Cast Your Vote: 25 Amazing Images Compete for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award 2024

From a determined honey badger attempting to catch a spikey meal to a beluga whale exfoliating its skin, the 25 striking images offer a powerful insight into the remarkable beauty of nature as well as the critical challenges facing wildlife today.

The shortlisted photographs were chosen from 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories, in addition to the 100 winning images announced earlier this year, by the Natural History Museum, London, and an international judging panel.

Dr Douglas Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum says, “The People’s Choice Award allows members of the public from across the globe to join the jury and vote for their winning image, inspiring everyone to connect with the natural world. As always, this year's selection of images for the competition’s sixtieth anniversary is truly exceptional, and we can't wait to see which one will be chosen as the public's favourite!”

Among this year’s selection is the moment a European roller bird defended its territory from a bemused-looking little owl by Bence Máté. Arvind Ramamurthy’s memorable image of an Indian wolf pack pausing briefly as they played amongst some fields and Jose Fragozo’s heartbreaking image of a young cheetah cub waiting to be sold in Ethiopia are also in the running.

The public can vote for their favourite image either online or via digital screens in the flagship Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London. Voting closes on Wednesday 29 January 2025.

The winning image and the four runners-up will be announced in February 2025 and displayed online, joining the winners of the sixtieth competition announced earlier this year. The top five People’s Choice Award images will also be showcased on the voting screens at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in South Kensington until the exhibition closes on Sunday 29 June 2025.

The sixty-first competition is currently open for entries to photographers of all ages, nationalities and experience levels until 11.30am GMT on Thursday 5 December 2024. New for this year’s competition, entrants aged 18 to 26 may enter up to 25 images for free and, as per last year, there is an entry fee waiver for photographers entering the adult competition from 107 countries.

Harnessing the unique emotive power of photography, the annual competition and touring exhibition spotlight inspiring and impactful stories from the natural world to create advocates for the planet.

Vote online for the winner of the People’s Choice Award here: https://bit.ly/VotePeoplesChoice2024

Press pack including images and captions here: https://bit.ly/WPYPeoplesChoice2024

NOTES TO EDITORS

Exhibition at Natural History Museum, London 

• Online voting is open from Wednesday 27 November, until 14.00pm GMT on Wednesday 29 January 2025. 

• The flagship exhibition is open until Sunday 29 June 2025.  

• The exhibition is open Monday – Sunday, 10.00-17.50 (last admission at 16.30), and weekends sell out quickly.  

• Adult tickets from £18.00*, concession tickets £14.50*, and child £10.95*. Off-peak Adult tickets from £15.50, off-peak concession ticket £12.50, and off-peak child ticket £9.25 (*Prices excluding optional Gift Aid donation to the Museum.)

• Get behind the lens of some of the world's best wildlife photographers with a new Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition tour: www.nhm.ac.uk/events/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-tour  

• Book your tickets: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year   

• Please use the hashtag #WPY60 when sharing images and information on social media.

Sixty-First Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition

• The sixty-first Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is now open for entries and closes at 11.30am GMT on Thursday 5 December 2024.

• Entrants to the adult competition may enter up to 25 images for a £30 fee, which increases to £35 in the final week of the entry period from 11.30am GMT 28 November 2023 to 11.30am GMT 5 December 2024.

• An entry fee waiver continues for photographers entering the adult competition from countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.

• Rules and categories will be translated into 15 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, Arabic, Finnish, German, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Swahili, Italian, Bengali, Hindi, and Portuguese.

• Entrants aged between 18 and 26 may enter up to 25 images free of charge. Entrants 17 and under may enter up to 10 images for free.

• Find out how to enter: www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition

Media Contact

For access to high-resolution images or to arrange interviews with photographers, jury members or Museum spokespeople, please contact the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Press Office.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654

Mobile: +44 (0)7799 690151

Email: wildpress@nhm.ac.uk

About Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year was founded in 1965 by BBC Wildlife Magazine, then called Animals. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the competition as it is known today. The annual competition and touring exhibition are now run and owned by the Natural History Museum, London.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 34, edited by Keith Wilson and with a foreword by Kathy Moran, is now available, RRP £28.

Touring venues in the UK currently include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery; Bristol Museum & Art Gallery; Chester Zoo; Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery; Nature in Art, Gloucestershire; The Base, Greenham; The Beacon, Whitehaven; Sewerby Hall & Gardens.

International touring venues currently include the Australian National Maritime Museum, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and National Wool Museum in Australia; Royal BC Museum and Royal Ontario Museum in Canada; Statens Naturhistoriske Museum (Danish Natural History Museum) in Denmark; Montier Photo Festival and Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Bourges (Bourges Natural History Museum) in France; Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Westfälisches Pferdemuseum Münster and Naturkunde Museum Reutlingen in Germany; Palazzo della Permanente and Forte di Bard in Italy; Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (Natural History Museum Basel) in Switzerland; National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States in the USA.

About the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a world-leading science centre and one of the most visited attractions in the UK. A global source of curiosity, inspiration and joy, our vision is to build a future in which both people and the planet thrive. We aim to be a catalyst for change, engaging advocates for the planet in everything that we do. Our 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency in all aspects of life.

Visit, join and support the Natural History Museum today.

Protecting the planet. It's in our nature.