LONDON (5 October 2021) — National Geographic Traveller (UK) has announced the winners of its Photography Competition 2021, sponsored by Nikon.

Seeking to highlight the best in travel photography, this prestigious annual competition, celebrating its 10^th year, invited photographers of all levels to submit travel images in up to six categories.

Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “We might have spent 18 months in a global pandemic, but that hasn’t diminished the consistent quality in our annual competition. Whether shot in the UK, or abroad during windows in which people could travel, this year’s winners remind us how photographers see the world around us and the magic of capturing a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“A huge congratulations to our grand prize winner but also to those who made the shortlist — all 18 photographers are exceptional talents. From the abstract and mesmerising overhead shots taken from drones and airplanes to studied portraits of people and wildlife, together these images capture human behaviour, changing landscapes and nature’s beauty in a way that resonates with the National Geographic brand.”

The grand prize winner this year is Andro Loria for his spectacular entry in the Portfolio category. The images, all taken in Iceland from a small airplane, capture the country’s deserts, volcanos, glaciers, mountains, rivers, lakes, coast and highlands.

The judges said: “What an incredible selection of landscapes, mixing abstract, swirling colours with frozen, geyser-filled vistas in a way that is at once cohesive and distinct. The skill with portfolios is to curate a selection of images that complement each other and to elevate each above the single frame, while ensuring that each works individually — and the photographer has certainly succeeded with this.

“The abstract images immediately draw the eye with brilliant colours, but the more identifiable landscape shots serve as a necessary foil to bring the portfolio back into the real world. Bright, dynamic and interesting, this is a stunning collection of shots.”

Andro wins a Nikon Z 6II camera and 24-70 f/4 lens, plus a four-night Northern Lights tour of Swedish Lapland, courtesy of Discover the World. The five category winners each receive a Nikon D3500 SLR camera and AF-P 18-55mm VR lens. Selected entrants will also be included as part of a national press and media campaign and featured on nationalgeographic.co.uk

The winners are:

Grand prize winner: Andro Loria: Iceland

Category winners:
Food & travel: Nic Crilly-Hargrave — fish market in Veracruz, Mexico
Landscape: Ozgun Ozdemir — Marble Hill beach in Donegal, Ireland
People: Claire Waring — Ice fishing in Hokkaido, Japan
Portfolio: Andro Loria — landscapes in Iceland
Urban environment: Clara Dip Wan Cheung — Veles e Vents in Valencia, Spain
Wildlife: Mitchell Lewis — rabbit in Richmond Park, London

Launched in 2011, the prestigious annual competition seeks the UK’s best travel photography talent — this year across six categories: Food & Travel; Landscape; People; Portfolio; Urban Environment; and Wildlife. A global press and media campaign will present the winning images, which will also be featured on the National Geographic Traveller (UK) website.

The judging panel consisted of Becky Redman, art director, National Geographic Traveller (UK); Harry Skeggs, award-winning wildlife photographer; Lola Akinmade Åkerström, award-winning freelance photographer; Annapurna Mellor, award-winning travel photographer; Alex Stead, award-winning Nikon photographer, F Dilek Uyar, award-winning freelancer photographer, Cathy Harlow, guide and photographer, Discover the World; and Oliver Puglisi, picture editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK).

To view the winners, visit: nationalgeographic.co.uk/photography-competition-2021

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The prizes

Grand-prize winner

The grand prize winner receives a stylish, state-of-the-art Nikon Z 6II mirrorless camera and 24-70 f/4 lens, worth £2,549. With a massive 24.5MP FX-format CMOS sensor, dual card slots and 4K video capacity, this is the perfect kit for capturing rich, professional travel imagery. nikon.co.uk

Nordic expert Discover the World is offering the grand prize winner a four-night, Northern Lights trip for two people in Swedish Lapland, worth around £4,500. Flying from Manchester or London, the trip combines three nights at Brändön Lodge with one night at the Treehotel. discover-the-world.com

All category winners

The five category winners each receive a Nikon D3500 SLR camera and AF-P 18-55mm VR lens worth £419. A 24.2MP CX-format sensor, razor-sharp auto focus system and ergonomic grip make it a great on-the-go companion for travel photographers.

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Sponsor: Nikon

With a proven track record of photography innovation and impact stretching back over a century, Nikon empowers creators to become the best photographers they can be. nikon.co.uk

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National Geographic Traveller (UK) has a cover price of £4.95, is available via subscription and on newsstands, and is published 10 times a year. Visit nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel for more information.

Website: Competitions, subscriptions, blogs, features and more. nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

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The National Geographic Traveller (UK) digital edition is available for Apple, Android and Kindle devices: ngtr.uk/NGTdigital

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Notes

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under licence by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, D.C. The travel and lifestyle magazine launched in December 2010 and is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivalled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now it’s committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for its consumers — and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as it does so. NGP returns 27% of its proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. nationalgeographic.com

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