Nature's Best Photography has announced the winners of their prestigious 2025 photography competition, marking a significant milestone as the contest celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The grand prize was awarded to Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan for his captivating image titled "Emperor Penguins," which depicts a pair of adult Emperor penguins protectively looking down at their fluffy chick during a fierce snowstorm in Antarctica.

Vijayan's winning photograph stood out among an impressive field of more than 20,000 submissions from talented nature and wildlife photographers representing 62 countries around the world. According to the photographer, the image serves as "an excellent showcase of how devoted parents in the animal kingdom protect and raise their young, even in the world's harshest environments." The judging panel faced the challenging task of narrowing down nearly 500 shortlisted entries before ultimately selecting 11 category winners and the Top 100 Highly Honored finalists.

In addition to the overall grand prize winner, the competition recognized outstanding young talent through its Youth Photographer of the Year award. This coveted title was earned by 17-year-old Chinese photographer Lisiqi Ye, who captured a stunning image of a great hornbill in flight in Yingjiang, Yunnan, China. Ye demonstrated remarkable patience and dedication, explaining: "I spent days in a hide watching a tree cavity claimed by a pair of great hornbills. Here, the red-eyed male was coming home facing the wind."

The 11 category winners showcase the incredible diversity of nature photography, spanning various subjects and environments. In the Animal Antics category, David Swindler's "Mountain Gorillas" took top honors, while Henry H. Holdsworth won the Art in Nature category with "Grizzly Bear Crossing." Steve Mattheis claimed victory in the Birds category with his image "Grey Crowned Cranes," and Hira Punjabi's powerful photograph "Male Jaguars" secured the Wildlife category win.

Landscape photography was well represented with Dr. Elliot McGucken's breathtaking "Sunrise at St. Mary Lake" winning the Landscapes category. The competition also recognized adventure and marine photography through David Swindler's "Skiing the North" in the Outdoor Adventure category and Nicolas Remy's mesmerizing "Sand Tiger Sharks" in the Ocean Views category. Daniel Valverde Fernández captured the essence of polar wildlife with "Polar Bear in Snowstorm," winning the Polar Passion category.

The awards also highlighted important conservation efforts through dedicated categories focusing on environmental protection and wildlife preservation. Sandesh Kadur's compelling work "The Great Turtle Rescue" won the Conservation Story category, while Lakshitha Karunarathna's thought-provoking image "Sri Lankan Elephant in Waste Pile" took the Conservation Single Image award. The Nature in Motion category was won by Florian Ledoux's dynamic capture "Polar Bear Swimming and Playing."

Beyond the category winners, the competition recognized numerous photographers with Highly Honored distinctions across all categories. Notable mentions include Deena R. Sveinsson in Animal Antics, Haying Cai in Art in Nature, Antonio Aguti in Birds, Baiju Patil in Wildlife, Luis Vilariño in Landscapes, Torie Hilley in Outdoor Adventure, and Charlie Wemyss-Dunn in Ocean Views. The polar regions were represented by Amit Eshel's Highly Honored entry in Polar Passion, while conservation photography was highlighted through Xingchao Zhu's recognized work in the Conservation Single Image category.

The youth category also celebrated emerging talent beyond the main winner, with 13-year-old Genia Ikhfa Anindita receiving Highly Honored recognition, demonstrating that exceptional nature photography skills can develop at remarkably young ages. This recognition of youth photographers ensures the continued growth and evolution of nature photography for future generations.

All winning photographs and additional entries from the competition are showcased in a comprehensive online gallery available on the Nature's Best Photography dedicated website. The complete collection of winners, including video submissions, provides viewers with an extensive look at the year's most outstanding nature photography achievements. Furthermore, these exceptional images will be featured in the upcoming 2025 Winter Special 30th Anniversary Edition of Nature's Best Photography magazine, which will be available to readers soon, commemorating three decades of celebrating the world's finest nature and wildlife photography.