Celebrating the Winners of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025

Now in its 17th year, Wildlife Artist of the Year has grown into one of the world’s leading art competitions, bringing together creativity, passion, and purpose in support of global conservation. Each artwork is not only a striking celebration of nature but also helps raise vital funds for frontline projects supported by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF).

This year’s finalists and winners showcased extraordinary talent, using their craft to tell urgent stories about our planet’s wildlife and landscapes. From intimate moments of maternal care to bold statements on extinction and renewal, every piece reminds us of the beauty we stand to lose and the power of art to inspire change.

Here are the category winners and special award recipients for 2025:

Abstract World: Jonathan Truss – A Dazzle of Zebra

Zebra stripes are nature’s ultimate camouflage, confusing predators by merging into a dizzying pattern of black and white. Jonathan Truss captures this dazzling spectacle in his painting, placing viewers in the position of a lioness confronted with the impossible task of singling out her prey. A professional wildlife painter for 30 years, Jonathan has exhibited internationally and led art safaris across continents. His ability to blend science and spectacle continues to inspire.

Animal Behaviour: Phillip Allder – Into the Light

Few images are as powerful as a tiger carrying her cub. In Into the Light, Phillip Allder contrasts the ferocity of a top predator with the tenderness of motherhood, imbued with just a trace of threat. Based in the Lake District, Phillip is a wildlife and landscape artist whose career spans exhibitions in the UK and USA. His evocative style has earned him regular recognition in Wildlife Artist of the Year.

Earth’s Wild Beauty: Hazel McNab – Iguazu Falls

Standing between Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls is one of the natural world’s most awe-inspiring sights. Hazel McNab’s linocut captures the delicate balance between fragility and force, with a slender tree holding its own against a backdrop of roaring water. Working in reduction linocut, Hazel layers colour and texture with precision, producing scenes infused with both movement and stillness. Her Cornish-based practice often celebrates coastal landscapes, but here she expands her gaze to a global wonder.

Environmental Artivism: Derek Robertson – In the Compass of the Oceans

Orcas are majestic apex predators, but also indicators of ocean health. Derek Robertson’s mixed-media piece highlights their vulnerability to overfishing, climate change, pollution, and plastic waste. With a career spanning 35 years, Derek is internationally recognised, with works held in collections from the Tate Gallery to the Royal Family. His art often bridges science and storytelling, collaborating with conservationists to bring urgent ecological narratives to life.

Facing Extinction: Holly Budge – 96 Elephants a Day – The Daily Poaching Rate in Africa

Every day, an estimated 96 elephants are killed for ivory in Africa. Holly Budge transforms this devastating statistic into wearable art: a necklace made from vegetable ivory, with one elephant turned in the opposite direction to symbolise hope. As founder of the NGO How Many Elephants and World Female Ranger Week, Holly combines adventure, activism, and design to amplify conservation causes. Her work has been praised by Sir David Attenborough for its ingenuity and impact.

Into the Blue: Sarah Jackson – First Dance

Made from recycled magazines, First Dance flows with the rhythm of the sea, celebrating the harmony of marine life. Sarah Jackson’s innovative use of collage and ink mirrors the ocean’s currents, transforming discarded material into textured, painterly compositions. Growing up on the Cornish coast, Sarah’s practice is deeply rooted in sustainability, proving that beauty and renewal can emerge from the everyday.

Wings: Emma Price – Strike a Pose

The Southern Ground Hornbill is a bird full of charisma, with its striking plumage, resonant call, and proud strut across African grasslands. Emma Price’s oil painting captures this bold personality with vivid colours and confident brushstrokes. An award-winning artist, Emma has been shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year seven times. Her work underscores the interconnectedness of wildlife and environment, reminding us that every species has a role to play.

Youth Exclusive: Sunghyun Chun – How to Crawl While Stuck in the Darkness

At just 17 years old, South Korean student Sunghyun Chun impressed judges with his intricate pencil drawing of a snake emerging from darkness. A newcomer to art, he was initially inspired by manga, and Sunghyun is now pursuing his dream of studying at an art college in England. His work demonstrates how new generations are embracing wildlife art with originality and dedication.

The Painters Online in Association with The Artist Award: Andrew Pledge – The Undertaker

Marabou storks may not fit traditional ideas of beauty, but Andrew Pledge challenges us to see them differently. In The Undertaker, he celebrates their adaptability and ecological importance, reminding us that even “unattractive” species play vital roles. Andrew’s award-winning work focuses on overlooked birds, encouraging us to find wonder in unexpected places.

Elizabeth Hosking Watercolour Award: Julia Cassels – Boys of Lolldaiga

Inspired by young elephants play-fighting on a dusty dam wall, Julia Cassels’ watercolour bursts with energy and movement. Having spent many years in Africa before returning to the UK, Julia’s art is alive with the sounds, scents, and rhythms of the wild. Her work not only captures wildlife but also raises awareness for conservation, connecting audiences to the places and creatures she loves most.

Michelle Lee Howk First Time Entrants Award: Aniruddha Gupte – Gentle Little Baza

The Black Baza, a striking raptor from southern India, is both elusive and ecologically significant. In his delicate watercolour, Mumbai-based artist Aniruddha Gupte celebrates this bio-indicator species, working with handmade paper and embracing the unpredictable qualities of the medium. A designer by training, Aniruddha only began painting wildlife in 2021, but his sensitivity and skill have already made a mark.

Overall Runner-Up: Matthew Polluck – Waiting on the World to Change

A lone Northern White Rhino stands in desolation, its shadow missing the iconic horn stolen by human greed. Using ink, metallic paint, and gold leaf, Matthew Polluck creates a haunting image of extinction. A self-taught artist, Matthew’s minimal palette and use of precious materials lend his work both immediacy and timelessness. His art is a call to action urging us to change before it’s too late.

Overall Winner: Nicole Koleková – Beloved

This year’s overall prize went to Slovakian artist Nicole Koleková for her ceramic sculpture Beloved. The piece depicts a monkey mother unable to let go of her lost child, a heart-wrenching meditation on maternal love, grief, and the fragility of life in the natural world. Created using the rare technique of wood kiln-fired ceramics, each sculpture bears the unpredictable marks of fire and ash, echoing the wild essence of the subject itself. Nicole’s work, rooted in raw emotion and technical mastery, moved judges and audiences alike.

Art, Conservation, and Hope

The winners of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 remind us that art is more than representation, it is storytelling, activism, and a bridge between people and nature. Each piece not only celebrates wildlife but also funds vital conservation work, from protecting endangered species to supporting communities living alongside wildlife.

To explore all the finalists and purchase artworks that directly support conservation, visit https://davidshepherd.org/shop/category/wildlife-artist-of-the-year-2025/