51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú

NEW YORK (June 20, 2024) – Today the 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú announced the winners of the 2024 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Photography Awards. Now in its fifteenth year, the contest features stunning work from professionals, amateurs, and young people that highlights the beauty of birds and the joy of capturing that through photographs and videos. Judges awarded nine prizes, including the new Birds in Landscapes Prize for the top image depicting the relationship between birds and their surroundings. Winning entries and honorable mentions were chosen from more than 2,300 entrants from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and 9 Canadian provinces and 1 territory.  

For the first time, the competition awarded the Birds in Landscapes Prize, which was introduced to draw attention to how birds connect with their broader surroundings. Whether the setting is wild, urban, or suburban, or the relationship is symbiotic or reflects a specific challenge birds face, the prize encourages photographers to take a step back and look at the whole environment, then let the photograph tell the story. Previously featured prizes, such as the Plants for Birds Prize, Fisher Prize, Female Bird Prize, and Video Prize, were also awarded in this year’s contest.

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s climate science report Survival by Degrees reveals that two-thirds of North American birds are threatened by extinction from climate change, including species featured in this year’s 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Photography Awards like the Blackburnian Warbler, California Quail, and Sedge Wren. Learn more about how climate change will impact birds in your communities by entering your zip code into 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s Birds and Climate Visualizer. 
 
Award winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the Summer 2024 issue of 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú magazine, and select photos and videos will also be featured in digital galleries promoted on 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú's website and social channels throughout the year.

Grand Prize Winner

Professional Winner

Amateur Winner

Plants For Birds Winner

Youth Winner

Video Winner

Female Bird Prize Winner

Birds in Landscapes Prize Winner

Fisher Prize Winner

Professional Honorable Mention

Amateur Honorable Mention

Video Honorable Mention

Plants For Birds Honorable Mention

Youth Honorable Mention

2024 Contest Prizes: 
Grand Prize: $5,000 USD 
Professional Prize: $2,500 USD 
Amateur Prize: $2,500 USD 
Plants for Birds Prize: $2,500 USD 
Video Prize: $2,500 USD 
Female Bird Prize: $1,000 USD 
Birds in Landscapes Prize: $1,000 USD 
Fisher Prize: $1,000 USD 
Youth Prize: Six days at 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s Hog Island 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú Camp for Teens during the 2025 season
 
The 2024 panel of judges:

• Sabine Meyer, photography director, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú
• Lucas Bustamante, environmental photojournalist and biologist
• Preeti Desai, senior director of social media & storytelling, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú
• Daniel Dietrich, wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and cinematographer
• Morgan Heim, conservation photographer, filmmaker and adventurer
• Noppadol Paothong, nature/conservation photographer
• John Rowden, conservation consultant and native plants expert
• Mike Fernandez, video producer, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú
• Rina Miele, wildlife photographer and videographer
• Mick Thompson, wildlife photographer and videographer
• Alyssa Bueno, wildlife photographer, Feminist Bird Club
• Founders of the Galbatross Project:  
  • Brooke Bateman, director of climate science, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú  
  • Stephanie Beilke, conservation manager, conservation science, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú  
  • Martha Harbison, communications director, community building, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú  
  • Joanna Wu, PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles 

 
All photos and videos are judged based on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit and must adhere to 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. For more information, please visit the official contest rules.  
 
To learn more about 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú’s Plants for Birds program and Native Plants Database, please visit audubon.org/native-plants.    

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About 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú 
The 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas towards a future where birds thrive because 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú has more than 700 staff working across the hemisphere and more than 1.5 million active supporters. North America has lost three billion birds since 1970, and more than 500 bird species are at risk of extinction across Latin America and the Caribbean. Birds act as early warning systems about the health of our environment, and they tell us that birds – and our planet – are in crisis. Together as one 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú, we are working to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss. We do this by implementing on-the-ground conservation, partnering with local communities, influencing public and corporate policy, and building community. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Media Contact: Megan Moriarty, megan.moriarty@audubon.org