Spectacular Winners from the 2025 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards

Overall Winner: “Silent Despair” by Luca Lorenz

The 2025 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, hosted by the German Society for Nature Photography, showcase nature’s raw beauty and brutal truths through breathtaking imagery.

This year’s standout is Luca Lorenz, a 20-year-old self-taught German photographer, whose black-and-white photo “Silent Despair” moved judges with its tragic tale of an owl mourning his lost family. The collection of 25 winning images spans emotional and dramatic scenes—from Arctic fox hunts to intimate elephant moments—each frame revealing deep empathy and storytelling. These photographs go beyond visual appeal, offering a soulful connection to the wild and reminding us of nature’s fragility. More than a competition, the awards are a call to feel, protect, and remain endlessly inspired by the natural world.

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Birds – Winner: “Swan lake” by Terje Kolaas

Birds – Runner-Up: “At the top of the food chain” by Audun Rikardsen

Mammals – Winner: “Time for a swim!” by Federica Cordero

Mammals – Runner-Up: “Nighttime hunter” by Csaba Daroczi

Other Animals – Winner: “Amongst the stars” by Tibor Litauszki

Other Animals – Runner-Up: “Night vision” by Ivo Niermann

Plants and Fungi – Winner: “Inferno” by Tobias Richter

Plants and Fungi – Runner-Up: “Hare’s-foot clover” by Theo Bosboom

Landscapes – Winner: “Minimalistic triad” by David Menzel

Landscapes – Runner-Up: “Golden treasure” by Sven Začek

Underwater World – Winner: “Unsung heroes” by Angel Fitor

Underwater World – Runner-Up: “Role reversal” by Jonathan Fieber

Man and Nature – Winner: “Forensics” by Britta Jaschinski

Man and Nature – Runner-Up: “Dangerous meal” by Audun Rikardsen

Nature´s Studio – Winner: “War is near” by Hannu Ahonen

Nature´s Studio – Runner-Up: “Black, white and red” by Anja Brouwer

Young Photographers to 14 Years – Winner: “At dawn” by Lubin Godin

Young Photographers to 14 Years – Runner-Up: “Spider versus lizard” by Mattia Terreo

Young Photographers 15 to 17 Years – Winner: “Predator” by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas

Young Photographers 15 to 17 Years – Runner-Up: “Nocturnal race” by Árpád Király

Fritz Pölking Prize: “Liebe, Hass und Klapperschlangen” by Javier Aznar

Fritz Pölking Prize: “Norwegischer Winter” by Tobias Gjerde

Rewilding Europe Award – Winner: “Comeback of the Atlantic sturgeon” by Jon A. Juárez

Rewilding Europe Award – Runner-Up: “The green heart of Bucharest” by Zoltán Gergely Nagy