National Geographic Traveller (UK) announced the winners of its 15th annual photography competition in late May. The winning photographs are on display at King's Cross station in London from 28/5 to 12/7. The competition celebrates unique perspectives of the world across 8 categories, ranging from wildlife and landscapes to urban life and culinary culture.

The top prize was awarded to photographer Edward Hasler for his aerial shot of the Namib Desert from a helicopter. Rare heavy rains created water channels weaving through the dunes, leaving behind tree-like patterns on the desert floor.

Zaeem Jafri's winning entry in the Food category captures a candid moment of diners awaiting freshly served hot dumplings at Gamekol Son Wangmandu in Seoul, South Korea. *Photo: Zaeem Jafri*.

James Campbell's winning entry in the Landscape category was taken from inside an ice cave within the Katla glacier in Iceland. Layers of volcanic ash trapped in the ice from eruptions create contrasting black streaks against the blue ice. *Photo: James Campbell*.

Nurettin Boydak's winning entry in the People category shows women in vibrant attire gathered for Eid prayers in Harar, Ethiopia. *Photo: Nurettin Boydak*.

Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan's photograph, depicting a vendor in a "pettikadai" (traditional box shop) in Chennai, India, won the Young Talent category, introduced for the first time in 2026 for photographers aged 18-25. *Photo: Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan*.

Somdutt Prasad's winning entry in the Urban category captures a moment where real life blends with art in Kolkata, India. The image shows a passerby engrossed in their phone, walking past a mural by artist Sayan Mukherjee. *Photo: Somdutt Prasad*.

Felix Belloin's winning entry in the Wildlife category depicts a polar bear sleeping on ice. To avoid disturbing the animal, the photographer used a drone with a telephoto lens, allowing the shot to be taken from a sufficient distance without waking the bear. *Photo: Felix Belloin*.

A portrait of William Velozo with his daughter Odalis at Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador, is part of photographer Ben Pipe's project on the "chagra"—cowboys living and working in the Ecuadorian highlands. This photograph is from the series that won the Portfolio category. *Photo: Ben Pipe*.

Beyond the top prize, photographer Edward Hasler also received high commendation in the Food category for his aerial photograph of a soy sauce production facility in Hanoi, showing locals fermenting soy sauce in traditional ceramic jars. *Photo: Edward Hasler*.

Ryszard Lomnicki's highly commended entry in the Landscape category captures Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona, US. Over thousands of years, water and wind have eroded the sandstone, creating the canyon's distinctive undulating formations. *Photo: Ryszard Lomnicki*.

An image by photographer Ashleigh Benn, depicting a local weaving a fishing net in Hoi An, Vietnam, was among the highly commended works this year. *Photo: Ashleigh Benn*.

According to the National Geographic Traveller judges, this year's award-winning works create an impressive collection of photographs, offering diverse perspectives on life around the world and inspiring travel.

By Mai Phuong (Source: Nat Geo, CNN)