NBP International Awards 2023

RETURN TO HOME

Welcome to the Gallery of Winners and Top 100 Highly Honored photos & videos. The stories behind the shots are published in the 2023 Winter NBP Edition.

GRAND PRIZE

"The Volcano in the Clouds," Geldigadalir Eruption, Reykjanes, Iceland by © Luis Manuel Vilariño of A Coruña, Spain

VIEW THE VIDEO

"While a squall covered Reykjanes peninsula, I ascended to the base of Geldigadalir—Iceland's youngest volcano. Magma rising from the mantle formed gigantic bubbles 30 to 50 feet in diameter, which burst when they reached the surface. Lava was emerging with unusual force, overflowing the drainage channel and scattering the incandescent rock like oil on a canvas."

winner

WILDLIFE

Three White Rhinoceros, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya © Hector D. Astorga of Mission, Texas, USA

"These three rhinos were butting heads when one suddenly lifted his head and pushed through the center. When they were lined up perfectly, I captured the moment."

HIGHLY HONORED

WILDLIFE

HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Roe Deer, Wiltshire, England, UK © Andy Rouse of Cardiff, Wales, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Gray Puma Hiding, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile © Casey Klebba of Issaquah, Washington, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Brown Bear and Salmon, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA © Daniel D’Auria, MD of Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Brown Fur Seals, Pelican Point, Namibia © Eduardo del Álamo of Madrid, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | African Lion, Ndutu, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania © Gian Luigi Fornari Lanzetti of Rome, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | African Leopards, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © Ian Mears of Rochford, Essex, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Wiley’s Glassfrog, Yanayacu Biological Station, Napo, Ecuador © Jaime Culebras of Cáceres, Cáceres, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Brown Bear and Cub, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA © Jennifer Smith of Kodiak, Alaska, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Mountain Hare, Highlands, Scotland, UK © Kevin Morgans of Cheshire, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Cheetah and Cubs, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © Krishnan Gopala Krishnan of Dubai, UAE
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Galápagos Land Iguana, North Seymour Island, Galápagos, Ecuador © Marko Dimitrijevic of Miami, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Gharial and Hatchlings, Chambal River, Uttar Pradesh, India © Santosh Jana of East Midnapur, West Bengal, India
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Red Fox, Sierra de Cardeñ National Park, Montoro, Spain © Yonatan Stern of Raanana, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Crab Spider Guarding Nest, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China © Yong Miao of Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China

winner

BIRDS

Mute Swans, Derbyshire, UK © Andy Parkinson of Crich, Derbyshire, England, UK

"Observing mute swans near my home, I would visit daily to gain their trust. When cygnets hatched, I was able to work at a unique proximity to capture this touching interaction."

HIGHLY HONORED

BIRDS

HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Mute Swans, Derbyshire, UK © Andy Parkinson of Crich, Derbyshire, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Eurasian Kingfisher, Ubrique, Cádiz, Spain © Andrés Miguel Domínguez of Ubrique, Cádiz, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Little Owl in Barn, Monmouth, Wales, UK © Andy Rouse of Cardiff, Wales, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Juvenile Great Gray Owl, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho, USA © Brian Barton of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Cape Gannets at Breeding Colony, Malgas Island, West Coast National Park, South Africa © Peter Chadwick of Cannon Rocks, South Africa
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Gannet Colony, Unst, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK © Petr Bambousek of Pribram, Czech Republic
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Toucan Nesting, Mindo, Ecuador © Petr Bambousek of Pribram, Czech Republic
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Purple-Crested Turacos, Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy, South Africa © Richard Flack of Balgowan, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | "Butterfly," Gannet, Saltee Island, Ireland © Richard Peters of Surrey, England, UK

WINNER

OCEAN VIEWS

Wave, North Shore, Oahu, Hawai‘i, USA © Danny Sepkowski of Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i, USA

"During the golden hour on The North Shore, I was treading water through the ripping current and trying to make sure my head didn't get pounded by the numerous giant waves coming my way."

