A maximum of 25 images ranging from intimate animal portraits to atmospheric landscapes, ground-breaking photojournalism to innovative technique can be submitted once a year, in 12-17 permanent and alternate categories.

The winning images are selected from among approximately 50,000 entries received from almost 100 countries around the globe, in three rounds by a prestigious and professional jury.

The awards ceremony takes place in the Natural History Museum in London.

On this date the latest Wildlife Photographer of the Year portfolio, introducing the winning images, comes out.

The categories in the 2016 competition were as follows: The overall 2009 competition winner, José Luis Rodriguez, was stripped of his award and his £10,000 prize following allegations from rival Spanish photographers that his picture of an Iberian wolf leaping a cattle-pen in Ávila had been staged, using a captive animal to do so.