From painstakingly captured underwater creatures to unexpected snaps of urban critters, prepare to be amazed and inspired by the endlessly vast spectrum of the animal kingdom as the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in nearby Toronto from Nov. 8, 2025, until March 29, 2026.
With 100 extraordinary new photographs on display, this acclaimed exhibition from the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, now in its 61st year, highlights the unique and symbiotic relationship between photography, science, and art.
“Long a visitor favorite, Wildlife Photographer of the Year makes its much-anticipated return to ROM with 100 stunning new images of the natural world,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “From gorgeous landscapes to intimate animal portraits, Wildlife Photographer of the Year captures the sweeping majesty of nature – and the urgent need to safeguard it.”
A perennial must-see exhibition for ROM visitors, WPY’s winter return marks the 13th year in a row the Museum has exhibited images from the prestigious global photography contest. The November opening at ROM marks the internationally touring exhibition’s first North American stop of the year before another Canadian presentation at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria from Feb. 6 to April 12, 2026.
“Through technical skill, dedication, and maybe a bit of luck, these photographs brilliantly illuminate the natural world that we inhabit,” says Dr. Soren Brothers, Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change and ROM curator for the exhibition. “In many cases, they offer not only insights into the lives of others, but also a reminder of how humans and nature can support each other for a better shared future.”
The exhibition will spotlight inspiring and powerful images of our natural world, selected by an international panel of expert judges from across the disciplines of wildlife photography, filmmaking, science and conservation. Submissions to the competition – which is open to photographers of all ages and experience levels – were judged anonymously on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence.
“Selected from a record-breaking over 60,000 images, this preview presents just a small insight into the 100 awe-inspiring, impactful, and moving images in store for visitors to our exhibition,” says Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury. “As an advocate for the power of photography, there is nothing more rewarding or moving than seeing our relationship to the natural world – in all its complexity and splendor – shared on the world’s biggest platform for wildlife photography.”
In addition to the Grand Title winners (adult and young), the competition also awards winners in several different categories – including multiple categories for youth, and specific genres (such as the awe-inspiring Urban Wildlife category that offers a peek into the wild world hiding in plain sight in our built environment).
The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on the evening of Oct. 14, 2025, at a ceremony hosted at the Natural History Museum, London.
In anticipation of the exhibition and awards announcement, NHM recently released a selection of 15 Highly Commended photographs that will be included in this year’s exhibition.
Among the shortlisted images are a portrait of an inquisitive pack of Arctic wolves on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, by Amit Eshel; a brown-throated three-toed sloth from Costa Rica clinging tightly to a barbed wire fence post, by Emmanuel Tardy; and a dramatic standoff between a lion and a cobra in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, by Gabriella Comi. The preview also includes several remarkable photographs of flamingoes, coyotes, and red deer by some of the finest emerging young wildlife photographers today – some as young as nine years old.
Visitors to ROM’s presentation of WPY will enjoy this year’s entirely new selection of indelible images presented in oversized illuminated frames for an enhanced visual experience, each backlit photograph providing exquisite quality and depth – and a glimpse into life on our planet, showcased through perfectly captured moments.
