Each year, National Geographic selects the top photographers from around the world. The best photos are awarded for capturing anything from remote nature to city life. The winners for 2026's National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition showcase the very best of the art with impressive shots and jaw-dropping moments, beating more than 3,500 entries.
One of the judges, Aisha Nazar, associate picture editor of the National Geographic Traveller, said: 'We received many stunning entries this year. I particularly enjoyed judging the landscape and wildlife categories. The number of submissions has increased over the years, which just goes to show that we have a growing community of travellers with a keen sense of adventure, as portrayed through their exceptional photography.'
Grand Prize and Aerial Winner
This year's grand prize winner is Edward Hasler, who topped the aerial category with his breathtaking photo of sand dunes in Namibia. Hasler captured the swirling sand dunes in Sossusvlei, the Namib Desert, after heavy rain caused the rivers to overflow down the sand. He said: 'The flow of water had created these patterns in the sand that looked like the branches of a tree when viewed from above.'
Food Winner
Zaeem Jafri photographed a popular dumpling stall in Namdaemun Market, in Seoul, capturing the moment freshly steamed dumplings were brought out. 'As I got to the front of the line, I raised my camera above the people in front of me to capture the precise moment the tray arrived without being invasive, steam still rising and the eager crowd closing in,' Jafri explained.
Landscape Winner
James Campbell snapped from inside an ice cave in Katla, Iceland, looking out through the blue glacial ice walls over dark bands of volcanic ash, the image leads you to a stream and greenery in the distance. Campbell commented: 'Ice caves are never truly fixed, melting and reshaping over time. It makes the shot especially meaningful to me, as it captures a scene unlikely to ever exist in exactly the same form again.'
Wildlife Winner
Felix Belloin photographed a sleeping polar bear all the way from an expedition vessel in Svalbard, Norway with a drone. 'I made sure to stay high enough and use the tele lens so as not to interrupt its sleep,' Belloin said. 'I captured the moment and retreated, leaving behind a happily sleeping bear.'
Rising Star Winner
Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan captured an elderly vendor in his pettikadai (box shop) located behind Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai, India. Alwarappan said: 'I was drawn to his unhurried calm as he pauses over his paper; a moment of stillness before the morning rush begins.'
Urban Winner
Somdutt Prasad snapped the moment a passerby candidly mirrored a vibrant mural by Sayan Makherjee, in Kolkata, India. 'There's a serendipitous alignment of the pedestrian and the mural's subject, both absorbed in their smartphones,' Prasad said. 'My goal was to capture the evolving rhythm of Kolkata.'
Portfolio Winner
Ben Pipe submitted a series of images, one pictured above, in the highlands of Ecuador. He took photos of Chagras, who are cowboys and cowgirls, in Cotopaxi National Park. 'The biggest challenge was the weather but, in the end, the dark overcast skies added to the atmosphere and suited it better than a clear blue sky,' Pipe commented.
People Winner
Nurettin Boydak photographed thousands of women gathered for Eid prayer in Hara, Ethiopia. They're dressed in bright colours, 'transforming the crowd into a living mosaic'. 'The image shows how faith extends beyond a personal act, shaping space into a collective human experience,' Boydak said. 'My intention was to capture a moment where culture, belief and community converge into a single expression.'
