Winners of the Nature Photographer of the Year contest show the beauty and fragility of the natural world

Talia LakritzJan 14, 2024, 12:32 IST

"Balam, the Endangered King of the Mayan Jungle" by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar.Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar/NPOTY 2023

The annual Nature Photographer of the Year contest announced its 2023 winners.
Judges awarded photos in categories such as Underwater, Birds, and Landscape.

The annual Nature Photographer of the Year contest, presented by Nature Talks, highlights the best of nature photography.

A panel of judges chose this year's winning images out of 21,474 submissions from 96 countries.

The photos capture stunning, playful portraits of animals in the wild, as well as endangered species struggling for survival and the impacts of pollution and climate change.

Take a look at this year's winners. Captions provided by the photographers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

First place, Birds: "Dawn's Whispers: Graceful Hoopoe Silhouette at Sunrise" by Hermis Valiyandiyil

"Dawn's Whispers: Graceful Hoopoe Silhouette at Sunrise" by Hermis Valiyandiyil.Hermis Valiyandiyil/NPOTY 2023

First place, Other Animals: "December Moth" by Imre Potyó

"December Moth" by Imre Potyó.Imre Potyó/NPOTY 2023

First place, Plants and Fungi: "Star Spangled" by David Maitland

"Star Spangled" by David Maitland.David Maitland/NPOTY 2023

First place, Landscape: "Austfonna Ice Cap" by Thomas Vijayan

"Austfonna Ice Cap" by Thomas Vijayan.Thomas Vijayan/NPOTY 2023

First place, Underwater: "Paper Nautilus Rider" by Renee Capozzola

"Paper Nautilus Rider" by Renee Capozzola.Renee Capozzola/NPOTY 2023

First place, Nature Art: "Fields of Dreams" by J. Fritz Rumpf

"Fields of Dreams" by J. Fritz Rumpf.J. Fritz Rumpf/NPOTY 2023

First place, Human and Nature: "The Sad Poncho" by XJ Toh

"The Sad Poncho" by XJ Toh.XJ Toh/NPOTY 2023

First place, Black and White: "Heads or Tails" by Jodi Frediani

"Heads or Tails" by Jodi Frediani.Jodi Frediani/NPOTY 2023

First place, Animal Portraits: "The Pen and Inkwell" by Jonathan Lhoir

"The Pen and Inkwell" by Jonathan Lhoir.Jonathan Lhoir/NPOTY 2023

First place, Nature of De Lage Landen: "Big Wing" by Alex Pansier

"Big Wing" by Alex Pansier.Alex Pansier/NPOTY 2023

First place, Youth: "Walk on the Hill" by Őrsi Ákos

"Walk on the Hill" by Őrsi Ákos.Őrsi Ákos/NPOTY 2023

First place, Portfolio: "Balam, the Endangered King of the Mayan Jungle" by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar