The winners of the National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition 2026 have been announced, showcasing the best of the art with impressive shots and jaw-dropping moments.
Each year, National Geographic selects the top photographers from around the world. The best photos are awarded for capturing anything from remote nature to city life.
The winners for 2026's National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition showcase the very best of the art with impressive shots and jaw-dropping moments, beating more than 3,500 entries. One of the judges, Aisha Nazar, associate picture editor of the National Geographic Traveller said: We received many stunning entries this year. I particularly enjoyed judging the landscape and wildlife categories.
The number of submissions has increased over the years, which just goes to show that we have a growing community of travellers with a keen sense of adventure, as portrayed through their exceptional photography. This year's grand prize winner is Edward Hasler, who topped the aerial category with his breathtaking photo of sand dunes in Namibia. Each photo also details what inspired each artist.
Edward Hasler captured the swirling sand dunes in Sossusvlei, the Namib Desert, after heavy rain caused the rivers to overflow down the sand. Hasler said: The flow of water had created these patterns in the sand that looked like the branches of a tree when viewed from above. Zaeem Jafri photographed a popular dumpling stall in Namdaemun Market, in Seoul, capturing the moment freshly steamed dumplings were brought out.
Jafri explained: As I got to the front of the line, I raised my camera above the people in front of me to capture the precise moment the tray arrived without being invasive, steam still rising and the eager crowd closing in. James Campbell snapped from inside an ice cave in Katla, Iceland, looking out through the blue glacial ice walls over dark bands of volcanic ash, the image leads you to a stream and greenery in the distance.
Campbell commented: Ice caves are never truly fixed, melting and reshaping over time. It makes the shot especially meaningful to me, as it captures a scene unlikely to ever exist in exactly the same form again. Felix Belloin photographed a sleeping polar bear all the way from an expedition vessel in Svalbard, Norway with a drone. Belloin said: I made sure to stay high enough and use the tele lens so as not to interrupt its sleep.
I captured the moment and retreated, leaving behind a happily sleeping bear. Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan captured an elderly vendor in his pettikadai box shop located behind Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai, India. Alwarappan said: I was drawn to his unhurried calm as he pauses over his paper; a moment of stillness before the morning rush begins. Somdutt Prasad snapped the moment a passerby candidly mirrored a vibrant mural by Sayan Makherjee, in Kolkata, India.
Prasad said: There's a serendipitous alignment of the pedestrian and the mural's subject, both absorbed in their smartphones. My goal was to capture the evolving rhythm of Kolkata. Ben Pipe submitted a series of images, one pictured above, in the highlands of Ecuador. He took photos of Chagras, who are cowboys and cowgirls, in Cotopaxi National Park.
Pipe commented: The biggest challenge was the weather but, in the end, the dark overcast skies added to the atmosphere and suited it better than a clear blue sky. Nurettin Boydak photographed thousands of women gathered for Eid prayer in Hara, Ethiopia. They're dressed in bright colours, transforming the crowd into a living mosaic. Boydak said: The image shows how faith extends beyond a personal act, shaping space into a collective human experience.
My intention was to capture a moment where culture, belief and community converge into a single expression
National Geographic Photography Competition 2026 Winners Top Photographers Award-Winning Photos
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
ABC News and National Geographic Among Top Winners at 2026 News EmmysThe awards were handed out at the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City on Wednesday.
Read more »
42 Things to Do in the DC Area This JuneCatch Jill Scott in concert, visit the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, and more.
Read more »
Stunning images from the National Geographic Traveller UK photo competitionPictures of a napping polar bear, the remnants of a rain shower in the Namib desert and a bustling dumpling stall in Seoul are among this year’s winners of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition, capturing both extraordinary moments and daily life around the world.
Read more »
National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition 2026 Winners RevealedThe 2026 National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition has announced its winners, chosen from over 3,500 submissions. The grand prize was awarded to Edward Hasler for his aerial shot of Namibia's sand dunes. Other category winners include images from Seoul, Iceland, Svalbard, Chennai, Kolkata, Ecuador, and Ethiopia, each capturing unique moments of nature, culture, and human experience. Judges noted the increasing volume and quality of entries, highlighting a growing community of adventurous travelers. The winning photographers shared insights into the stories behind their shots, from fleeting street scenes to rare glacial formations.
Read more »