CONGRATULATIONS to the Category Winners and Top 100 Highly Honored finalists.
GRAND PRIZE
BENGAL TIGERS
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India By © Mangesh Ratnakar Desai, Pune, Maharashtra, India
winner | BIRDs
EGRET AND LADYFISH
Yundang Lake, Xiamen, Fujian, China By © Xiaoping Lin, Xiamen City, Fujian, China
HIGHLY HONORED | birds
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Bald Eagle Fight, Hood Canal, Kitsap County, Washington, USA By © Michael Despines of Bellevue, Washington, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Northern Hawk Owl, Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia, Canada By © Liron Gertsman of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Parakeet Biting Monitor Lizard, Keloadev National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India By © Hira Punjabi of Thane, Maharashtra, India
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Brandt’s Cormorant, Baja California Sur Peninsula, Sea of Cortez, Espiritu Santo Archipelago, Los Islotes Rockeries, Mexico By © Franco Banfi of Cadro, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Keel-billed Toucan, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica By © Greg Basco of Zarcero, Costa Rica
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Red-throated Loon, Suomenniemi, Finland By © Jari Heikkinen of Kouvola, Finland
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | "Tranquility," Great Egret, Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Uncertain, Texas, USA By Michael Zheng of Southlake, Texas, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Yellow-rumped Honeyguide at Beehive, Bhutan By Khushboo Sharma of New Delhi, India
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Black Grouse Sunrise, Swiss Alps By Levi Fitze of Edelgrueb, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Great Horned Owls, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA By © Isabel Guerra Clark of Phoenix, Arizona, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | BIRDS | Great Crested Grebe and Chicks, Lake Chiusi, Siena, Tuscany, Italy By © Antonio Aguti of Monte San Savino, Arezzo, Italy
winner | wildlife
AFRICAN LEOPARD FIGHT
Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana By Kevin Dooley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
"In addition to the difficulty of focusing on the action, dust was in the air; but it all added to one of my favorite memories as a nature photographer."
HIGHLY HONORED | wildlife
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Bengal Tiger, Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India By © Krishna Daga of Kolkata, India
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | African Lion Cubs, Dinaka, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana By © Keith Bannerman of Alamo, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Masai Giraffe and Calf, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya By © Thomas Nicholson of Easton, Massachusetts, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Canada Lynx, Northern Ontario, Canada, By © Thomas Vijayan of Oakdale, Ontario, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | South American Tapir, Olho d’Água River, Jardim, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil By © Marcio Cabral of Brasília, Brazil
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Puma Cubs, Patagonia, Chile By © Ralph Lee Hopkins of Buena Vista, Colorado, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Indian Pangolin and Pup, Matale, Sri Lanka By © Heshan Peiris of Colombo, Sri Lanka
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | White Rhinoceros and Calf, Solio Game Reserve, Kenya By © Jules Oldroyd of London, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Geladas and Infant, Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia By © Marco Gaiotti of Genova, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Gray Wolves, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA By © Devon Pradhuman of Seattle, Washington, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | American Bison and Calf, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA By © Lara Ferraro of Coto de Caza, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Brown Bear and Salmon, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA By © Barrett Hedges of Canmore, Alberta, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | WILDLIFE | Olive Baboon, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania By © Steve Mattheis of Jackson, Wyoming, USA
WINNER | ANIMAL ANTICS
KIT FOXES
Simpson Springs, Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area, Skull Valley, Dugway, Utah, USA By © Brian Clopp of Huntsville, Utah, USA
"The genuine tenderness between these wild animals made me smile and serves as a poignant reminder that each living creature has
a unique value within our universe.”
HIGHLY HONORED
ANIMAL ANTICS
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Barred Owlets, Seward Park, Seattle, Washington, USA By © Glenn Nelson of Seattle, Washington, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Mountain Hares, Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland, UK By © Andy Parkinson of Derbyshire, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Williams’ South American Side-necked Turtle, Butterfly, and Bee, Tres Chimbadas Lake, Peru By © Hung Tsui of Hong Kong
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Impala and Red-billed Oxpecker, Kruger National Park, South Africa By © Luisa Pericoli of Long Island, New York, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Osprey, Oceanport, New Jersey, USA By © William Page Pully of Aberdeen, Maryland, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Cheetah and Cub, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © By Daryl Yeo of Singapore
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Alaskan Brown Bear Sow and Cubs, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA By © Jennifer Smith of Kodiak, Alaska, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Ermine and Bushy-tailed Woodrat (upper right), Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA By © Larry Taylor of Helena, Montana, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Leaf Cutter Ant and Carambola Flower, Carate, Costa Rica By © Rex Short and Ginna Short of Carefree, Arizona, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Emperor Penguin, Antarctica By © Thomas Vijayan of Oakdale, Ontario, Canada
WINNER | POLAR PASSION
BELUGA WHALES
Hudson Bay, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada © By Brett Freliche of Morgan Hill, California, USA
"My fingers and face became numb after exposure to the cold Hudson Bay when I photographed this group of very curious and vocal belugas."
