British photographer Henley Spiers won the grand prize in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 contest with an underwater capture of a Northern gannet diving off the coast of Shetland, Scotland, as reported by CNN. Selected from over 24,000 global entries, the winning frame depicts a streamlined gannet breaking through the ocean surface directly in front of a sunlit spot underwater, locally known as a “sunball.”
Chasing the Underwater Light
According to Smithsonian Magazine, Spiers dedicated an entire dive to framing the shot as gannets plunged into the water at speeds exceeding 50 miles per hour. While dead fish were utilized as bait during the shoot—a detail the photographer disclosed in his entry—organizers emphasized the genuine, real-world skill required to secure the image. Will Nicholls, director of the competition, noted that authentic wildlife captures offer a vital counterweight to the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence imagery in modern media.
British photographer Henley Spiers won the grand prize in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 contest with an underwater capture of a Northern gannet diving off the coast of Shetland, Scotland, as reported by CNN .
What should readers watch next?
Will Nicholls, director of the competition, noted that authentic wildlife captures offer a vital counterweight to the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence imagery in modern media.
What remains unclear: The available reporting does not yet fully settle the next step in the story.
Perspectives
Immediate impact vs Next-step context
Story lens
Immediate impact
British photographer Henley Spiers won the grand prize in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 contest with an underwater capture of a Northern gannet diving off the coast of Shetland, Scotland, as reported by CNN .
Next-step context
Will Nicholls, director of the competition, noted that authentic wildlife captures offer a vital counterweight to the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence imagery in modern media.
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy faces a tighter-than-expected Ohio governor’s race against Democrat Amy Acton amid economic headwinds and political friction.
