Behavior – Amphibians and reptiles. Location: Serengeti, Tanzania. Subject: Female agama lizard.
Elizabeth Yicheng Shen (USA). Silver, Urban Wildlife. Location: California, USA. Subject: Great grey owl.
Jonathan Hodgetts (UK). Silver, Behavior – Mammals. Location: Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. Subject: Male hippos.
Rory J Lewis (UK). Silver, Behavior – Invertebrates. Location: Cotswold water park, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Subject: Blue-tailed damselfy (Ischnura elegans).
Santanu Majumder (India). Silver, Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments. Location: Atnagiri/Konkan coast, India. Subject: Devghali Beach.
Pandula Bandara (Sri Lanka). Silver, Nature Art. Location: Sri Lanka. Subject: Sri Lanka junglefowl.
Sina Ritter (Germany). Silver, Underwater. Location: Abu Dabbab, Egypt. Subject: Sea turtle.
Benjamin Smail (UK). Gold, Urban Wildlife. Location: Mandinari, Gambia. Subject: Male pin-tailed whydah.