Wildlife Photographer of the Year Winners Announced, with exhibition set to open at ROM December 21

Shane Gross from Canada wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year for The Swarm of Life.

TORONTO, October 9, 2024 – The 2024 edition of the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) exhibition makes its North American debut at ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) on December 21 and runs until May 4, 2025. The exhibition features the mesmerising image The Swarm of Life by Shane Gross from Canada who was awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 on October 8 at the Natural History Museum, London (NHM).

The underwater world of western toad tadpoles.

Image credit: The Swarm of Life, © Shane Gross

Shining a light on the magical underwater world of western toad tadpoles, Shane’s breathtaking photograph was captured while snorkelling for several hours through carpets of lily pads in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, making sure not to disturb the fine layers of silt and algae covering the bottom of the lake. A near-threatened species due to habitat destruction and predators, these tadpoles start their transition into toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching, but an estimated 99 percent of them will not survive to adulthood.

Among the 100 backlit images to be displayed at ROM are seven more by photographers from Canada. Each photo is a visual achievement for visitors to linger over these mesmerizing shots of the natural world with descriptions recounting the creation of these compelling shots of the natural world.

 

On Watch by John E Marriott, Winner, Animal Portraits.
John had been tracking this lynx family group in the Yukon for almost a week, wearing snowshoes and carrying light camera gear to make his way through snowy forests. © John E Marriott.

When Worlds Collide by Patricia Seaton Homonylo, Highly Commended, Photojournalism
Patricia captured this display of 3,900 birds from 103 species that died after flying into windows in the GTA in 2022. These birds were collected by volunteers from the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP). © Patricia Seaton.

The Disappearing Ice Cap by Thomas Vijayan, Highly Commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture
With meticulous planning and favourable weather conditions, Thomas’s image – a stitched panorama of 26 individual frames of the Austfonna ice cap – provides a spectacular summer view of meltwater plunging over the edge of the Bråsvellbreen glacier. © Thomas Vijayan.

Late Night Fishing by Geoffrey Reynaud, Highly Commended, Animal Portraits
Geoffrey recorded a grizzly bear with camera traps as it hunted for salmon in the freezing Yukon night and he slept in his car while the temperatures plummeted to -10°C. © Geoffrey Reynaud.

Food Fight by Vince Maidens, Highly Commended, Behaviour: Birds
Vince spent hundreds of hours over the course of three months watching this growing barn owl family in Yorkshire Dales National Park, England. © Vince Maidens.

Midnight Ramblers by Andrew Interisano, Highly Commended, Urban Wildlife
Andrew got to know these coyotes in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, during the Covid-19 pandemic. © Andrew Interisano.
 

Double Helping by Lory-Antoine Cantin, Highly Commended, 11–14 Years
When this fox in Forillon National Park, Quebec, noticed Lory-Antoine poised with his camera and long lens, it dropped its precious catch, so Lory-Antoine quietly kept his distance to give it some space. It soon returned to pick up the animals and continued on its way. © Lory-Antoine Cantin.

The return of WPY – a perennial ROM visitor favourite – marks the twelfth year in a row the Museum has exhibited images from this prestigious global photography contest. Within Canada, the Royal BC Museum will also be presenting WPY from February 14 to April 27, 2025.

Visitors to ROM will be met with an entirely new selection of images beautifully presented in large backlit illuminated frames for an enhanced visual experience. Every photo is accompanied by a photographer’s description, revealing more about the dramatic stories behind how each image was captured. Reading these accompanying words, visitors are often deeply moved by the evident passion and reverence the photographers have for the natural world and their acute insight about climate change, biodiversity loss, and human impact on ecosystems.

“The sheer beauty of these photos reminds us what is at stake because of climate change and unsustainable activities,” says Dr. Soren Brothers, Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change and ROM curator for the exhibition. “This exhibition gives me hope that audiences will also appreciate what we must treasure and celebrate today, to preserve for future generations by living positively with our environment.”

For the competition’s 60th edition, which was open to photographers of all ages and experience levels, judges received an astounding 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories. Judged over two rounds by a jury of international experts, the photographers selected for exhibition receive the highest level of recognition for wildlife photography that celebrates artistic composition, technical excellence and breathtaking views of the natural world.

In addition to the Grand Title winners, there are winners in 15 categories, including: Animal Portraits; Urban Wildlife; Behaviour: Mammals; Under Water; Oceans: The Bigger Picture; Plants and Fungi; Rising Star; and more, as well as images from the hard-hitting photojournalism category. This year, NHM has also introduced the Impact Award in both the youth and adult levels, which recognizes a conservation success, a story of hope, or positive change.

ROM Photo Contest
Ontario photographers with keen observations of the natural environment are invited to participate in the ROM Wildlife Photo Contest. Open to both adults and youth, amateurs and professionals, those inspired by nature can share their captivating images for a chance to win prizes from Henry’s and the honour of displaying the winning work at ROM. Full contest details are coming in December 2024.

Membership
Members will have the first opportunity to experience Wildlife Photographer of the Year on Friday, December 20 and Saturday, December 21, 2024. Tickets to WPY are free for ROM Members. Visit joinROM.ca for more information about ROM membership.

Exhibition Credit
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.