Nature's Best International Awards 2025 African Elephants by Torie Hilley

To celebrate the NBP Awards 30-year Anniversary, we send our congratulations to the TOP 100 finalists as well as a sincere thank you to all who entered our 2025 competition!

winner

GRAND PRIZE

EMPEROR PENGUINS, Antarctica | By © Thomas Vijayan, Ontario, Canada

“A penguin chick finds solace while nestled within the warm embrace of its devoted parents amidst the icy expanse. This tender display of familial unity speaks volumes about the resilience and fortitude of life in one of the harshest environments on Earth.”

winner | animal antics

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, IUCN Status: Endangered | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

"These playful youngsters were comical to observe when we trekked through this critical gorilla forest habitat."

HIGHLY HONORED | animal antics

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Ring-tailed Lemurs, Madagascar | By © Andy Rouse of Usk, Wales, UK

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Brotherly Hug, Proboscis Monkeys, IUCN Status: Endangered, Sabah, Borneo | By © Daniel Valverde Fernández of Madrid, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Mountain Hare, Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland, UK | By © Andy Parkinson, Crich, Derbyshire, England, UK

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Bull Moose, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA | By © Deena R. Sveinsson of Estes Park, Colorado, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Honey Possum on Banksia Plant, Cheynes Beach, Western Australia | By © Mitchell Roberts of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Laughing Cheetahs, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana | By © Kevin Dooley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Gentoo Penguin Diva, Falkland Islands | By © Charles Janson of Huson, Montana, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Eurasian Goshawk Chicks and Butterfly, Beijing, China | By © Ming Chen of Beijing, China

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Leopard and Elephant Face-off, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania | By © Pierluigi Rizzato of Borgoricco, Italy

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | "Katmai Angel," Brown Bear & Gull, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA | By © Jennifer Smith of Kodiak, Alaska, USA

winner | art in nature

GRIZZLY BEAR CROSSING, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska, USA | By © Henry H. Holdsworth of Jackson, Wyoming, USA

“I particularly liked the way the lighting on the cracked and oozing mud made the bear tracks look raised up in places and slightly three-dimensional.”

HIGHLY HONORED | art in nature

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Owlfly, Vence, Alpes-Maritimes, France | By © Thibault Andrieux of Mougins, Alpes-Maritimes, France

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Desert Layers, Rub’ al-Khali, United Arab Emirates | By © Matteo Strassera of Rome, Italy

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Eros Blue Butterflies, Qinghai, China | By © Haiyong Cai of Qinghai, China

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Bell-shaped Icicles over Eagle River, Alaska, USA | By Ray Bulson of Eagle River, Alaska, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Shining Antlers, Ezo Sika Deer, Hokkaido, Japan | By © Kohei Nagira of Izumo, Shimane, Japan

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Emerald Lake Reflections, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada | By © Nadeem Sufi of Chesterfield, Missouri, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Path of the Brittle Star, Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris, Scotland | By © Alan Smith of Reading, Berkshire, UK

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Mozambique Ghost Goby, Red Sea, Egypt | By © Simon Biddie of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Clouds over Ke’e Beach, Kaua’i, Hawai’i, USA | By © Aaron Feinberg of Kapa’a, Hawai’i, USA

WINNER | birds

GREY CROWNED CRANES, IUCN Status: Endangered, Amboseli National Park, Kenya | By © Steve Mattheis of Jackson, Wyoming, USA

“This flirtatious pair demonstrates their elaborate courtship dance, which includes jumping, bowing, strutting, head tossing, and wing flapping.”

HIGHLY HONORED | birds

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Prairie Chicken Jump-Off, Craig, Colorado, USA | By © Peter Hudson of Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Greater Flamingos, Mannar, Sri Lanka | By © Lakshitha Karunarathna of Colombo, Sri Lanka

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Squacco Herons, Chiusi Lake, Siena, Italy | By © Antonio Aguti of Monte San Savino, Arezzo, Italy

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Red-breasted Parakeets, Bukit Merah, Singapore | By © Tze Siong Tan of Singapore

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS| Bohemian Waxwings, Shoshone National Forest, Cody, Wyoming, USA | By © Amy Gerber of Cody, Wyoming, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Drongos in Flames, Dharur, Maharashtra, India | By Baiju Patil of Aurangabad, India

WINNER | WILDLIFE

MALE JAGUARS, Pantanal, Brazil | By © Hira Punjabi of Thane, India

“I spent six full days boating through the Pantanal on safari, tracking these jaguars. After several failed hunting attempts, they finally paused to rest—giving me a rare moment to compose them together in a single frame.”

