GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025
by GDT - Gesellschaft für Naturfotografie (German Society for Nature Photography) (opens in a new tab)
Entries closed
Results are out
- Closed 01 MAR
- Fee from €35
- UW cat. 1 of 1
You're viewing a past edition. See GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 →
Key dates
Entries open
Final deadline
Ceremony
- RAW files due from shortlisted entrants: Wed 30 Apr 2025
- Prize-winner notification begins: Mon 19 May 2025
Entry fees
| Entry to adult categories (any number of images up to the limits) | €35 |
|---|
Free for: Youth category (K9), up to 5 images
Prizes
€3,000 for the overall winner
- cash
- exhibition
Which category to enter
This is a general contest. Underwater work belongs in this category:
Underwater World (K6)
OpenLife under water — plants, animals or habitats — in either saltwater or freshwater environments.
Who can enter
- Open to
- Open to all
- Entry limit
- 25 per person
Up to 25 images in total across categories K1 to K8; the youth category has its own limit of 5.
Rules at a glance
Not summarised yet — check the official rules.
Your image rights
Read carefullyOnly awarded and highly commended images are used. GDT may show them on its website and social media, give them to the press, use them for marketing and sponsor-finding, exhibit them, and after exhibitions sell the exhibition prints to the public with proceeds going to conservation. Non-awarded entries are deleted after the contest.
- Licence
- Broad, non-exclusive
- Duration
- Not specified
- Commercial use by organiser
- Yes
How "Read carefully" is decided
- Read carefully: the entrant grants an exclusive licence or transfers rights, or the organiser may use entries commercially (sell, license, use in paid products).
- Photographer-friendly: use is limited to promoting the contest, there is no commercial use by the organiser, and credit is promised.
- Standard: everything in between — typically a broad non-exclusive licence for marketing without commercial resale.
This is our plain-language summary, not legal advice. Read the official terms before entering: official rules & terms (opens in a new tab).
Research notes
25th edition. The deadline was midnight CET on 1 March 2025. Winners were presented at the International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen (24-26 October 2025) and then toured European venues. The rules PDF was read via search-engine extracts rather than directly; the jury list was not found.
Provenance
Verified · 3 sources
- EWPY 2025 competition rules (PDF) (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
- EWPY 2025 gallery (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
- EWPY exhibitions (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
All editions
- GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2027≈ early Mar 2027Expected
- GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026closed Sun 1 Mar 2026Judging
- GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025closed Sat 1 Mar 2025Results out Results (opens in a new tab)