44 Breathtaking Nature Photos That Stood Out At The 2026 Academy Photo Awards

A tiger after bathing, photographed in close portrait on a Leica SL2.

There are 5 species of Bee-eaters endemic to Malaysia. One of these is the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. As with other bee-eater species the male will bring gifts to the female when she is laying eggs. This behaviour is featured in this image.

Location Kij Kij waterhole, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Early one morning during our morning game drive in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, my wife and I came across a pride of lions, The pride of lions consisting of a male, three lionesses and four sub-adult cubs. The pride was very relaxed lying in the green grass. The lioness and the cubs were lying next to the road relaxing in the rising sun. In this image one of the cubs approached the lioness and showed the affection and bond between a mother and her cub.

A mother bird is feeding five baby birds on a tree branch in the morning.

A green-crowned brilliant hummingbird goes eye to eye with a green pit viper. Although the viper does not present a direct danger to the bird, it is a threat to its nestlings, so the hummingbird draws attention to the danger by fierce squeaking sounds and dancing around the predator.

Taken in the snow of Norway. I was there hoping to photograph Golden Eagles; however, this proved difficult.
In the meantime, there were some Jays frolicking in the snow and fighting over food.

I was lucky enough to capture these two with a third bird seemingly watching the show.

Three young brown bear cubs seem curious to see what’s ahead, but only behind the protection of mama bear.

I chased this cell out east of Denver for a couple of hours when I saw this beautiful rainbow form in the wake of storm. The clouds continued to morph as I would stop, shoot, and keep on rolling after this massive cell. At the climactic height of this rainbow, mammatus clouds appeared right above it and offered one of the most mesmerizing moments I have ever had the opportunity to see and capture during my storm chasing adventures. This was a relatively short chase at just around 5 hours, but I was able to shoot almost 500 shots during this epic chase.

The morning glow reflected the red sky, and the two crowned cranes flew to the pool to show their affection, and they couldn't wait to dance, envying the hanging storks on the side.

The name orangutan comes from the Malay word orang hutan, which literally means man of the forest. This great ape makes its home in the treetops and tirelessly roams the canopy in search of fruit, leaves, and insects. In 20 years, orangutan populations have lost 80% of their range and have shrunk by half. Great apes are particularly vulnerable due to their very low reproduction rate. Weaning periods are long. Slow learning is essential for these primates, who live in unstable forest habitats and have complex social relationships and superior cognitive abilities. Orangutan conservation programs pursue numerous objectives aimed at the overall protection of hominids and their habitat.

This image was taken as the hyena walked steadily past the waterhole, at Shompole Conservancy, Kenya, moving from left to right through drifting dust. The backlight carved its outline and mane, separating it from complete darkness and giving it a ghostlike presence. The unique moment wasn’t action—it was movement with purpose. No hesitation, no drama - just confident passage through its territory.

This image captured during my last Zanskar Photography trip is the most detailed photograph of the Milky Way I've taken to date. And apart from that another key element of this image is the intense airglow in the air. The Drang Drung Glacier spanning 23 kilometers is visible below although its length is decreasing due to global warming. This image is a panorama of 5 images.

Two waterfalls, one ancient canyon. Háifoss and Granni plunge into the basalt depths as the Icelandic summer sun ignites the sky, painting the volcanic walls in gold and shadow. A fleeting moment where fire meets water, and silence swallows everything.

A traditional character from Iberian folklore leaping over a bonfire, where the smoke and fire create a timeless atmosphere in black and white.

Pink-flowering gum against pure black. Those stamens explode outward like fireworks frozen mid-burst, each bloom its own spectacle. This is what Australian native flora does when it decides to show off. Every. Single. Year. The Audacity.

On a photography trip to the Faroe Islands, I set out early in the morning from my base on Vagar Island and made my way to Kalsoy via the ferry from Klaksvik. I drove the length of the island, planning a hike to Kallur Lighthouse. I had given myself plenty of time before sunset to set up a composition and take a panoramic photograph of the scene, with the lighthouse as the main focal point. As I reached the destination of my hike and passed the lighthouse, I noticed a rain shower sweeping by the cliffs in the distance. Quickly, I changed my plans and switched to my 70-200mm lens. Handheld, I captured this image of a bird soaring gracefully through the rain as beams of sunlight pierced the thick blanket of clouds above. The entire event lasted just a couple of minutes but was by far the most rewarding moment of the day. Sometimes, the unexpected moments are the most memorable.

As the sun slips below the horizon, a small stand of mangroves stand quietly i the shallow waters,silhouetted agaist the fading glow of the evening. Their graceful form and delicate reflectios took my eye and created a scene of remarlable calm, while the sofy pastel collurs of suset stretch across the sky and water. I felt this image celebrates the serentiy of the natural world and the fleetig beauty of the day's final light.

A family of burrowing owls line up for breakfast that dad has just delivered (note the insect in his mouth) at the Salton Sea in Southern California, USA.

The big fish chased the small fish and rushed out of the water together, passing the egret. The egret looked surprised and did not know where the small fish would go under the laws of nature? Just like a poem: I passed you by. You hurried here. Before I noticed, you had gone far away, leaving me a regretful back.