More than 12,000 images were entered in the 2026 British Wildlife Photography Awards, which celebrate the variety, beauty and resilience of nature across the UK. The winning images range from familiar to overlooked forms of life, revealing behaviour, colour and texture in gardens, forests, rivers and coastal waters. Ben Lucas was named Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his tender portrait of a mute swan cygnet asleep on its sibling. Together, the images offer a joyful record of Britain’s wildlife and a reminder of fragile habitats on which it depends.