CLEVELAND, OH—The world-renowned exhibition, now in its sixtieth year and on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will open at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, featuring exceptional images that capture fascinating animal behavior, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. Using photography's unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.
"Through this stunning exhibition, we seek to deepen public understanding of the profound beauty and vulnerability of our planet’s wildlife,” says President & CEO Sonia Winner. "Advancing the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s commitment to promote planetary health challenges us both to showcase and safeguard the diversity of life on Earth."
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world for 60 years. Launching in 1965, today the competition receives entries from 117 countries and territories all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s award-winning images have embarked on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by well over a million people.
This year’s competition attracted an astounding 59,228 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 117 countries and territories. During an intense week at the Natural History Museum in London, entries were judged anonymously on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.
Chair of the competition’s judging panel, Kathy Moran says, “In this selection you see species diversity, a range of behavior and conservation issues. These images represent the evolution of the competition through the years, from pure natural history to photography that fully embraces representation of the natural world - the beauty and the challenges. It is a powerful selection with which to kickstart a milestone anniversary.”
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum in London says, “As we celebrate sixty years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, we also celebrate the generations of visitors who have been inspired by the beauty and majesty of its images, and the millions of connections made with nature.”
Exhibition Information: Visitors to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History can explore the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit on display in the Museum’s Visitor Hall, Corning Gallery and Education Hallway.
Dates and times: April 23 through October 26, 2025
To book tickets: https://www.cmnh.org/visit/buy-tickets
Price: The special exhibition is included with general admission.
Media Contact
Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager, Marketing & Communications
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Office: 216.231.4600 x3432
Mobile: 440.429.2902
sguenther@cmnh.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wildlifephotographeroftheyear
Twitter: @NHM_WPY
Instagram: @nhm_wpy
Hashtags: #WPY60 and #WPYatCMNH
To arrange interviews with photographers, jury members or Wildlife Photographer of the Year spokespeople, please contact Laura Gosney at the Natural History Museum, London, Press Office.
Email: wildpress@nhm.ac.uk
About Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Natural History Museum’s acclaimed Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and exhibition ignites curiosity about the natural world by showcasing Earth's extraordinary diversity and highlighting the fragility of wildlife on our planet. Using the unique emotive power of photography, the competition inspires people to think differently about their relationship with nature and become advocates for the planet: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year.html
Wildlife Photographer of the Year was founded in 1965 by BBC Wildlife Magazine, then called Animals. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the competition as it is known today. The competition is now solely run and owned by the Natural History Museum.
Open to photographers of all ages and abilities, the competition opens for entries every October. Entries to the 2025 competition closed on December 05, 2024.
The Natural History Museum is a world-leading science center 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.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass millions of artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,500 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.
