Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

Nature Photographer of the Year (NPOTY) is an international nature photography competition organized by the Nature Talks Foundation (Stichting Nature Talks) in the Netherlands. The 2026 cycle is the contest's 11th consecutive year. Winners are announced at the Nature Talks Photo Festival on November 14, 2026.

The total prize pool is €25,000. The overall winner receives €3,000 in cash plus an additional €1,000 portfolio cash prize. Most category winners receive €500. The C11 category winner receives a photography weekend in Drenthe (Netherlands), and the C13 Youth winner (under 18) receives €250 in products.

Submissions are accepted across 13 categories total, including a free Youth category for photographers under 18 and a separate portfolio award. Photos can be from the current year or previous years — there is no recency restriction on submissions.

The 2025 contest received 24,781 entries from 96 countries, giving a sense of scale.

Eligibility is open to professional and non-professional photographers of all ages worldwide. AI-generated work is not accepted. Registration is free, but most categories carry a paid entry fee (€34 for the main contest, €17.50 for the Fred Hazelhoff portfolio award; the Youth category is free). The 2026 contest opens April 7 and closes June 2 at 23:59 CEST.