Shortlist: 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

“The images are incredible,” says South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton. “And the messages they deliver about our environment and the natural world are both beautiful and poignant.”

All pictures showcase our pure world throughout the ANZANG bioregion – Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea.

This 12 months’s judges are specialist panorama and aerial photographer Mieke Boynton, 2025 AGNPOTY winner Ross Gudgeon and multi-award-winning nature photographer Jake Wilton.

“The standard this year was extremely high but there wasn’t much disagreement among the judges,” Ross says. “In the tip it was just about consideration to element that was the distinction between making the shortlist or lacking out.

“We didn’t know who the photographers were while judging, so I’m really looking forward to the shortlist announcement, to finally find out who took what!”

Australian Geographic Picture Editor Lyndal Irons says, “Every year, this competition turns a lens to our region and photographers find angles we didn’t know were missing.”

“At Australian Geographic, we believe that visual storytelling demands rigour and reverence. The 2026 shortlisted artists named today demonstrate both. Importantly, they also advocate for nature with a conviction that comes from genuine understanding.”

2026 shortlist

Animals In Nature

Animal Behaviour

Botanical

Landscape

Macro

Monochrome

Our Impact

Threatened Species

Junior

The total winner and class winners will probably be introduced on Thursday 27 August.

All 100 shortlisted entries will probably be exhibited from Saturday 29 August on the South Australian Museum, in addition to at Sydney’s Australian Museum in September. A preview of the Australian Museum’s exhibition will characteristic on the Australian Geographic Society’s Awards for Nature on Thursday 10 September.

In January a People’s Choice award will probably be introduced.

The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competitors and exhibition is owned and produced by the South Australian Museum.

Related: Winners: 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards