Portrait of Evicted Fox Wins 2023 British Wildlife Photography Awards

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Overall Winner and Urban Wildlife Winner / © Charlie Page / British Wildlife Photography Awards

The winners of the 2023 British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) have been announced. An image of a red fox walking through its destroyed habitat has earned the top prize.

Charlie Page’s winning photo shows a red fox walking through a woodland cut down to make way for an industrial site. “I knew this area was frequented by foxes, and I wanted to take an image with the industrial backdrop to show the devastation caused to this local woodland that the fox calls home,” says Page. “I hope that wildlife photographers aren’t faced with similar scenes in years to come.”

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year was awarded to Billy Evans-Freke. His winning photo features a tawny owlet resting on a tree branch. The RSPB supports the award to encourage young people to become more involved with nature.

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year and 15-17 Years Winner / © Billy Evans-Freke / British Wildlife Photography Awards

“The talented photographers in this year’s competition have given us an exception window into Britain’s nature,” says Will Nicholls, Director of BWPA. “It’s an important reminder of the wildlife and wild spaces that still remain in the UK and are in need of our care and protection.”

The BWPA is an annual showcase of some of the best nature photography in Britain. The competition aims to serve as an essential reminder of the value of Britain’s woodlands, wetlands, and other ecosystems.

Adult photographers competed across 10 categories: Animal Behavior, Animal Portraits, Botanical Britain, Black and White, British Seasons, Coast and Marine, Habitat, Hidden Britain, Urban Wildlife, and Wild Woods. Young photographers competed across three age groups: 11 and under, 12-14 years, and 15-17 years.

Animal Behavior

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © James Roddie / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Robert Cuss / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Animal Portraits

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Lewis Newman / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Ed Phillips / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Botanical Britain

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Matt Doogue / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Geraint Redford / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Black and White

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Matthew Turner / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Paula Cooper / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Coast and Marine

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Henley Spiers / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Kirsty Andrews / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Habitat

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Neil McIntyre / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Peter Bartholomew / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Hidden Britain

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © John Waters / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Will Atkins / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Urban Wildlife

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Matthew Cattell / British Wildlife Photography Awards

Wild Woods

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Philip Selby / British Wildlife Photography Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Runner-up / © Graham Niven / British Wildlife Photography Awards

RSPB 11 and Under

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Wilbur King / British Wildlife Photography Awards

RSPB 12-14 Years

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Winner / © Felix Walker-Nix / British Wildlife Photography Awards

All awarded images featured in this article will be published in a hardcover book available now. The book features a foreword by Dame Judi Dench.

The 2024 competition is now open for entries at bwpawards.org.


Image credits: All photographers are credited in the captions. Images courtesy of the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

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