The BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition has announced its 2026 winners and finalists, with Audun Rikardsen of Tromsø, Norway, receiving the Grand Prize for "A Seal’s Last Sight". Presented by the California Academy of Sciences, the international photography competition celebrates nature, wildlife and conservation through images that invite viewers to look more closely at life on Earth.
Now in its 13th edition, BigPicture received more than 7,400 images from 64 countries. Alongside the Grand Prize, the competition recognises seven first-place category winners, spanning aquatic life, natural patterns, landscapes, terrestrial wildlife, birds and other winged creatures, the relationship between people and nature, and photographic storytelling.
Rikardsen’s winning photograph places the viewer beneath the ice, looking up at a polar bear from the perspective of a seal. The apparent intimacy of the encounter contrasts with its reality: the bear is hunting. Even after the camera captured the moment, Rikardsen had to wait another nine hours before he could see the result. Jury chair Suzi Eszterhas praised both the unusual perspective and the skill and persistence required to achieve it in such demanding conditions.
The first gallery brings together the Grand Prize photograph and the six single-image category winners.
Anton Sorokin won Aquatic Life with "Egg Clutch", showing a California newt holding an existing egg clutch. Georgina Steytler received the Art of Nature award for "Insect Art", while Juan Garcia Lucas won Landscapes, Waterscapes & Flora with "The Cave of Illusion".
The Terrestrial Wildlife award went to Marco Gaiotti for "The Leap", and Philipp Egger won Winged Life with "Born of Silence". Fernando Faciole received the Human/Nature award for "Orphan of the Road". Together, these winning images move between close observation, dramatic landscapes and the care of vulnerable animals.
Ami Vitale won Photo Story: Beyond the Photo with "Pandas Gone Wild", documenting giant panda conservation in Sichuan, China. This year’s category combines a short video with supporting photographs, giving photographers room to explain the circumstances, process and wider meaning behind their images. The second gallery presents the five photographs accompanying Vitale’s winning story; the video is available in the official winners gallery.
The Grand Prize carries a US$5,000 award, while each of the seven first-place category winners receives US$1,000. These awards connect international recognition with a public exhibition, extending the reach of the photographs beyond the competition itself.
According to the organisers’ announcement, the 2026 winners and finalists will be displayed at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco through spring 2027. The online gallery also pairs the selected images with the photographers’ accounts of how they were made, offering insight into the patience, observation and creative decisions behind the work.
Explore the complete BigPicture 2026 winners and finalists, including the Photo Story videos, at bigpicturecompetition.org.