The Phenomenal Winners of Bird Photographer of the Year 2026
Henley Spiers won for a northern gannet image, and judges selected winners from more than 24,000 entries across adult and youth categories.
- British photographer Henley Spiers won the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year grand prize for "Sunball Rocket," capturing a northern gannet diving through Scottish waters.
- Organizers received over 24,000 submissions this year from global photographers competing for the $4,000 grand prize, establishing the contest as the world's largest bird photography competition.
- Spiers noted the northern gannet's "dualistic existence," describing how the birds are specially adapted for high-speed water impacts with neck muscles locking vertebrae and air sacs acting as airbags.
- Young American photographer Parham Pourahmad earned the Young Bird Photographer of the Year title for "Moonlit Night," an image of a great horned owl framed against the full moon.
- Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year, emphasized authentic wildlife photography's value amid rising AI-generated imagery, as the contest donated over 5000 to Birds on the Brink.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Experience the Wonder of Birds With These 11 Winning Photos From the Bird Photographer of the Year Contest
From a greater sage-grouse performing a mating display to a tawny frogmouth making a funny face, these photographs capture the breathtaking diversity of the world’s avian species
A photograph of a north-patella bird diving towards the sea, with the body illuminated by the sun, was chosen as the winner of the Year 2026 Bird Photographer, one of the main international competitions dedicated to bird photography. The image, entitled "Sunball Rocket", was made by British photographer Henley Spiers and also took the gold prize in the category "Aves in the Environment". 'I'm still with the bullet in here', reports Venezuelan de…
Attention, a bird is about to fly out: the best photos of birds from all over the world in 2026 were selected at the Bird Photographer of the Year competition, writes The Guardian
Attention, a bird is about to fly out: the best photos of birds from all over the world in 2026 were selected at the Bird Photographer of the Year competition, writes The Guardian.The winner of the competition was a British photographer who captured a...
Diverse and Dramatic Behaviors Top the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year Contest
This year, the competition welcomed more than 24,000 entries from photographers around the globe. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Diverse and Dramatic Behaviors Top the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year Contest appeared first on Colossal.
The winners have been found among more than 24,000 images.
Photographer captures species capable of diving at up to 53mph – faster than Olympic divers! His image 'Sunball Rocket' just won the grand prize in the world's largest bird photography competition
Shot with a full-frame mirrorless camera and a DSLR fisheye lens, the image of a northern gannet bursting through the sun as it pierces the water wins a major award
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