Bird Photographer of the Year

What you will actually pay

Entry costs, explained.

Youth: free, up to 10 images. Adults: £35 for 25 credits, rising to £40 on 8 December; UK VAT extra.

A single image costs one credit. The Portfolio and Conservation awards use six credits per submission. Adult entry has no overall image limit; unused credits are not refunded. There is no cheaper single-image adult route stated. [2][1]

Choose the category that gives the photograph meaning

Portrait, behaviour, flight, habitat, urban settings, monochrome and creative work provide different ways into the competition. The single-image Conservation category is separate from the Conservation Award's collection. A portfolio should demonstrate range and control; a conservation sequence should build an intelligible story. [4]

Our advice is to classify a picture by its strongest argument. A technically sharp bird against an empty background might be a portrait, while a much smaller bird can become compelling through its relationship with habitat. Neither needs to imitate a previous winner. The category descriptions make that editorial choice more useful than simply filling every available slot. [4]

Recent winners have travelled beyond the organiser's website

Popular Science published a substantial illustrated selection of the 2026 awards in September. It led with Henley Spiers's underwater gannet photograph, Sunball Rocket, and also featured urban birds, conservation imagery and young winners. That is demonstrated editorial distribution to a broader science audience, although it does not establish a readership figure for each photographer. [6]

The images are informative preparation: wildlife storytelling can come from a local pond or a familiar urban setting as well as an expedition. We would use the published winners to judge the strength and clarity of a prospective entry, without treating the organisers' promotional language as a promise of career advancement. [6]

The formal process selects category winners and highly commended entries, with the overall winner chosen from category winners. Shortlisted photographers should be ready for authentication rather than assuming the uploaded preview is sufficient. [1]

Distinguish cash from vouchers

The overall title carries £3,000 cash. Across the eight main categories, gold receives £500 and silver £250; bronze is a £100 camera-equipment voucher. The separate Portfolio and Conservation awards each offer £500. These are individual awards, not a claim that every finalist shares the headline cash amount. [3]

The youth page promises equipment vouchers rather than cash: £100 for each age-category winner and a further £200 for the overall young winner. However, the prize and category pages show different youth age bands. The formal adult/youth cut-off is clear; families should confirm their precise band before relying on an age-specific award. [3][4]

A voucher is useful only to the extent that its supplier and conditions suit the recipient. We would regard the resulting publication and recognition as part of the opportunity, while keeping an entry budget independent of any expected prize. [3]

Authentic bird photography with a defined image window

Images must date from 1 January 2021 onward. Domestic birds and captive or restrained subjects are excluded apart from conservation reporting exceptions. Live bait, harmful disturbance and tape lures are prohibited. AI denoising and sharpening are allowed, but other AI tools and object removal are not; specified techniques such as focus stacking have exceptions. [1]

The FAQ permits photographs entered or awarded elsewhere. Captions should describe the story, technique and relevant permissions. A precise caption helps distinguish careful fieldwork from an image whose context the judges would otherwise have to guess. [5]

Ownership remains, but permission lasts

Entrants retain ownership, while granting an irrevocable worldwide licence for the full intellectual-property term. Competition-related uses include alteration, sublicensing, books, calendars, merchandise, exhibitions and future competitions, with credit. An awarded touring-exhibition print may be auctioned for charity without artist proceeds; only that one physical print is covered, and the photographer first gets an option to buy it at printing and shipping cost. [1]

Our reservation is the duration and breadth of that permission. Photographers planning an exclusive edition or another licensing arrangement should reconcile it with the entry terms before submission. Retaining copyright does not itself reserve every commercial opportunity. [1]

A December deadline for the following year's results

Submit by 23:59 GMT on 13 December 2026 through the official portal. The FAQ places results and Collection 12 publication in September 2027. We have therefore labelled this review for that award cycle, rather than mixing it with the 2026 winners already published. [1][5]

Upload JPEG previews up to 2,000 pixels on the long edge and 2MB. Entries can be edited until the deadline, after which the dashboard locks automatically; the organiser says a separate confirmation email is not sent. Keep the original files, high-resolution edits and surrounding frames accessible for any later request. [2][5]

Before the deadline, check that each intended picture actually appears in the dashboard. This small administrative check is particularly useful with credit-based entry, where buying a pack and uploading the intended selection are separate steps. [2]

The archive

Previous editions.

• 2027 / Collection 12Closed 13 Dec 2026£3,000 overall cash; eight main category gold £500, silver £250, bronze £100 equipment voucher. Portfolio and Conservation awards £500 each. Youth equipment vouchers; exact age bands conflict across pages.