Federico Veronesi has won Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 with The Aftermath, a black-and-white photograph of a female elephant carrying her dead calf in Namibia. The young title went to Oscar Whitfield for Labour of Love, a dung beetle at work in Zimbabwe.
The winners were announced on Tuesday, October 13, at the Natural History Museum in London, which runs the competition. It is the first time both overall winners have been black-and-white images.
Quick facts
| Grand title | The Aftermath, Federico Veronesi (Italy) |
| Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year | Labour of Love, Oscar Whitfield |
| Entries | 65,403 from 121 countries and territories, a record |
| Edition | 62nd |
| Announced | October 13, 2026, by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin |
| Exhibition | Natural History Museum, London, Oct 16, 2026 to July 11, 2027 |
What does the winning photo show?
In the Huab River Valley in Damaraland, Namibia, Veronesi noticed unusual drag marks across a dry riverbed while leading a safari. He followed the elephant family and watched a female emerge carrying her dead calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk.
"It was really such a private moment, I almost thought maybe I shouldn't take these photographs," he told National Geographic. "It's very clear that emotionally we are much more similar to them than what is thought."
Elephants carrying or staying with their dead have been observed in Africa and Asia. Researchers suggest the behaviour may show how elephants understand death, and some interpret it as grief.
He shot it on a Nikon Z8 with the Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S at 1/1000 second, f/2.8, ISO 72, according to Digital Camera World.
What did the judges say?
"This photograph works on so many levels," said jury chair Kathy Moran. "Emotionally it's a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it's proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all!"
Natural History Museum director Doug Gurr said the winning images show the power of wildlife photography to change how people see nature.
Who won Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year?
Oscar Whitfield won the 11 to 14 years category and the overall young title with Labour of Love, a dung beetle rolling its ball of dung in Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe. He lay flat on the ground to take it as the beetle passed his lens.
"This is exceptionally well done," said jury member Jasper Doest, who said the picture shows how life cycles depend on things people often overlook.
All the category winners
| Category | Image | Photographer | Subject and place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand title | The Aftermath | Federico Veronesi | Elephant carrying her dead calf, Huab River Valley, Namibia |
| Young WPY, 11–14 (overall young winner) | Labour of Love | Oscar Whitfield | Dung beetle, Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe |
| Young WPY, 10 and under | Flight of the Bumblebee | Amelie Davis | Common carder bee, southern England, shot on her dad's smartphone |
| Young WPY, 15–17 | Birdsong Painted in Light | Konrad Gräeter | Blackbird, Schriesheim, Germany |
| Animals in their Environment | The Meeting Place | James Lewin | Young bull elephant and zebras, Chyulu Hills, Kenya |
| Animal Portraits | A Watchful Eye | Aaron Sanders | Octopus in kelp |
| Behaviour: Birds | Scenes from the Swamp | Isak Pretorius | Shoebills, Mabamba Swamp, Uganda |
| Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles | Protective Pose | Anton Sorokin | California newt laying eggs |
| Behaviour: Invertebrates | Shifting Sand | Sitaram Raul | Desert scorpion, Rajasthan, India |
| Oceans: The Bigger Picture | Night-Time Catch | Alex Lindbloom | Whale shark at a bagan fishing platform off Papua |
| Plants and Fungi | Shedding Light | Agorastos Papatsanis | Mycena renati mushroom under UV light |
| Natural Artistry | Escape Artistry | Michał Michalski | Goldfinches and bramblings fleeing a sparrowhawk |
| Under Water | Making Morays | Tony Wu | Abbott's moray eels spawning |
| Urban Wildlife | Urban Jungle | Seth Forestson | Water monitor with a fish, Lumphini Park, Bangkok |
| Wetlands: The Bigger Picture | The Great Divide | Alex Visbal | Stansbury Bay, Great Salt Lake, Utah |
| Photojournalism | Warning Sign | Francisco Negroni | Dead puma tied to a fence, Argentine Patagonia |
| Photojournalist Story Award | Wily Coyotes of San Francisco | Loren Elliott | Coyotes in San Francisco |
| Rising Star Award | Hidden Depths | Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas | Portfolio including a robber fly and flesh fly |
| Portfolio Award | Secret Worlds | Kutub Uddin | Slime moulds |
Category list as reported by BBC Wildlife's Discover Wildlife.
When and where can you see the photos?
The exhibition of 100 selected images opens at the Natural History Museum in London on Friday, October 16, 2026, and runs until July 11, 2027. Tickets are sold through the museum's website.
It also tours internationally. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto shows it from November 7, 2026, to February 28, 2027.
How is it judged?
An international jury of seven judged the images anonymously, on creativity, originality and technical excellence. This year's competition drew a record 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories.
What to watch
The 2027 competition, the 63rd. The Natural History Museum publishes entry dates and rules on its Wildlife Photographer of the Year site.
Published Sunday, October 18, 2026. Winners, quotes and details are from the Natural History Museum's announcement as reported by Digital Camera World, BBC Wildlife's Discover Wildlife, National Geographic and KSL. The photo shows the museum, not a winning image.