HIGHLY HONORED | wildlife

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | African Elephant & Calf, Amboseli National Park, Kenya | By © Torie Hilley of Ventura, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Desert Kit Fox Pup with Feather, West Desert, Utah, USA | By © Beaumon Day of Highland, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Ring-tailed Lemurs, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar | By © Bence Máté of Pusztaszer, Hungary

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Brown Lemurs, Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar | By © Donglin Zhou of Hangzhou, China

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Hippopotamus, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya | By © Samir Kamat of Atlanta, Georgia, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Giraffes, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya | By © Amy Gerber of Cody, Wyoming USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Young Gorilla Nap Time, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Flying Foxes, Dharur, Maharashtra, India | By © Baiju Patil of Maharashtra, India

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Sumatran Orangutan on Strangler Fig, Gunung Leuser National Park, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia | By © Marco Gaiotti of Genova, Italy

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Bighorn Sheep, Mt. Timpanogos, Utah, USA | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Red Squirrel, Finland | By © Simon Roberts of Chapel Stile, Cumbria, UK

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | African Elephant Clan, Amboseli National Park, Kenya | By © Kathy Karn of Campbellville, Ontario, Canada

WINNER | landscapes

SUNRISE AT ST. MARY LAKE, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA | By Dr. Elliot McGucken of Los Angeles, California, USA

“The Crown Jewel of the Continent: At sunrise, I captured the ruby red-colored rocks, with sapphire, topaz, rhodolite, and tanzanite tones surrounding the lake, crowned by clouds that moved into the scene.”

HIGHLY HONORED | landscapes

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Lost Cove Cliffs, Linville River Overlook, North Carolina, USA | By © David A. Dobbs of Yancy County, North Carolina, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Sunset taken at 16,000 feet of Siula Grande and Yerupaja Peaks, Cordillera Huayhuash, Andes, Peru | By © Jason Weiss of Golden, Colorado, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | White Rainbow over Svínafellsjökull, Iceland | By © Luis Vilariño of A Coruña, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Archangel Falls, Zion National Park, Utah, USA | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Mirror Image of Baobab Avenue, Madagascar | By © Felipe Foncueva of Madrid, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Campton Pond Sunrise, New Hampshire, USA | By © Harry Lichtman of Newmarket, New Hampshire, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Forget-me-nots, Eagle River, Alaska, USA | By © Ray Bulson of Eagle River, Alaska, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Wai'ale'ale Mountain and Weeping Wall Waterfalls, Kauai, Hawai’i, USA | By © Dr. Elliot McGucken of Los Angeles, California, USA

WINNER | outdoor adventure

SKIING THE NORTH, Rogers Pass, British Columbia, Canada | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

"We donned our skis and started climbing very early on a gray morning. After a couple thousand feet of elevation gain, the sun broke through the fog and revealed this breathtaking view.”

Highly Honored | outdoor adventure

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Reflected Serenity, Sunset, Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida, USA | By © Tiffany Glöckner of Dunedin, Florida, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Night with the Ancients, Baobab Alley, Madagascar | By © Paul Zizka of Banff, Alberta, Canada

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Cowboy Riding in the Snow, Shell, Wyoming, USA | By © David Swindler of Kanab, Utah, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Whitewater Boating, Fraser River, Mt. Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada | By © Tom Savage, Saginaw, Texas, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Spy Hopping Humpback Whale, Monterey Bay, California, USA | By © Torie Hilley of Ventura, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Underwater Artist, Ari Atoll, Maldives | By © Wayne Lai of Hong Kong

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Snorkeling with Penguins, Port Charcot, Booth Island, Antarctica | By © Lars von Ritter Zahony of Giessen, Hessen, Germany

WINNER | ocean views

SAND TIGER SHARKS, IUCN Status: Critically Endangered, Fish Rock Island, South West Rocks, NSW, Australia | By © Nicolas Remy of Sydney, NSW, Australia

“Fish Rock Island was designated as a ‘Hope Spot’ to help protect marine habitat for these critically endangered sand tiger sharks (aka grey nurse sharks)."

Highly Honored | Ocean views

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Humpback Whale Calf, Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga | By © Charlie Wemyss-Dunn of Boston, Massachusetts, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Sally Lightfoot Crab, Rabida Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | By © Kevin Lohman of Santa Cruz, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Titan Triggerfish, Mayotte Island, France | By © Gabriel Barathieu of Mayotte Island, France

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Sleeping Sperm Whales, Dominica | By © Reiko Takahashi of Kitakami, Iwate, Japan

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Leafy Sea Dragon, Rapid Bay, South Australia | By © Nicolas Remy of Sydney, NSW, Australia

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Brandt Cormorant in School of Sergeant Major Fish, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico | By © Oscar Díez of Madrid, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Larval Tripod Fish, Palm Beach, Florida, USA | By © Steven Kovacs of Palm Beach, Florida, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Goby on Tridacna Clam, Raja Ampat, Indonesia | By © Wayne Lai of Hong Kong

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Green Turtle, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador | By © Henley Spiers, Devon, England, UK

WINNER | POLAR PASSION

POLAR BEAR IN SNOWSTORM, Hudson Bay, Wapusk National Park, Canada | By © Daniel Valverde Fernández of Madrid, Spain

"In the midst of a windy blizzard, this large polar bear was relaxing and shaking off the snow, which formed a large curtain around him."

Highly Honored | POLAR PASSION

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Curious Arctic Wolves, Ellesmere Islands, Nunavut, Canada | By © Amit Eshel of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Arctic Wolf Close-up, Ellesmere Islands, Nunavut, Canada | By © Amit Eshel of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Musk Oxen Confrontation, Dovrefjell National Park, Norway | By © Daniel Valverde Fernández of Madrid, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Young Polar Bear and Walrus, Svalbard, Norway | By © Florian Ledoux of Kvaløya, Norway

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Polar Bear & Cub, Wapusk National Park, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada | By © Nadeem Sufi of Chesterfield, Missouri, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Harp Seal, Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada | By © Roberta Olenick of Vancouver, BC, Canada

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Emperor Penguins, Queen Maud Land, Atka-Bay, Antarctica | By © Stefan Christmann of Böhmenkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Gentoo Penguin Close-up, Brown Bluff, Antarctica | By © Nadia Haq of Lexington, Massachusetts, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Leopard Seal, Argentine Islands, Antarctica | By © Lars von Ritter Zahony of Giessen, Hessen, Germany

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

“I spent days in a hide watching a tree cavity claimed by a pair of great hornbills. Here, the red-eyed male was coming home facing the wind.”

Highly Honored | YOUTH

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Allen’s Hummingbird, San Diego, California, USA | By © Faith Barton, taken at age 13, San Diego, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Harlequin Sweetlips, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia | By © Tinnapat Netcharussaeng, at age 16, of Bangkok, Thailand

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Sacred Ibis Silhouettes, Chobe National Park, Botswana | By © Ethan Blofield, at age 11, of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Saltwater Crocodile and Wallace’s Flying Frog, Balangan, Indonesia | By © Genia Ikhfa Anindita, at age 13, of Haruai, Tabalong, Indonesia

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Pasqueflowers, Biskoupky, Czech Republic | By © Matyáš Mutina, at age 17, of Rosice, South Moravia, Czech Republic

WINNER | CONSERVATION STORY

THE GREAT TURTLE RESCUE, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, Green Turtles, IUCN Status: Endangered | By © Sandesh Kadur of Bangalore, Karnataka, India

"Without the incredible effort of this community to rescue nearly 5,000 cold-stunned turtles after an extreme cold front, the island’s entire turtle population would have been decimated. Perhaps this will inspire others to protect their local species of wildlife. The rescue volunteers pictured are Robert 'DJ' Lerma, Irving A. Hernandez, and David Daniel Barrera."

WINNER | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE

SRI LANKAN ASIAN ELEPHANT IN WASTE PILE, IUCN status: Endangered, Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka | By © Lakshitha Karunarathna of Colombo, Sri Lanka

“This photograph isn’t just a record—it’s a cry for awareness, urging immediate action to protect one of Earth’s most iconic yet imperiled species.”

Highly Honored | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE

HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE | Coral Nursery, Hawksbill Sea Turtle, IUCN Status: Critically Endangered, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, Israel | By © Dr. Tom Shlesinger of Eilat, Israel

HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE | Eurasian Lynx in Barbed Wire, Dulan County, China | By © Xingchao Zhu, Shenzhen City, China

WINNER | NATURE IN MOTION | VIDEO

VIEW THE VIDEO

"Once the harsh winter is gone, we often encounter bears swimming and playing. In this video, the young female known as the Grinch was playing with an old breathing hole for seals at the edge of the sea ice."

Highly Honored | NATURE IN MOTION | VIDEO

HIGHLY HONORED | VIEW VIDEO | Pumas of Patagonia, Estancia Laguna Amarga and Torres del Paine National Park, Chile | By © Olli Teirilä of Helsinki, Finland

HIGHLY HONORED | VIEW THE VIDEO | Calving Glacier, Seward, Alaska, USA | By © Adriana Greisman of Laguna Woods, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | VIEW VIDEO | "The Last Cheetahs," Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya | By © Daniel Clarkson of Cape Town, South Africa

HIGHLY HONORED | VIEW VIDEO | Reef Manta Rays and Whitespotted Surgeonfish, Tumon Bay Marine Preserve, Guam, USA | By © Tim Rock of Tamuning, Guam, USA

Follow us on Social:

Instagram.com/naturesbestmagazine and Facebook.com/naturesbestphotography.org

GET THE BEST NATURE MAGAZINE

In this issue, we feature a Retrospective of 30 years of past Grand Prize Winners, along with the complete collection of 2025 Winners and Highly Honored finalists, including the stories behind the shots and the camera specifications. The 2025 Winter Special 30th Anniversary Edition of Nature's Best Photography magazine is available as a subscription or single issue on this website.

ON THE COVER | Top: African Elephant & Calf by Torie Hilley | Insets from left: Humpback Whale by Charlie Weymss-Dunn, Arctic Fox by Amit Eshel, Giraffe Pattern by Amy Gerber, Emperor Penguins by Thomas Vijayan, & Forget-me-nots by Ray Bulson.

ON THE BACK COVER | African Elephants marching forward by Kathy Karn.

DONATE TO NBP PROGRAMS

Back to NBP Home Page

Credits:

NBP Homepage