Prepare to be amazed—the winners of the Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 have been unveiled, and they’re nothing short of breathtaking. But here’s where it gets controversial: is the winning shot by Norwegian photographer Åsmund Keilen truly the best among 24,781 entries from 96 countries? His ethereal photo, Sundance, captures a bird in flight against the glowing sun, leaving judges and viewers alike in awe. Yet, some might argue that other categories pushed boundaries even further. Let’s dive in and decide for ourselves.
Keilen’s winning moment wasn’t planned—it was pure serendipity. While backing out of his driveway in Oslo, his coffee cup tumbled on the car roof, covered in tiny orange birch seeds. As swifts danced in the sky, he saw his shot: ‘Freedom seemed to take shape in chaos,’ he recalls. Using multiple exposures, he recreated the dreamlike scene that felt both universal and timeless. Jury chairman Tin Man Lee praised it as ‘a mesmerizing image where stillness and motion intertwine.’ But is this enough to crown it the ultimate winner? You be the judge.
And this is the part most people miss: the competition wasn’t just about grand landscapes or exotic wildlife. It celebrated the unexpected, like Pål Hermansen’s Polar Meal, a visceral photo of a polar bear and its walrus prey, or Bence Máté’s Silent Scream, where crabs devour a baby bird—a brutal reminder of nature’s harsh realities. These images spark debate: are they too grim, or do they authentically reflect the natural world?
In the Plants and Fungi category, Tobias Richter’s Inferno stunned with its raw portrayal of wildfires. ‘It’s both beautiful and horrifying,’ noted jury member Kristel Schneider. Meanwhile, Alexander Hormann’s Time For a Drop invites viewers into a frozen, intimate landscape, where ‘faint shapes emerge like imagined forms beneath the ice.’ Is this abstract approach more impactful than traditional nature photography?
Underwater photography took a unique turn with Luis Arpa Toribio’s Featherhome, which some see as a futuristic city, while others find it abstract. Pål Hermansen’s Moose in Snow used infrared cameras to create a watercolor-like effect—a fusion of art and technology. But does this blur the line between photography and digital manipulation?
The Human and Nature category sparked intense debate with Xingchao Zhu’s Difficult Crossing, a black-and-white portrait of a lynx navigating barbed wire. ‘It reflects the limits we impose on wildlife,’ said Marlondag. Yet, some argue it’s too political for a nature competition. What do you think?
From Mary Schrader’s tender Shared Wonder—a gorilla mesmerized by a butterfly—to Sam Mannaerts’ abstract Bike Tides, the winners challenge us to see nature in new ways. Even young Leo Dale’s Panning Bobcat proved that age is no barrier to mastery. But with so many groundbreaking entries, was Keilen’s Sundance truly the most deserving?
As we marvel at these images, let’s ask ourselves: What makes a photo ‘the best’? Is it technical skill, emotional impact, or the courage to show nature unfiltered? The 2026 competition opens soon—perhaps your perspective will redefine the genre. Share your thoughts below—let’s keep the conversation alive!