The winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 have just been announced, and as you would expect they are nothing short of amazing. The competition is hosted by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide and this year received over 42,000 photographs from around the world.
The top prize was won by Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols for his photographs of lions sleeping in the Serengeti. To capture the photograph a special infared camera was used. You can check out that photograph below as well as all the finalist and category winners.
Winner, Mammals

The Mouse, the Moon and the Mosquito by Alexander Badyaev, Russia/USA
Finalist, Mammals

Creative Dining by Brian Skerry, USA
Finalist, Mammals

Fleeing the Flames by Greg Du Toit, South Africa
Winner, Birds

Herons in Time and Space by Bence Máté, Hungary
Finalist, Birds

Night of the Pelicans by Greg Du Toit, South Africa
Finalist, Birds

Feral Spirits by Sam Hobson, United Kingdom
Winner, Amphibians and Reptiles

Divine Snake by Raviprakash S S, India
Finalist, Amphibians and Reptiles

The Great Arrival by Sergio Pucci, Costa Rica
Finalist, Amphibians and Reptiles

Big Daddy by Yukihiro Fukuda, Japan
Winner, Invertebrates

Night of the Deadly Lights by Ary Bassous, Brazil
Finalist, Invertebrates

You Have Been Warned by Alex Mustard, United Kingdom
Finalist, Invertebrates

Sailing by Matthew Smith, United Kingdom/ Australia
Winner, Plants and Fungi

Glimpse of the Underworld by Christian Vizl
Finalist Plants and Fungi

Beach Guardian by Mac Stone, USA
Finalist Plants and Fungi

Golden Birch by Herfried Marek, Austria
Finalist Plants and Fungi

Snow Stand by Silvio Tavolaro, Italy
Winner, Underwater Specis

Passing Giants by Indra Swari Wonowidjojo, Indonesia
Finalist, Underwater Specis

Little Squid by Fabien Michenet, France
Finalist, Underwater Specis

Jelly Fireworks by Geo Cloete, South Africa
Winner, Earth’s Environments

Apocalypse by Francisco Negroni, Chile
Finalist, Earth’s Environments

Ice Land by Alessandro Carboni, Italy
Finalist, Earth’s Environments

Magic Mountain by David Clapp, United Kingdom
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014, Winner, Black and White

The Last Great Picture by Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, USA
Finalist, Black and White

Ray Rhythm by Pedro Carrillo, Spain
Winner, Natural Design

The Cardinal Sparks by Patrik Bartuska, Czech Republic
Finalist, Natural Design

Cool Heat by Juan Jesus Gonzalez Ahumada, Spain
Finalist, Natural Design

The Tracheal Tree by David Maitland, United Kingdom
Winner, World in Our Hands

The Price They Pay by Bruno D’Amicis, Italy
Winner, Special Award: Rising Star Portfolio Award

Feather Heavy by Michel d’Oultremont, Belgium
Winner, Special Award: People’s Choice

Facebook Update by Marsel van Oosten, The Netherlands
Finalist, 11-14 Years

Green Dragon by Will Jenkins, United Kingdom
Finalist, 11-14 Years

Owlets United by Sitara Karthikeyan, India
h/t mymodernmet