HIGHLY HONORED

OCEAN VIEWS

HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Sardine Ball, Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico © Amos Nachoum of Pacific Grove, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Honeycomb Moray Eel, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia © David Fleetham of Makawao, Maui, Hawai‘i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Giant Kelp, Santa Barbara Island, California, USA © David Fleetham of Makawao, Maui, Hawai‘i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Blanket Octopus, Anilao, Philippines © Filippo Borghi of Siena, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Napoleon Wrasse, Red Sea, Egypt © Laurie V. Slawson of Tucson, Arizona, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Painted Frogfish, Red Sea Eilat, Israel © Noam Kortler of Eilat, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Humpback Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins, Kihei, Hawai‘i, USA © Raja Iliya of Haiku, Hawai‘i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Larval Lionfish, Riviera Beach, Florida, USA © Rajiv Bhambri of Melbourne Beach, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Green Sea Turtle, Tahiti, French Polynesia © Tobias Friedrich of Wiesbaden, Germany
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Branching Coral Spawning, Gulf of Aqaba and Eilat, Northern Red Sea, Eilat, Israel © Tom Shlesinger of Eilat, Israel

WINNER

ART IN NATURE

Green Basilisk, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica © Petr Bambousek of Pribram, Czech Republic

"I traveled to Costa Rica to look for and photograph basilisk lizards where they can be found hiding in the lush vegetation. Finally, I found this male resting on a fallen trunk which was half-submerged in a lagoon. I moved closer to frame his splendor against a dark background without distracting elements in view."

HIGHLY HONORED

ART IN NATURE

HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Ice Details, Thornton, Ontario, Canada © Andrew McLachlan of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Icicles, Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota, USA © Dominique Braud of Farmington, Minnesota, USA 
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Wildflower Superbloom, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Santa Margarita, California, USA © Dr. Elliot McGucken of Los Angeles, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Desert Wash, Hanksville, Utah, USA © James Bian of Clarksville, Maryland, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | "Perception," Insect Flight, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia © Les Irwig of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Hall of Mosses, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA © Luis Forte of Miami, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Tinto River, Huelva, Spain © Manuel Enrique González Carmona of Olivares, Seville, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Frosty Fir Trees, Jasper National Park, Canada © Miquel Angel Artús Illana of Tossa de Mar, Spain 
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Atlantic Puffin Silhouette, Skomer Island, Wales, UK © Richard Peters of Surrey, England, UK 
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Faggeta Vetusta, Soriano nel Cimino Forest, Lazio, Italy © Roberto Marchegiani of Ancona, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Reef Squid, Near Tulamben, Bali © Tobias Friedrich of Wiesbaden, Germany
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Leopard in Camelthorn Tree, Savuti, Botswana © Wim van den Heever of Pretoria, South Africa 

WINNER

ANIMAL ANTICS

Burrowing Owlet, Salton Sea Desert, California, USA © Shane Keena of Redlands, California, USA

"As the owlets from this particular burrow grew older and bolder, each would venture further away from home, bouncing around and practicing their flight capabilities. I captured this juvenile owlet in a fully extended, yet humorously failed mid-flight attempt."

HIGHLY HONORED

ANIMAL ANTICS

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Alaskan Brown Bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA © Amit Eshel of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Bull Moose, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, Wyoming, USA © Deena R. Sveinsson of Estes Park, Colorado, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Polar Bear Wave, Barter Island, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, USA © Jennifer R. Bellon of Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | African Savanna Elephant Bulls, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya © Kathy Karn of Campbellville, Ontario, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Rocky Mountain Goat Kids, Mount Evans, Colorado, USA © Mark Van Liere Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Lion Cub, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © Nisha Purushothaman of Paravur, Kollam, Kerala, India and Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Emperor Penguin, Snow Hill Island, Weddell Sea, Antarctica © Philip Marazzi of Leatherhead, England, UK 
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | African Savanna Elephant, Marataba Private Reserve, Marakele National Park, Limpopo, South Africa © Staffan Widstrand of Jarfalla, Sweden 
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Grevy’s Zebra, Samburu National Park, Kenya © Vijayram Harinathan of Chennai, India
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk and Giant Ground Gecko, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa © Willie van Schalkwyk of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Polar Bear, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada © Meline Ellwanger at age 18, of Reutlingen, Germany

"Sea ice normally starts to form in November when bears will hunt for seals, but this year there was no ice and the bears were waiting patiently. We were following this individual as it came across an empty hut and disappeared inside. When it poked out its head, I got this humorous shot."

