Museum names Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners

South African photographer Wim van den Heever won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 title for his image "Ghost Town Visitor," depicting a rare brown hyena in an abandoned diamond mining settlement in Kolmanskop, Namibia, which took 10 years to capture using camera trap technologyabc+2.
The competition received a record 60,636 entries from 113 countries and territories, with winners announced at a ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London on Tuesday eveningforbes+2.
Andrea Dominizi became the first Italian to win Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his photograph of a longhorn beetle against abandoned logging machinery in central Italy's Lepini Mountains, highlighting habitat lossitv+2.
The 61st annual exhibition will showcase the top 100 winning and finalist photographs at the Natural History Museum from October 17, 2025, through July 12, 2026itv+1.
This year's exhibition introduces the museum's Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII), a scientific measure that evaluates regional biodiversity to help visitors understand how habitats are changing globallyforbes+1.

The Natural History Museum in London revealed the winners of the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition on Tuesday evening, with South African photographer Wim van den Heever taking the grand title for a haunting image of a rare brown hyena in an abandoned Namibian mining town.abc+2

Van den Heever's winning photograph, titled "Ghost Town Visitor," captures one of the world's rarest hyena species wandering through the skeletal remains of Kolmanskop, a deserted diamond mining settlement in the Namib Desert. The image, which also won the Urban Wildlife category, required a decade of patience and camera trap technology to achieve.forbes+2

Record-Breaking Competition Showcases Global Talent

Selected from a record 60,636 submissions across 113 countries and territories, this year's winners demonstrate the breadth and diversity of contemporary wildlife photography. The competition, now in its 61st year, stands as the world's largest nature photography contest.abc+2

Italian photographer Andrea Dominizi made history by becoming the first Italian to win Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image "After the Destruction". His photograph features a longhorn beetle positioned against abandoned logging machinery in central Italy's Lepini Mountains, highlighting the impact of habitat destruction.itv+2

Conservation Stories Take Center Stage

The competition's Impact Award went to Brazilian photographer Fernando Faciole for "Orphan of the Road," documenting an orphaned giant anteater pup following its caregiver at a rehabilitation center. The image draws attention to road collisions as a leading cause of giant anteater population decline in Brazil.nhm+1

This year's exhibition incorporates the Natural History Museum's newly developed Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII), a scientific measure evaluating regional biodiversity from 0 to 100 percent. The BII serves as an official indicator within the Global Biodiversity Framework, providing visitors insight into habitat changes depicted in the winning photographs.forbes+2

Exhibition Opens to Public

The top 100 photographs will be displayed at the Natural History Museum from October 17, 2025, through July 12, 2026, before embarking on national and international tours. The exhibition aims to foster appreciation for the natural world while highlighting critical conservation issues facing wildlife globally.itv+4

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