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Winner, Portrait, and Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026, Matty Smith
 

Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) has announced the winners of its 2026 contest, and we’re thrilled to see Matty Smith clinch the grand title. Matty—who is from the UK but based in Newcastle, Australia—stole the judges’ hearts (and surely, everyone else’s) with a beyond-cute split shot of southern elephant seal pups, captured in a rockpool on the Falkland Islands.

“Once several weeks old and weaned from their mothers milk, elephant seal pups are abandoned by their parents on shore, left to navigate life alone,” writes Matty in the caption to the image, which was also the winner of the Portrait category. “On Sealion Island in the Falklands, I watched dozens of them clamber over one another in shallow rockpools, awkwardly learning to swim, and quite engaging to my presence. I’d come here for this moment, to witness and photograph their first solo lessons in life. On the very first evening of my arrival, the sky ignited with colour. I donned my dry suit and rushed into the water, capturing a handful of frames before the light vanished. It turned out to be the defining moment of the trip, and I’m glad I didn’t hesitate.”

Matty adds Underwater Photographer of the Year to a lengthy list of accolades for his images, many of which (like his UPY winner) are over-unders shot using special domes that he builds himself. In the DPG article, “Big Dome Split Shots,” Matty talks about his passion for over-unders, offers loads of handy tips, and shares more of his award-winning half-and-half images. (You can also find out how to get your hands on your own Matty Smith-built custom dome port.)

The competition’s category winners include Tom Shlesinger (Coral Reefs), Sam Blount (Up and Coming), Cecile Gabillon Barats (Wide Angle), Andrea Michelutti (Compact), SeongCheol Cho (Macro), Kazushige Horiguchi (Behavior), Shunsuke Nakano (Black and White), Niclas Andersson (Wrecks), Cack Ho (Smartphone), and Khaichuin Sim (Marine Conservation).

Hearty congratulations to all the winners! Check them out below and on the UPY website.
 

Winner, Coral Reefs, Tom Shlesinger
 

Winner, Up and Coming, Sam Blount
 

Winner, Wide Angle, Cecile Gabillon Barats
 

Winner, Compact, Andrea Michelutti
 

Winner, Macro, SeongCheol Cho
 

Winner, Behavior, Kazushige Horiguchi
 

Winner, Black and White, Shunsuke Nakano
 

Winner, Wrecks, Niclas Andersson
 

Winner, Smartphone, Cack Ho
 

Winner, Marine Conservation, Khaichuin Sim