Highly Honored

YOUTH

HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Orb Weaver Spider, Hubli, Karnataka, India © Anirudh Kamakeri, at age 17, of Dharwad, Karnataka, India
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Spotted Owlets, Hubli, Karnataka, India © Anirudh Kamakeri, at age 17, of Dharwad, Karnataka, India
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Lion-tailed Macaque, Valparai, India © Arshdeep Singh, at age 14, of Jalandhar City, Punjab, India
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Pier, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia © Cian O'Hagan, at age 18, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | "One Way," Döröske, Vas, Hungary © Gergő Kártyás, at age 16, of Döröske, Hungary
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Rainbow over Sylvan Pass Overlook, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA © Kinley Bollinger, at age 17, of Cody, Wyoming, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Mute Swan, Biel, Bern, Switzerland © Nicolas Stettler, at age 18, of Nidau, Bern, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Weaver Ants, Home Garden, Dalupotha, Negombo, Sri Lanka © Sudith Rodrigo, at age 17, of Dalupotha, Negombo, Sri Lanka

WINNER

LANDSCAPES

Superstition Mountains Sunrise, Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA © Peter Coskun of Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA

" The warm glow of sunrise created a mosaic of pink and orange over this composition of barrel cactus and teddy bear cholla under my favorite peaks in the Superstition Mountains."

Highly Honored

LANDSCAPES

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | "Mythical Makaleha," Kapahi, Kaua’i, Hawai’i © Aaron Feinberg of Kapa’a, Hawai’i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Cherry Blossoms, Tidal Basin, Washington, DC, USA © David Hua of Fairfax, Virginia, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | “Desert Angel,” Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona, USA © Dr. Elliot McGucken of Los Angeles, California, USA 
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Rowan Tree, Trotternish Ridge, The Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK © Ilan Shacham of Modiin, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Hex Columns, Fingal’s Cave, Staffa Island, Staffa, Scotland, UK © Ilan Shacham of Modiin, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Tatsuzawafudo Waterfall, Inawashiro, Fukushima, Japan © Kazauaki Koseki, Yamagata, Japan 
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Factory Butte, Hanksville, Utah, USA © Michael Zheng of Southlake, Texas, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Rainbow over Monument Valley Tribal Park, Arizona, USA © Peter Coskun of Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Kiangs at Sunset, Qinghai, China © Shengfu Jiao of Beijing, China
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Star Trails over Baobab, Pafuri Area, Northern South Africa © Wim van den Heever of Pretoria, South Africa 

WINNER

POLAR PASSION

Polar Bear and Cubs, Wapusk National Park, Canada © Hung Tsui of Hong Kong

"This polar bear mother stole a moment to rest while her cubs were trying to wake her up to play."

Highly Honored

POLAR PASSION

HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Bald Eagle and Ice Waterfall, Peterson Bay, Alaska, USA © Clemens Vanderwerf of Middelburg, The Netherlands
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Aurora Borealis, White Mountains National Recreation Area, near Fairbanks, Alaska, USA © Dominique Braud of Farmington, Minnesota, USA 
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Polar Bear, Near Svalbard, Norway © Florian Ledoux of Tromsø, Norway
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Stokksnes Beach, Iceland © Ivan Pedretti of Cagliari, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Emperor Penguins in Three Stages, Gould Bay, Antarctica © Joshua Holko of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Diamond Beach, Iceland © Luis Vilariño of A Coruña, Spain 
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | South American Sea Lion, Garibaldi Fjord, Tierra del Fuego, Chile © Marko Dimitrijevic of Miami, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Musk Ox, Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway © Victor Soares of Epsom, Surrey, England, UK

WINNER

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

"On Edge," Vatnajökull, Southern Iceland © Virgil Reglioni of Tromsø, Norway

"The goal of our adventure was to drop into the glacier just before the dark of night. We found a hole, or 'moulin,' about 40 meters deep. Here, climber Helgi Ragnar Jensson is coming up around midnight under the most epic conditions with a rising full moon and halo.”

