Winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020

The winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) competition have been announced during an online awards ceremony by the Duchess of Cambridge, patron of the Natural History Museum, which develops and produces the competition.

This year’s competition attracted 49,000 entries from around the world, highlighting the world’s richest habitats, fascinating animal behaviors, and extraordinary species. Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov was awarded the grand title for his image “The Embrace,” depicting an Amur tigress hugging an ancient Manchurian fir tree in the Russian Far East. Capturing this moment took more than 11 months of patience with hidden cameras.

“It’s a scene like no other,” remarks Rosamund Kidman Cox, chair of the judging panel. “A unique glimpse of an intimate moment deep in a magical forest.” The winning images will be showcased in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum and will subsequently tour the UK and travel internationally.

Here are some of the winning images.

Winner 2020, Behaviour: Invertebrates

Frank Deschandol from France won in the Behaviour: Invertebrates category with his remarkable photograph of a red-banded sand wasp and a cuckoo wasp on the verge of entering their nest holes. He created a superfast shutter system using an old hard drive, allowing him to capture this perfectly-timed moment when the two species fortuitously crossed paths.

Winner 2020, Urban Wildlife

Biologist Alex Badyaev from Russia/US captured the winning image in the Urban Wildlife category, depicting a female Cordilleran flycatcher checking on her four nestlings outside his remote research cabin window in Montana. For this shot, he cleverly hid his camera behind a large piece of bark and operated it remotely.

Winner 2020, 10 years and under

Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco from Spain captured the essence of nature with his photograph of a male stonechat bird balancing delicately on a flower stem. Using a creative approach, Andrés secured this shot by positioning himself in the back seat of a car while photographing through the open windows, capturing the perfectly balanced moment.

Winner 2020, Earth’s Environments

Luciano Gaudenzio from Italy earned recognition in the Earth’s Environments category for his breathtaking photo titled “Etna’s river of fire.” Captured after sunset, this image portrays the dramatic beauty of lava flowing from Mount Etna, Europe’s largest volcano, during its active phase.

Winner 2020, Animal Portraits

“The pose” by Mogens Trolle from Denmark won the Animal Portraits category. The image showcases a young male proboscis monkey, a species native only to Borneo and neighboring islands. The unique capture reflects the monkey’s endearing demeanor as he closes his eyes, creating a serene moment in nature.