HIGHLY HONORED
POLAR PASSION
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Emperor Penguin Chick, Sea Ice in Atka-Bay, Antarctica By © Stefan Christmann of Geislingen/Steige, Germany
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | "Treasure on Ice," Polar Bear on Ice Floe, Svalbard and Jan Mayen By © Marek Jackowski of Poznan, Wielkopolska, Poland
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Emperor Penguins, Snow Hill, Antarctica By © Liwen Tao of Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | King Penguin Colony, St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island, UK By © Syler Peralta-Ramos of Wilson, Wyoming, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Chinstrap, Adélie, and Gentoo Penguins, Gerlache Strait, Antarctica By © Ira Meyer of Oxnard, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | King Penguins Under Full Moon, Falkland Islands By © Levi Fitze of Buhler, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Gentoo Penguins, Biscoe Point, Antarctica By © Clive Burns of Kimpton, Hertfordshire, England, UK
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Polar Bear and Cub, Wapusk National Park, Canada By © Hung Tsui of Hong Kong
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Leopard Seal, Paradise Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula By © Matty Smith of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
HIGHLY HONORED | POLAR PASSION | Reindeer and Polar Bear, Nordre Isfjorden National Park, Svalbard, Norway By © Wendy Harris of Weston, Connecticut, USA
WINNER | ART IN NATURE
EYE OF FROZEN LAKE
Baingoin County, Nagqu, Tibet, China By © Lei Li, Honghe, Yunnan, China
HIGHLY HONORED
ART IN NATURE
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Sandstone Cliff, Central Oregon Coast, USA By © Adrian Klein of Portland, Oregon, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Pygmy Sweepers, Ogasawara Islands, Tokyo, Japan By © Chihiro Wakamatsu of Tokyo, Japan
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Spotted Eagle Ray, Moorea, French Polynesia By © Joaquin Fregoni of Jujuy, Argentina
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Mushroom Underside, Monterey, California, USA By © Peter Monteforte of Pacific Grove, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Bigeye Trevally, Ras Mohammed National Park, The Red Sea, Egypt By © Wayne Lai of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Sri Lanka Junglefowl Feather Closeup, Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka By © Ashane Marasinghe of Kirillawala, Kadawatha, Sri Lanka
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE| Laurisilva, Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal By © Gianluca Gianferrari of Correggio, Reggio Emilia, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Impala in the Mist, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa By © Kevin Dooley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Pink Salt Lakes Horse Portrait, Kherson Region, Ukraine By © Yevhen Samuchenko of Odesa, Ukraine
HIGHLY HONORED | ART IN NATURE | Black-winged Stilt, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India By © Sarthak Agrawal of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
WINNER | LANDSCAPES
"FIREWORKS"
Wildlfowers at Sunrise, Alto Paraíso, Goiás, Brazil By © Marcio Cabral of Brasília, Brazil
"A stunning field of Paepalanthus mirrors the rising sun’s rays, giving the impression of self-luminescence."
Highly Honored
LANDSCAPES
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Dancing the Sumba, Mangroves, Sumba Island, Indonesia By © Cyndy B. Waters of Sevierville, Tennessee, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Poplar Reflections on the Po River, Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, Italy By © Gianluca Gianferrari of Correggio, Reggio Emilia, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Hummocks, Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia By © Alessandra Meniconzi of Lugano, South Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Mesocyclone, Platte County, Wyoming, USA By © Nathan Myhrvold of Bellevue, Washington, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Storm over Labyrinth, Bentonite Hills, Utah, USA By © Luis Vilariño of A Coruña, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Wildflowers Superbloom, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, California, USA By © Dr. Elliot McGucken of Los Angeles, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Lenticular Cloud over Jason Harbor, South Georgia Island By © Ralph Lee Hopkins of Buena Vista, Colorado, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Badlands National Park and Bighorn Ram, South Dakota, USA By © Amy Gerber of Cody, Wyoming, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Three Brothers Reflection, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, USA By © Vicki B. Hendrix of Calera, Alabama, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | ‘Mirage,’ Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil By © Marcio Cabral of Brasília, Brazil
WINNER | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
HIGHLINER DURING ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE
Bureau of Land Management Area Near Monticello, Utah, USA By © Belva Hayden of Waterbury Center, Vermont, USA
" The moon passing directly between Earth and Sun during an annular eclipse, made this highliner's experience even more extreme."
Highly Honored
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Free Diver and Sperm Whales, Dominica, Caribbean Sea By © Franco Banfi of Cadro, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Diver with Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico By © Christian Horras of Eppelborn, Germany
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Free Diver and Silky Sharks, Gardens of the Queen, Cuba By © Wayne Lai of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Camping at 21,000 Feet, Ama Dablam Camp 3, Everest Region, Himalaya Mountains, Nepal By © Jason Weiss of Golden, Colorado, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Night Climber, Bunker Cave, Mallorca Island, Spain By © Marc Marco of Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Hiking in Norway, Jotunheimen National Park, Innlandet, Norway By © Aleksander Myklebust of Lillehammer, Innlandet, Norway
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Hiking under Northern Lights, Iceland South Coast By © Emmett Sparling of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Crossing Ice Lake, Khuvsgul Lake, Mongolia By © Alessandra Meniconzi of Breganzona, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Bike Riding at Portage Glacier, Alaska, USA By © Amber Johnson of Anchorage, Alaska, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OUTDOOR ADVENTURE | Death Valley National Park, California, USA By © John Morey of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
EUROPEAN STONECHAT
Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain By © Alberto Román Gómez, at age 9, of Ubrique, Cádiz, Spain
"When a stonechat was perched near a bolt on a metal gate, it appeared as if it were the guardian of the territory."
