The Natural History Museum in London has launched the sixty-third Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, with a boosted prize pot and a new category joining the roster.

That's the headline news. One of the world's most watched photography prizes just raised its stakes and reshuffled its categories. For a competition that has spent six decades setting the agenda for how we picture the natural world, even a modest format change counts as an event.

What do we know so far?

The museum confirmed three concrete things with the launch:

• The competition is now in its sixty-third year.
• The prize fund has been increased.
• A new category has been added to the existing structure.

The announcement came directly from the Natural History Museum, which owns and runs the competition. The museum has not yet published the full breakdown of the new prize figures in the material released so far. It also hasn't detailed every judging parameter for the incoming round. Expect those specifics to follow in the official entry documentation.

What does this change for photographers?

The practical question any entrant will ask: what does a bigger prize pot and a fresh category actually change? Two things, in the short term. First, the money. A boosted fund raises the competition's pull against other major prizes and gives winning and shortlisted photographers more tangible support. Second, the new category. A fresh slot in the category list is an invitation. It signals the organisers see a kind of image, or a way of working, that the existing categories don't fully cover.

Entrants should watch the official rules closely. Category definitions at this competition have always shaped what gets made, not just what gets rewarded. Photographers tailor fieldwork and editing choices to fit the frames the judges define.

Why this competition matters

Wildlife Photographer of the Year, owned and developed by the Natural History Museum, is among the longest-running and most visible photography competitions anywhere. Its annual exhibition at the London museum draws large crowds and then tours internationally, putting winning images in front of audiences far beyond the photography press.

That institutional reach is the real prize. Winning images don't just hang on a wall. They circulate through a touring exhibition, catalogues and widespread press coverage, and they tend to define the visual vocabulary of nature photography for the following year. A category change here ripples outward into what editors, curators and photographers everywhere treat as the standard.

The competition has also built its reputation on rigor. Judging is anonymous across rounds, and the museum has historically enforced strict ethics standards around authenticity and animal welfare. That scrutiny is part of why the prize carries weight in both the art and science worlds.

What happens next

The entry window is now open, and the museum will publish the full category definitions, rules and prize details through the competition's official channels. Judging will run ahead of the usual annual announcement of winners, followed by the exhibition opening at the Natural History Museum in London. Photographers planning to enter should check the official competition pages for deadlines and the precise terms of the new category before submitting.

By Marcus Bennett