Three Australian wins at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: the exhibition opens at the Australian National Maritime Museum this week.
The world-renowned exhibition is produced by the Natural History Museum in London.
Three Australian photographers were among the finalists, selected from 59,228 entries from across the world.

Now in its 60th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition puts the world’s creatures under the lens. Literally. It’s produced by the Natural History Museum in London, whose anonymous judges whittle down thousands of entires down to the best of the best. More than 59,220 photographers entered their snaps into last year’s competition, entering from 117 countries and territories all over the world.

From Florida’s manatees to western toad tadpoles, the beauty of nature is on full display. On Thursday, the exhibition will open here in Sydney at the Australian National Maritime Museum, on loan from London.

See Hope for the Ninu by Jannico Kelk at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Maritime Museum. (Image supplied).

Three Australian finalists

Of thousands of entries, three Australian photographers were finalists and went on to win their category.

Brisbane-born Jannico Kelk is and Ecologist in training so knows what he’s doing. He won the Animals in their Environment category with his image Hope for the Ninu, showcasing a greater bilby (Ninu) in a fenced reserve, a method that has eradicated predators so that the greater bilby can thrive.

The other two Aussie finalists took things under the waves. Justin Gilligan is a conservation photojournalist and no stranger to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Prize—he’s been awarded seven times in 11 years. Most recently, he scooped up gold in the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category with A Diet of Deadly Plastic. Using 403 pieces of plastic found in the digestive tract of a dead flesh-footed shearwater, Justin created a mosaic.

Round off the trio is Matthew “Matty” Smith, who’s based in Newcastle and runs underwater photography workshops here in Sydney and in Wollongong. Already an international award-winning underwater photographer, Matty added another accolade to his wins, earning the top spot in the Underwater category (surprise, surprise). His photo, titled Under the Waterline, captures a curious leopard seal beneath the Antarctic ice and it’s a real crowd-pleaser. One look into those eyes and we understand why it earned Matty the win.

Under the Waterline by Matthew Smith will also be displayed at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in Sydney. (Image supplied).

What else is at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition?

Sure, the exhibition does exactly what it says on the tin, but prepare to come face-to-face with some exceptional images of Mother Nature. From fascinating animal behaviour to the breathtaking diversity of the natural world, it’s all under the spotlight.

Canadian Marine Conservation Photojournalist, Shane Gross, won the ultimate prize and was awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 for his image The Swarm of Life. Shane has photographed sharks, whales and crocodiles but a mass of western toad tadpoles earned him the win.

Photonaturalist and competition judge Tony Wu said: “the photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed. By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”

It’s suprising and emotive images like this that have earned the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition a name as one of the most prestigious photography events in the world.

There’s a Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize too, which gives a platform to talented young artists just starting out in their career. Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, an 18-year-old from Germany, was awarded Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 for his up-close image Life Under Dead Wood. He quickly rolled over a log to take the photo of the tiny springtail next to the fruiting bodies of slime mould. Springtails can jump many times their body length in a split second, so Alexis had to move quickly. He then stacked 36 images, each with a different area in focus, to create his final winning pic.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

When: The exhibition opens on Thursday, May 15 and runs until Sunday, October 19. The Museum is open daily 10am-4pm.
Where: Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray St, NSW 2000.
Price: Adult $35, child $25, family $89.

For more information, visit sea.museum