The overall winner of this year's Countryfile Calendar competition has been announced.
Chosen by a public vote, the top prize has been awarded to John Rae for his image ‘Aurora Arbor-ealis’. The spectacular shot was also the Judges' Choice Photograph, as selected by John Craven, Hamza Yassin and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock.
John’s photograph will appear on the cover of the 2026 Countryfile Calendar, sold in aid of BBC Children in Need.
Find out all about the Countryfile Calendar, including which images made the final 12 and how to buy the calendar.
Countryfile Calendar: overall winner
‘Aurora Arbor-ealis’ photographed by John Rae clinched top spot in this year's Countryfile Photographic Competition. As the winner, John's incredible photo of the northern lights (or aurora borealis) turning the sky green over an arching tree will feature on the cover of the 2026 Countryfile Calendar.
Countryfile Calendar: 12 winning images
The 12 winning images for the Countryfile Calendar have been announced. The photos will all feature in the 2026 Countryfile Calendar.
Countryfile Calendar: how to vote
The vote is now closed. Voting closed at 10am on Monday 8 September 2025.
How to buy the 2026 Countryfile Calendar
The 2026 Countryfile Calendar is now available to order at www.hcscalendar.co.uk. Hallmark Consumer Services Ltd are responsible for processing your data when you order online, view terms and conditions here.
Orders can be made online or by telephone (*0330 333 4564).
*Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply.
You can also order your calendar by post. Send your name, address and a cheque (£11.99) to:
BBC Countryfile Calendar
PO BOX 25
Melton Mowbray
LE13 1ZG
Please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
The price per calendar is £11.99 which includes UK delivery.
Postage outside the UK will cost £7.50 per calendar.
Sales of the calendar end on 31 January 2026.
A minimum of £5.50 from the sale of each calendar will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
How much does the Countryfile Calendar cost?
The 2026 Countryfile Calendar costs £11.99, UK postage included. Postage outside the UK will cost £7.50 per calendar.
A minimum of £5.50 from the sale of each calendar is donated to BBC Children in Need.
What is the Countryfile Calendar competition?
Every year, Countryfile opens its photographic competition to budding photographers across the UK to submit their best wildlife, landscape and nature shots.
12 winning photos are chosen to feature in the much-loved Countryfile Calendar for the following year, which is sold in aid of BBC Children in Need appeal with a minimum of £5.50 from each calendar sale benefiting the charity.
This is a tradition dating back to 1998, and during this time, more than £33 million has been raised to help transform young lives around the UK.
What is the theme of the Countryfile Calendar 2026 competition?
The theme this year is 'Wild Encounters'. The theme is open to interpretation, but the judges were looking for stunning photos of the UK's landscape, its wildlife, weather, or human interactions with the environment around us.
- Don't forget, you can take great wildlife photos without specialist equipment - check out our guide to taking pictures with your smartphone.
The theme 'Wild Encounters' was open to the interpretation of the photographer. But entries should have featured landscape photographs of the UK, or wild or farm animals, in a natural setting. Pictures of pets were not eligible for the competition – nor were zoo animals. Images of UK wildlife in captivity are also ineligible.
Who was judging the Countryfile Calendar 2026 competition?
A panel including John Craven, Hamza Yassin and Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock chose the winning photographs.
From all the entries received, judges select 12 photos to be featured in the 2026 calendar. There’ll also be an overall winning photograph, chosen by the Countryfile viewers. This will be featured on the cover of the calendar.
What's the prize for the Countryfile Calendar 2026 competition?
The overall winner of the competition will feature on the cover of the 2026 Countryfile Calendar.
The person who takes the winning photo also receives a gift card to the value of £1,000, which can be spent on photographic equipment of their choice, at a number of outlets.
The person who takes the photo the judges like best receives a gift card to the value of £500, which can also be spent on photographic equipment at a number of outlets.
How to enter the Countryfile Calendar competition
Submissions are now closed for this year's Countryfile Calendar competition. The closing date for entries was 10am on Monday 28 July 2025.
Who won the Countryfile Calendar competition for 2025?
'Seal of Approval' by Ursula Armstrong was chosen as the overall winner and appeared on the cover of the 2025 Countryfile Calendar.
Who won the BBC Countryfile Calendar competition for 2024?
The winner was Warren Price with 'Ice Fishing', chosen for the front cover of the calendar and for the month of December.
"I never imagined when I put the picture in that it would get to the final 12..." Warren told John Craven on Countryfile.
Warren took the shot in Bedfordshire at his local nature reserve.
"In December 2023 we had really heavy snowfall," he told John. "It was bitterly cold and it just gave me enough time to get that shot."
Warren added: "It's a legendary calendar and a complete honour," to appear on the cover of the calendar.
Who won the BBC Countryfile Calendar competition for 2023?
Top image credit: Ursula Armstrong
Feeling inspired?
Check out our expert guides to Britain’s best locations for landscape photography, best places to photograph wildlife in the UK and best wildlife and nature photography courses.
