National Wildlife^® magazine announced the winners of its 2024 National Wildlife Photo Contest. The annual contest, now in its 53rd year, received submissions from more than 29,000 entries from nearly 3,200 photographers across the United States and around the world. The winning images highlight plants, wildlife, and landscapes from across the globe.

This year’s winners hail from twelve U.S. states and countries such as Canada, India, and Portugal. 

“So much of photography is about waiting for the right moment: a subtle shift in lighting, a gentle breeze, a serendipitous encounter. When those stars align, boom! The result is like a flashbulb. The photographer feels it, and so do we as viewers, even months or years later. It’s an instant jolt with longevity, a precise second that transcends time,” said Jennifer Wehunt, editorial director of National Wildlife magazine. “These images—from a highly relatable set of owl siblings to a pair of interspecies paddlers crossing paths at sunset—inspire us and remind us of the beauty and importance of what we’re trying to conserve for future generations.”

Photographers who enter the contest, from lifelong professionals to avid amateurs alike, help inspire people to care about wildlife and wild lands. By submitting their work, each photographer also supports the National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to protect wildlife species and their habitats—a mission that’s more important today than ever before.

In addition to the grand prize, the National Wildlife Federation announced first- and second-place awards in each of eight categories: Mammals, Birds, Baby Animals, Landscapes & Plants, People in Nature, Other Wildlife, Young Nature Photographers and Mobile. A single winner was also chosen in the Portfolio category. Entries for next year’s contest can be submitted beginning January 15, 2025.