The winners of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards for 2025 have been unveiled, with a captivating image of a stag illuminated in the darkness securing the top prize. The competition, which celebrates the talent of young photographers passionate about animals and the natural world, announced its results on Sunday, 21 December 2025.
Overall Winner and Standout Talent
The overall winner for 2025 is 17-year-old Thomas Durrant from London. His winning photograph, a powerful portrait of a stag bathed in light against a dark backdrop, impressed the judges with its technical skill and evocative atmosphere. Durrant's success didn't end there; he also claimed the Portfolio winner category with a series titled 'The power of light' and was named runner-up in the 16-18 age group for another work, 'Lovers in the mist'.
Category Winners Across Age Groups and Themes
The awards feature multiple categories catering to different ages and photographic styles. In the youngest category, Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb won the 'Under 12' section with 'My world'. Shelby Grant triumphed in the '12-15' age group with 'Leaping into the golden wild'.
Other notable category winners include:
- Sam O Donnell for Urban Animals ('Looking out into a concrete jungle').
- Vanaiya Gill for Mobile Phone and Devices ('Confusion in the herd').
- Maisie Hayman for Pet Portraits ('Hold your head high').
- Jack Brackley for A Better World for Animals ('A red-backed shrike in Cambridgeshire').
- Satsuki Whittle for Pet Personalities ('Garden goof').
- Jamie Smart, who won both the Documenting Animals category ('Caped crusaders') and the Small World category ('Space bug').
Runners-Up and Celebrating Diverse Perspectives
The competition also highlighted a wide array of runners-up, showcasing the depth of young photographic talent in the UK. These included Angelo Anderson's spider portfolio, Eilidh Shannon's poignant 'Life and death' in Documenting Animals, and Anton Sing-Hon Poon's 'Holy pigeon' in the Urban Animals category.
The RSPCA Young Photographer Awards continue to be a vital platform for encouraging young people to engage with wildlife and animal welfare through the lens of a camera. The 2025 cohort has demonstrated remarkable creativity, technical ability, and a profound connection to the subject matter, from intimate pet portraits to dramatic wild scenes.