Highly Honored

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Rock Climber, Hidden Falls, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA © Chris Casanova of Vernal, Utah, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Surfer, Pipeline, Oahu, Hawai‘i, USA © Danny Sepkowski of Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Shooting the Gap, Stephens Gap Cave, Jackson County, Alabama, USA © David Morring of Richardson, Texas, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Cristina DiPalma diving amid Thaliacea, Reggio Calabria, Italy, Mediterranean Sea, In memory of © David Salvatori of Rome, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Milky Way Scholar, Ramon Crater, Israel © Ilan Shacham, Modiin, Israel
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Canoeing, Caddo Lake, Texas, USA © James Bian of Clarksville, Maryland, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Snorkeling with Sperm Whales, East Coast, Sri Lanka © Paul Goldstein of Wimbledon, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Hiking in Sandstone Alcove, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA © Peter Coskun Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Mountain Bikers with Mt. Adams, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mt. St. Helens, Washington, USA © Will Barker of Fort Valley, Georgia, USA

WINNER

CONSERVATION STORY

Iberian Lynx, IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered, Castile-La Mancha, Spain © Amit Eshel of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel

"The early morning sun painted everything gold, making it look as if this young Iberian lynx was surrounded by fire! The rare wild cat species is recovering from the brink of extinction through the joint efforts of Spanish national and regional administrations, several NGOs, and the European Union."

Highly Honored

CONSERVATION STORY

HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION STORY | Project Puffin, Eastern Egg Rock, Maine, USA © Derrick Z. Jackson, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
"In 1973, biologist Stephen Kress founded 'Project Puffin' to re-establish a colony in Maine. Fifty years later, chick translocation and techniques of social attraction with decoys, mirrors, and playing taped bird calls have been used in more than 750 seabird restoration projects."
HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION STORY | "Ice Bears," Yukon, Canada, © Peter Mather of Whitehorse, Canada.
"When bears of the Yukon delay their hibernation to fish in temperatures in the - 20°s, the water freezes on the bears' fur creating hundreds of icicles that dangle from their coats. When they walk, they sound like chandeliers swaying in the wind. Winter has been arriving later each year and the salmon are dying and disappearing from the Klukshu River."
HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION STORY | Clark's Anemonefish, Anilao, Philippines © Laurie V. Slawson of Tucson, Arizona, USA. "This fish was caring for eggs she had laid on a plastic bag filled with sand. I was sad to see trash cluttering the ocean."

WINNER

VIDEO | NATURE IN MOTION

Polar Bears and Beluga Whales, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada © Martin Gregus of Vancouver, Canada / Slovakia

“As the pandemic raged, I decided to document and explore the Hudson Bay area. Utilizing drones and custom-built equipment allowed me to stay invisible while capturing intimate moments and unique hunting behaviors of the wildlife.”

Highly Honored

VIDEO | NATURE IN MOTION

HIGHLY HONORED | VIDEO | The Lek of the Sharp-tailed Grouse, British Columbia, Canada © Liron Gertsman, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

HIGHLY HONORED | VIDEO | Blackwater Creatures, Anilao, Balayan Bay, Phillipines © Mike Bartick of Venice, California, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | VIDEO | Searching for the Kulawai or Red-throated Lorikeet, Taveuni, Fiji © Tom Vierus of Suva, Fiji

HIGHLY HONORED | VIDEO | Great Grey Owl, British Columbia, Canada © Henrik Nilsson, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

HIGHLY HONORED | VIDEO | The Elk Fence, Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA © Evie Dietrich, at age 8, of Inverness, California, USA

Nature's Best Photography Awards. All Rights Reserved. No use of photographs and videos without written permission of © photographers.

Get the 2023 Winter NBP Edition and other back issues in the NBP Store.

DONATE TO NBP PROGRAMS
Back to NBP Home Page
NBP Homepage