The 1839 Photographer of the Year Awards 2025 just dropped their wildlife winners, and honestly—these shots are jaw-dropping. From icy Antarctic landscapes to deep jungle hideouts, these photographers turned their cameras into time machines, freezing the most raw, unfiltered moments of nature. The big title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year went to Risto Raunio for his breathtaking photo “Emperor Family,” showing Emperor penguin parents feeding their tiny chick on the glowing ice of Antarctica. It’s not just a photo—it’s a heart-melting story of survival and love told through light, frost, and feathers.
Each of the 25 winning images paints its own masterpiece of the wild. From the intense stare of a snow leopard in the Himalayas to the playful splash of a baby elephant in Botswana, these photographers bring the animal kingdom right to your screen with every pixel packed full of emotion. You can feel the chill of the Arctic winds, hear the hum of a rainforest, and sense the quiet heartbeat of the wild just beyond the lens.
What makes the 1839 Awards so special is how they celebrate photography as art, not just documentation. Every winner this year has shown that a camera isn’t just a tool—it’s a brush, and nature is the canvas. These photos aren’t only visually stunning; they’re deeply emotional stories that remind us just how precious and fragile our planet really is. Whether you’re a photography geek, a wildlife lover, or just someone who wants to feel awe again—this collection will hit you right in the soul.
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#1. Wildlife Photographer of the Year: "Emperor family" by Risto Raunio
"Emperor parents are feeding their chick on the ice of Antarctica."
#2. Silver: "Blue Hour Guardian" by Alexander Tasho
"Just before sunrise, this cheetah lay perfectly still, deciding whether I was a threat or not before taking a drink. It felt like I’d stumbled into a painting, where even time had stopped to look."
#3. Silver: "Apollp flight" by Paal Hermansen
"Apollo flying off against cloudbank."
#4. Bronze: "The Power of Africa" by Barbara Fleming
"The Cape Buffalo, one of Africa’s most powerful animals, embodies untamed beauty that often goes unnoticed. Its imposing, dark presence commands respect. I aimed to capture its drama and mystery by underexposing the image, highlighting its enigmatic essence."
#5. Bronze: "Connecting" by Barbara Fleming
"Elephant mothers are nurturing and protective. A calf touches its mother for reassurance as the herd returns to the forest after foraging in a swamp. I used layers to underexpose the pair, highlighting the emotional bonding."
#6. Bronze: "Midnight hunters" by Wayne Sorensen
"This image was taken from an underground hide in Kenya after midnight. I could scarcely believe my eyes as not one, but six lions materialised from the darkness. They drank their fill from the waterhole before disappearing once more into the darkness of night to continue their hunt."
Honorable Mentions
#7. "Fresh Catch" by Renee Giffroy
"Puffin, photographed in Iceland"
#8. "Power" by Andy Lerner
#9. "Golden Utopia" by Michael Mihaljevich
"As summer begins, the green grasses of spring meld into gold, and the bison enjoy their utopia of food in the Teton valley."
#10. "Looking Out to Sea" by Steve Sorensen
"A puffin prepares to head out to sea."
#11. "Humpback whale" by Meysam Makvandi
"Breaching moment of this adult humpback whale during sunset 1 mile east Sydney boat harbour gap."
Nominees
#12. "His Majesty" by David Breslauer
"A lone stallion trots through wild mustard in the Utah West Desert. The horse is part of the Onaqui herd of wild mustangs."
#13. "Precision in Flight" by Jan-Tore Oevrevik
"Captured at water level, this image freezes the exact moment a pelican lifts off with wings and beak aligned in symmetry. Shot at dusk in Clearwater Beach, it highlights the precision, strength, and motion of flight in a single commanding frame."
#14. "Shadow Watcher" by Alexander Tasho
"From the shadows, this cheetah scanned the trees in silence. It wasn’t hunting, it was thinking. Made me realise not every stare means pursuit, sometimes it just means presence."
#15. "The Boss" by Damir Zurub
#16. "Observe, but Remain Silent" by Dave Shaffer
"This bear quietly peered at me from around the tree as I made my exit from the darkening forest"
#17. "Passing Stipes" by Luiza Michalewicz
"The magic of Zebra stripes is mesmerising and almost hypnotic. They never stop and are always on the move. Capturing those untamed creatures with one carefully glancing at me as if he was saying "Don’t take our magic away.""
#18. "Kingfisher on ice" by Vince Burton
"A Kingfisher resting on a frozen bullrush as it looks for an ice-free patch to fish from in the lake below."
#19. "Japanese crane" by Hiroto Fukuda
"This photo was taken of a red-crowned crane that lives in northern Japan, in Hokkaido.The red-crowned crane is called the god of the marshlands, and is called "Sarurun Kamui" and worshipped like a god by the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Hokkaido."
#20. "Black-browed Albatross" by Barbara Fleming
"The Black-browed albatross spends most of its life soaring across the ocean, returning annually to the same breeding site to raise a chick. Their courtship involves mutual preening, tail-fanning, and bill-clacking when they reunite. With lifespans over 70 years, they form lifelong bonds."
#21. "After the meal" by Paal Hermansen
"Polar bear after eating on a walrus. This is a rare sight, as polar bears nearly never catch so big prey. Due to climate change, catching seals is getting mor difficult, as the ice is vanishing."
#22. "Focused" by David Breslauer
"A bald eagle is focused on it’s prey, wings spread."
#23. "Great Egret Sunset" by Kevin Hancock
"This breathtaking photo features a Great Egret gracefully flying through the golden light of sunset on the Oregon coast."
#24. "Battle Cry" by Barbara Fleming
"Photographing Greater Prairie Chickens during lekking is not for the timid. Most of the year, they seem unremarkable, but they transform into vibrant "ninja warriors," displaying color and aggression in battles for mates. Feathers fly and blood is drawn; these fights can be deadly."
#25. "Lift Off" by Guido Frazzini
