The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has announced the winners of its 2026 Environmental Photography Award, with Victorian photographer Doug Gimesy receiving the Public Award for his image Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down.
Doug Gimesy, Public Award, Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down.
Gimesy’s winning photograph was selected through a public vote from a shortlist of 36 images across five categories, and was captured near his home in Victoria.
Speaking about the image, Gimesy, who is also a regular writer for Australian Photography, said he was driving to catch an early morning country train when he drove past this distressing sight.
"I’d seen many macropods killed by vehicles on the side of the road but never a koala," he said.
"I did a U-turn and pulled over to see whether the koala was alive and if a female, do a pouch check. There was no joey and the koala was dead so I decided to document it as being a photojournalist, I always carry my camera with me."
With koalas often crossing roads to access food, mates, or shelter, road trauma is sadly a major threat to this iconic Australian species, with high traffic volumes, inappropriate high speed limits – especially between dusk and dawn – and inconsiderate driving all playing a part.
The Public Award includes a €500 grant and forms part of a wider competition recognising environmental photography across themes including forests, oceans, polar regions, humanity versus nature, and changemakers.
The Grand Prize for 2026 was awarded to Britta Jaschinski for Handprint on Sea Turtle, which also won the “Changemakers” category. Jaschinski’s work focuses on wildlife crime and forensic approaches to conservation.
Handprint on Sea Turtle by Britta Jaschinski. Combating illegal wildlife trade with forensic science, United Kingdom, 2025. Every crime leaves a trace. On the hunt for smugglers with wildlife forensics: the work that aims to disrupt or even dismantle illegally run wildlife trade chains. At first glance this may appear to be an underwater photograph of a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), but can you spot the human handprint? This scene demonstrates a method for securing forensic evidence that can help to catch poachers and animal traffickers. Special fluorescent powder dyes, photographed under ultraviolet light, reveal traces of hand and fingerprints, blood and other bodily fluids, and gunpowder residues, among others.
The Foundation said this year’s selection highlights the use of photography to communicate environmental issues and conservation challenges. Jury president Jasper Doest and other international judges assessed entries for both visual quality and the strength of their environmental messaging.
The Environmental Photography Award was established in 2021 by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to recognise photographers working on environmental themes and to support public engagement through exhibitions and publications.
You can see all the category winners and runners-up below.
Changemakers
Runner-up Curlew Man - Morgan Heim. Raising awareness of curlew conservation, United Kingdom, 2025. Runner-up, Insects, Architects of a Sustainable Future - Maud Delaflotte. Collection of black soldier fly eggs inside an aviary, France, 2024
Forests
Winner, Spirits of the Falls - Arnaud Farré. Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil, 2024. The Iguazú Falls (“great water” in the indigenous language) have the distinction of being split between two countries, Argentina and Brazil. They consist of a system of 275 waterfalls spanning nearly three kilometres and are protected by a national park in both countries.Runner-up, Predator’s Gaze - Luca Eberle. Female puma peers through the forest canopy, Costa Rica, 2023Runner-up, Parakeet Bitting Monitor Lizard - Hira Punjabi. Parakeet versus monitor lizard, India, 2024
Humanity vs nature
Winner, Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames - Fernando Faciole. Incineration of shark fins after seizure, Brazil, 2025. The hunting and trade of shark fins are among the main threats to marine biodiversity and the balance of ocean ecosystems. In Brazil, enforcement authorities have revealed a recurring pattern of fraud, with shipments repeatedly containing protected and critically endangered species. In 2023, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) carried out the largest shark-fin seizure ever recorded in the country, 28.7 tonnes, corresponding to the death of at least ten thousand sharks, including threatened species. As biological materials, these fins are required to be incinerated after official processing.Runner-up, Sinking Hopes - Alain Schroeder. Flooding in the heart of Java Island, Indonesia, 2024Runner-up, Conservation vs Tourism - Peter McGee. Whale shark tourist site, Philippines, 2025
Ocean
Winner, Shearwater’s Dilemma - Henley Spiers. Wedge-tailed shearwater in a school of lanternfish, Costa Rica, 2023. Off the Eastern Pacific coast, a wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) plunges into a football-pitch-sized school of lanternfish, struggling to single out a target. The fish move as one, their schooling defence working perfectly. The bird surfaced without catching anything and circled back for another dive.Better than Gold - Shane Gross. A school of bigeye trevally, Seychelles, 2022.Up is Down - Arnaud Farré. Humpback whale and her walf, Réunion Island, 2023
Polar regions
Winner, The Gathering - Vadim Makhorov. Pacific walruses, Russia, 2025. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is the largest species of walrus – males can reach up to four metres in length and weigh as much as 1.5 tons. This photograph shows a walrus haulout on Ratmanov Island, on the maritime border between Russia and the United States.Runner-up, The Explorers - Panos Laskarakis. Polar bear mother and cub, Norway, 2025Runner-up, Penguin Feast - Lucas Bustamante. Brown skuas, Antarctica, 2023