Highly Honored
YOUTH
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Canvasback, Meadowood Special Recreation Area, Lorton, Virginia, USA By © James Fatemi, at age 17, of McLean, Virginia, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Atlantic Puffin, Saltee Island, Ireland By © Andrés Domínguez Blanco, at age 14, of Ubrique, Cádiz, Spain
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Coatimundi Kit, Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico By © Tyler Pratt, at age 15, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Ibex Silhouette, The Aravis Mountains, France By © Maxime Colin, at age 17, of Chevreuse, France
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Whimbrel, Bic National Park, Quebec, Canada By © Lory Cantin, at age 15, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
HIGHLY HONORED | YOUTH | Northern Gannet, Helgoland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany By © Maksymilian Paczkowski, at age 17, of Dziećmierowo, Wielkopolskie, Poland
WINNER | CONSERVATION STORY
SAVING THE MONARCHS
Mexico, USA, and Canada By © Jaime Rojo of Madrid, Spain
Highly Honored
CONSERVATION STORY
WINNER | CONSERVATION | SINGLE IMAGE
NORTHERN GANNETS
Shetland Island, Scotland, UK By © Khurram Khan of Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
"To me, this picture signifies the future
of our planet, literally ‘hanging by a thread’ without our conservation action."
Highly Honored
CONSERVATION | SINGLE IMAGE
HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE | Chimpanzee Rescue, Lwiro Primate Sanctuary, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo By © Marcus Westberg of Fanadia, Portugal / Stockholm, Sweden
HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE | Tule Elk in Barbed Wire, Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA By © Jim Coda of Petaluma, California, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | CONSERVATION SINGLE IMAGE | Polar Bear Relocation, Churchill, Canada By © Michelle H. McConville of Port Jefferson, New York, USA
WINNER | OCEAN VIEWS
SPINNER DOLPHINS SUPERPOD
Off Quepos, Costa Rica By © Cécile Gabillon of Toulouse, France
"Being surrounded by this superpod while free diving was one of the most amazing encounters of my life."
HIGHLY HONORED
OCEAN VIEWS
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Humpback Whales Bubble Netting, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica By © Scott Portelli of Sydney, NSW, Australia
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Yellow Seahorse on White Gorgonian Coral, Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea By © Domenico Roscigno of Naples, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Juvenile Driftfish in Moon Jellyfish, Palm Beach, Florida, USA By © Michael Patrick O’Neill of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Lung Jellyfish and Grey Swimming Crab, Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean Sea By © Domenico Roscigno of Naples, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Sperm Whale Mother and Calf, Dominica, Caribbean By © Franco Banfi of Cadro, Switzerland
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Green Sea Turtles in Cave, Maui, Hawai’i, USA By © Leighton Lum of Aiea, Hawai’i, USA
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Green Sea Turtle, N’Gouja Beach, South of Mayotte Island By © Gaby Barathieu of Mayotte, France
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Diamond Squid, Anilao, Janao Bay, Philippines By © Andrey Shpatak of Dalnegorsk, Primorsky Region, Russia
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Blenny in Brain Coral, Anilao, Batangas, Philippines By © Pietro Formis of Milan, Italy
HIGHLY HONORED | OCEAN VIEWS | Giant Pacific Octopus, Hokkaido, Japan By © Mayumi Takeuchi-Ebbins of London, England, UK
WINNER | NATURE IN MOTION | VIDEO
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Toronto, Ontario, Canada By © Patricia Homonylo of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Highly Honored
NATURE IN MOTION | VIDEO
See the 2024 NBP International Awards Vimeo Showcase on Vimeo at vimeo.com/naturesbestfilms
HIGHLY HONORED | NBP VIDEO: "The Secret Life of Potter Wasps" Trailer, By © Roman Willi of Lucerne, Switzerland
"Manta Ray Conservation," Wakaya Island, Fiji By © Tom Vierus of Suva, Fiji
"In the Realm of the Iberian Lynx," Peñalajo Estate, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain By © Olli Teirilä of Helsinki, Finland
"Oceans of Adaptation," Lembeh Strait and Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia By © Jacob Guy of Torquay, Devon, England, UK
90° Greenland," Uummannaq, Greenland © Stephan Fürnrohr of Kallmünz, Bavaria, Germany
Nature's Best Photography Awards. All Rights Reserved. No use of photographs and videos without written permission of © photographers.
The complete collection of 13 Winners and the Top 100 Highly Honored images, the fascinating stories behind the shots, more about the Winners, and the camera and gear specifications for all images are featured in the 2024 Winter Special Awards Edition of Nature's Best Photography.