The 2025 National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition has once again showcased the very best in travel photography. Now in its 12th year, the prestigious contest drew thousands of entries from both amateur and professional photographers across the UK and Ireland. Participants submitted images captured over the past year in one of six compelling categories: Landscape, People, Wildlife, Food, City Life, and Portfolio.
Photo by: Jo Noon
Editor Pat Riddell praised this year’s submissions as some of the strongest yet, reflecting the competition’s continued growth in quality and global appeal. “World-class photography remains at the heart of the National Geographic brand, and the winners happily sit in that category,” he stated.
The final 18 award-winning photos span an incredible range of subjects and locations — from the icy beauty of Iceland and the rolling hills of Italy to vivid moments of wildlife in Spain and Canada. Each image stands out for its technical brilliance, emotional depth, and ability to tell a story in a single frame.
The grand prize was awarded to Justin Cliffe, whose powerful entry in the ‘People’ category captured a heartfelt moment between a woman and her great-granddaughter in Lào Cai province, Vietnam. The judges praised the image for its warmth, cultural context, and human connection.
These 18 outstanding photographs not only celebrate the art of visual storytelling but also inspire a deeper appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures, environments, and everyday life. Whether it’s a bustling city street or a quiet mountain landscape, each image reflects the spirit of exploration and wonder that defines the National Geographic Traveller mission.
The winning entries serve as a reminder of photography’s power to connect, move, and inspire — making this year’s collection a truly remarkable achievement.
You can find more info about National Geographic:
#1. People: Winner – "The Red Dao minority people of Lao Cai Province" by Justin Cliffe
#2. Peoople: Runner-up – "Chilam Joshi Festival in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" by Jo Kearney
#3. Peoople: Runner-up – "The Suli Muli tribe" by Bianca Goldman
#4. Food: Winner – "Barkhor Square, Lhasa, Tibet" by Prabir Kumar Mitra
#5. Food: Runner-up – "Solomon Islanders" by Mark Carwardine
#6. Food: Runner-up – "Vibrant district of Shimbashi in Tokyo" by James Maloney
#7. Landscape: Winner – "An aerial view of the Hveravellir geothermal area" by Pawel Zygmunt
#8. Landscape: Runner-up – "The edge of the vast glacier in Greenland" by Edward Hasler
#9. Landscape: Runner-up – "Under a starry sky" by Christopher West
#10. Portfolio: Winner – Joshua Mallett
#11. Portfolio: Runner-up – Dylan McBurney
#12. Portfolio: Runner-up – Lauren Winslow-Llewellyn
#13. City Life: Winner – Scott Antcliffe
#14. City Life: Runner-up – Jordan Banks
#15. City Life: Runner-up – Andrew Nelson
#16. Wildlife: Winner – Victoria Andrews
#17. Wildlife: Runner-up – Jo Noon
#18. Wildlife: Runner-up – Hari Kumar Prasannakumar
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