Underwater Photographer of the Year - The Winners
The results are in! In this blog we reveal who has won this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year, and share the destinations where you can photograph iconic marine life.
As sponsors of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, we are excited to share this year's winners!
The anticipation to find out the successful entries has been building from the moment the entry deadline closed, and it's safe to say we are blown away by the winning images.
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Since 1965, the annual Underwater Photographer of the Year competition has been celebrating photographers who capture life beneath the surface. Entrees can submit photos into 14 different categories, testing photographers with themes including wrecks, wide angle, macro, and even smartphone photography. This prestigious competition has continued to grow each year, attracting entries from around the world.
In 2026, 7,934 images were entered, and awarded photographers came from 28 different countries.
So, without further ado, here are the winners of this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year — and discover where we can take you on a diving holiday to explore some of the world’s most breathtaking underwater scenes!
The Overall Winner
Underwater Photographer of the Year Winner - Matty Smith
©Matty Smith/UPY2026 "Rockpool Rookies"
Overall winner Matty Smith hails from Australia, and captured this adorable split-shot of two elephant seal pups during the first evening of his trip in the Falklands. Matty is also the winner of the Portrait category award.
Category Winners
Wide Angle - Cecile Gatillon Barats
© Cecile Gatillon Barats/UPY2026 "Happy Baby" - taken in Dominica, Caribbean
Travel with Dive Worldwide to Dominica - discover our Dive & Discover Dominica trip today.
Macro - SeongCheol Cho
© SeongCheol Cho/UPY2026 "Calm at the Heart of Turmoil" - taken in Tulamben, Bali
Travel with Dive Worldwide to Indonesia - discover our trips to Tulamben today.
Up & Coming - Sam Blout
© Sam Blout/UPY2026 "Lunging Leopard" - taken in the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Travel with Dive Worldwide to Antarctica - discover our Classic Antarctica and Polar Circle & Antarctic Peninsula trips today.
Smartphone - Jack Ho
© Jack Ho/UPY2026 "The Roar" - taken in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Travel with Dive Worldwide to Indonesia - discover our trips to the Lembeh Strait today.
Wrecks - Niclas Andersson
© Niclas Andersson/UPY2026 "The Guns of Nagato" - taken in Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
Travel with Dive Worldwide to the Marshall Islands - discover our Bikini Lagoon Liveaboard trip today.
Coral Reefs - Dr. Tom Shlesinger
© Dr. Tom Shlesinger/UPY2026 "Underwater Meteor Shower" - taken in the Northern Red Sea, Israel
Travel with Dive Worldwide to the Red Sea - discover our range of trips today.
Behaviour - Kazushige Horiguchi
© Kazushige Horiguchi/UPY2026 "Clownfish Hatchout" - taken in Kagoshima Minamisatsuma, Japan
Black & White - Shunsuke Nakano
© Shunsuke Nakano/UPY2026 "Coral Window" - taken in Sado, Japan
Compact - Andrea Michelutti
© Andrea Michelutti/UPY2026 "Alpine Lookout" - taken in Lake Cornino, Italy
British Waters Wide Angle - Evan Johnston
© Evan Johnston/UPY2026 "A Meeting of Giants" - taken in the Sea of the Hebrides, Scotland
British Waters Living Together - Valerie Reid
© Valerie Reid/UPY2026 "Life Under the Pier" - taken in the Scottish Hebrides, Scotland
British Waters Macro - Tom Ingram
© Tom Ingram/UPY2026 "Mum" - taken in Cornwall, United Kingdom
...
Fact source: Underwater Photographer of the Year
Thumbnail credit: ©Matty Smith/UPY2026
Congratulations to all the winners, runners-up and highly commended photographers of this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year. If you're looking for an unforgettable diving holiday to hone your photography skills or find that incredible shot for a competition, discover our underwater photography holidays today, or contact our team for further advice.
