After a one-year hiatus due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s photo contest returned with 100,190 photo submissions from a record-breaking 158 countries and regions.

This year’s winning images were selected by a panel of judges that included renowned American singer-songwriter Ben Folds, who is a member of the Sony Artisans of Imagery.

Hong Kong photographer Man Wai-wong took third place in the water category for his photo taken in Iceland, where he is going to visit again soon.

“Iceland is a paradise for nature photography and a place where top photographers from all over the world gather, so this year I made up my mind to overcome all difficulties and visit there again,” Man said.

Dennis Wong Kim-pan's work received an honorable mention in the landscape category, in which he captured a full moon hanging over tall buildings in Hung Hom.

“I’m grateful to have this opportunity to participate in this event for deepening our connection with the planet and to share my perspective about nature,” Wong said.

Wax Leung's entry, shot in an alley in Quarry Bay to reflect the problem of living space in Hong Kong also received an honorable mention in the people and nature category.

From more than 100,000 entries, the Grand Prize went to a photo of a western lowland gorilla walking through a cloud of butterflies in the Central African Republic, taken by photographer Anup Shah of the United Kingdom.

“I like photos that keep dragging you in. The [gorilla’s] face. Tolerance or bliss. It’s really hard to tell and the insects draw you there,” Folds said.

The People’s Choice award went to Prathamesh Ghadekar of India for a photograph of fireflies congregating around a tree before a monsoon.

Meg Goldthwaite, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Nature Conservancy, said that these images are a gorgeous and unforgettable reminder of the vibrancy and awe-inspiring power of nature.

“Year after year, we are amazed, delighted, and moved by these scenes from around the world. They remind us how connected we all are on this planet, and energize us as we continue the important work of conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends,” Goldthwaite said.

You can view all of the winning images at https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/2021-winners/.