A total of 24 annual awards were announced, honoring 122 outstanding works selected from 39,366 submissions spanning 83 countries and regions worldwide, according to the awards ceremony of the 2025 China Wildlife Image and Video Competition.
The event, hosted by Chinese National Geography, was held January 12, 2026 at the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum.
Famous scholar Ge Jianxiong during the award ceremony. Courtesy of the event organizers
Judged by an international panel, the competition presented 11 photography awards, 12 video awards, and a Special Annual Contribution Award. The winning works covered a wide range of themes, including wildlife species, protected natural areas, and the relationship between humans and nature, offering a multidimensional portrait of global biodiversity.
Chinese photographer Lu Lin was named Best Nature Photographer of the Year for Talons and Heartbeats, while South African filmmakers Will & Lianne Steenkamp received the Jury Grand Prize for Lions of the Skeleton Coast.
Marking its sixth consecutive year, the competition underwent a major upgrade under the annual theme “Uncharted Realms,” introducing four new awards: the New Discovery Award, the Jane Goodall Youth Nature Image Award, the Long-form Video Category, and the Underwater World Photography Category.
The New Discovery Award encourages scientifically grounded visual documentation, recognizing works that record new species, newly identified habitats, or the rediscovery of species once thought extinct.
The Jane Goodall award attracted more than 1,254 submissions from young creators worldwide, with selected works showcased during a special exhibition at the museum from Jan. 8 to 11.
Speaking at the ceremony, Li Shuanke, president and editor-in-chief of Chinese National Geography, said the competition has been evolving into a global platform that connects science, life, and the public through imagery, while promoting discovery, truth-seeking, and conservation.
Award-winning filmmaker Lianne Steenkamp during an interview.
Award-winning filmmaker Lianne Steenkamp shared that she and her husband focus on long-term, character-driven wildlife storytelling.
“When people start to care, they want to protect,” she said, adding that she was impressed by the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum, which offered her a mind-blowing glimpse into the future.
Foreign audience at the ceremony. Courtesy of the event organizers
Since its launch in 2020, the competition has attracted nearly 200,000 entries and reached more than one billion viewers globally, playing a growing role in advancing wildlife conservation and nature storytelling worldwide.