The Nature Photography Contest 2026 is an annual international photography competition focused on celebrating the natural world while encouraging greater awareness of environmental conservation. The independent contest is operated through a platform owned by NCJ Media Solutions 2020 and invites nature photography that reveals the beauty, diversity and challenges of the planet.
The 2026 edition features ten categories: Natural Landscapes, Wildlife, Macrophotography, Underwater, Birds, Plant Life, Night World, Environmental Impact, Sharing the Planet and Funny Nature. Together, these categories cover subjects ranging from wild animals and plants to night photography, human relationships with nature and the environmental consequences of human activity.
The competition gives nature photographers a structured international platform for presenting distinctive photographic work across a broad range of subjects. Entries are assessed for artistic merit, originality, theme and style, while the contest's ethical requirements emphasize honest representation of nature, responsible treatment of wildlife and conservation-minded photographic practice.
Entry fee: €10 per photograph, regardless of category; entrants may submit an unlimited number of photographs across as many categories as they wish.
Eligibility
Open to amateur and professional photographers worldwide aged over 18, except employees of The Nature Photography Contest, its associated companies and employees of prize-sponsoring companies; each entrant must be the sole owner and author of submitted photographs, images must be 100% photographic in origin with digital art excluded, previously awarded photographs are not accepted, there is no restriction on when photographs were taken, and applicable nature and wildlife images must comply with the contest's ethical requirements for authentic, responsible depiction of wild subjects.
Prize
The Photography of the Year overall winner receives €1,000 and a personalized certificate, while each of the ten category winners receives €100 and a personalized certificate, making €2,000 in total cash prizes; the rules also provide 10 honorable mentions in each category. The Photographer of the Year receives a trophy and personalized certificate and may choose the location where the contest's donated trees are planted; eligibility for this title requires participation in at least three categories, with the score calculated from the photographer's three best qualifying photographs. The official 2026 information also states that the main and category winners are showcased in the Winners Gallery, with winner-related promotion through the contest's channels.