57th Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition

Images from the 57th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year, run by the Natural History Museum in London, are now on display in an exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. The exhibition features over 100 images revealing fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species, and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. Follow this link to book tickets.

Top row: Beautiful bloodsucker © Gil Wizen (Israel Canada), Deep feelers © Laurent Ballesta (France), Ice bear as sea bear © Martin Gregus (Canada).
Bottom row: Lynx on the threshold © Sergio Marijuan (Spain), Out of the black © Cristobal Serrano (Spain), Stardust © Christian Spencer (Australia).
Beautiful bloodsucker © Gil Wizen (Israel Canada).
Deep feelers © Laurent Ballesta (France).
Ice bear as sea bear © Martin Gregus (Canada).
Lynx on the threshold © Sergio Marijuan (Spain).
Out of the black © Cristobal Serrano (Spain).
Stardust © Christian Spencer (Australia).
Top row: Beautiful bloodsucker © Gil Wizen (Israel Canada), Deep feelers © Laurent Ballesta (France), Ice bear as sea bear © Martin Gregus (Canada). Bottom row: Lynx on the threshold © Sergio Marijuan (Spain), Out of the black © Cristobal Serrano (Spain), Stardust © Christian Spencer (Australia).

The 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year was French underwater photographer and biologist Laurent Ballesta for his image, Creation. The image, that captures camouflage groupers exiting their milky cloud of eggs and sperm in Fakarava, French Polynesia

Australian wildlife photographer Justin Gilligan took out the Plants and Fungi category with his portrait, Rich Reflections, which depicts a marine ranger admiring seaweed off the coast of Lord Howe Island.

Adam Oswell won the Photojournalism category, with his image, Elephant in the Room, of a young elephant performing underwater for crowds in Thailand.

© Adam Oswell (Australia). Elephant in the room. Adam Oswell draws attention to zoo visitors watching a young elephant perform under water. Although this performance was promoted as educational and as exercise for the elephants, Oswell was disturbed by this scene. Organisations concerned with the welfare of captive elephants view performances like these as exploitative because they encourage unnatural behaviour. Elephant tourism has increased across Asia. In Thailand there are now more elephants in captivity than in the wild. The COVID-19 pandemic caused international tourism to collapse, leading to elephant sanctuaries becoming overwhelmed with animals that can no longer be looked after by their owners.
© Adam Oswell (Australia). Elephant in the room. Adam Oswell draws attention to zoo visitors watching a young elephant perform under water. Although this performance was promoted as educational and as exercise for the elephants, Oswell was disturbed by this scene. Organisations concerned with the welfare of captive elephants view performances like these as exploitative because they encourage unnatural behaviour. Elephant tourism has increased across Asia. In Thailand there are now more elephants in captivity than in the wild. The COVID-19 pandemic caused international tourism to collapse, leading to elephant sanctuaries becoming overwhelmed with animals that can no longer be looked after by their owners.

Australians receiving Highly Commended awards included Caitlin Henderson (Behaviour: Invertebrates), Douglas Gimesy (Behaviour: Mammals), Juergen Freund (Plants and Fungi), Christian Spencer (Natural Artistry), Douglas Gimesy (Photojournalism).

Check out the category winners from the 57th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year at this link.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

February

Melbourne: 28 Nov 2025 – 26 May 2026. The exhibition celebrates the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than eighty women artists working between 1900 and 1975.

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

March

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

Melbourne: 5 March – 7 August 2026. Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, artist and social documentary photographer Viva Gibb (1945-2017) documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived.

Melbourne: 7 March – 24 May 2026. Photos of flowers from the NGA collection by prominent photographers drawn such as Robert Mapplethorpe and four groundbreaking Australian photographers.

May

Sydney: Until 16 August 2026. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Coffs Harbour: 28 May – 29 June 2026. West Of Somewhere East is a photographic series tracing a cinematic journey through the interior of New South Wales, shaped by long drives, fleeting encounters, and the reflective rhythm of return.