Wildlife Photographer of the Year Returns to ROM with 100 Breathtaking New Images

TORONTO, September 10, 2025 – 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) from November 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 favourite, 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 February 6, 2026, 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 splendour – 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 October 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. 

Membership
Members will have the first opportunity to experience Wildlife Photographer of the Year on Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8, until noon. Tickets to WPY are free for ROM Members. Visit joinROM.ca for more information about ROM membership.

Exhibition credit
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. 

Image credit
No Place Like Home by Emmanuel Tardy, France. Traffic slowed to a crawl as this sloth crossed the road, eventually reaching a fence post and gripping firmly.  © Emmanuel Tardy

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ABOUT ROM 
Opened in 1914, ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the world and across the ages. Today, ROM houses more than 18 million objects, from Egyptian mummies to contemporary sculpture, from meteorites to dinosaurs. ROM is the most visited museum in Canada and one of the top ten museums in North America. It is also the country’s preeminent field research institute, with a diverse range of experts who help us understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future. Just as impressive is ROM’s facility—a striking combination of heritage architecture and the cutting-edge Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, which marks the Museum as an iconic landmark and global cultural destination. 

We live on in what we leave behind.  

About the Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum, London, is a world-leading science centre and one of the most visited attractions in the UK. A global source of curiosity, inspiration and joy. Our vision is to build a future in which both people and the planet thrive. We aim to be a catalyst for change, engaging advocates for the planet in everything that we do. Our 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency in all aspects of life. Visit, join and support the Natural History Museum today.

Protecting the planet. It's in our nature.