Hungarian Nature Photography Grand Prize Awarded

This Thursday evening, Magical Hungary (VM) held its 16th grand nature photography award gala and exhibition opening. For the second time, the prestigious event was hosted by the Biodome of the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, which provided a fitting venue with its unique atmosphere for the closing of the 2025 competition season. According to the press release, at the event, which was both a celebration of photographic art and a commitment to nature conservation, Csaba Daróczi received the Hungarian Nature Photography Grand Prize and the accompanying Golden Crane statue, while Csaba Lóki and István Hogya took second and third place on the podium.

After the opening speech by Dr. Endre Sós, Director General of the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, Péter Gaál, founder and owner of Magical Hungary, spoke about the philosophy behind the organization. He emphasized that VM's mission is to operate a platform that supports the professional development of nature photographers with the most comprehensive set of tools possible, while also paying special attention to shaping public attitudes and deepening commitment to the values of nature.

The prestige of the Hungarian Nature Photography Grand Prize is enhanced by its distinguished professional jury. Although nature photographer Tibor Litauszki was unable to attend the event in person, the other members of the jury – including world-renowned photojournalist Britta Jaschinski, nature photographers Bence Máté and László Suhayda, Attila Szilágyi, nature conservationist and nature photographer, Zsolt Marcell Tóth, nature filmmaker, and Tamás Vitray Jr., editor of National Geographic Hungary Magazine – made the award ceremony even more festivethe statement says.

As the guest of honor for the evening, Britta Jaschinski spoke about how she uses photography as a tool in the fight against the exploitation of wild animals and how her images reveal the shocking, hidden reality of trophy hunting and the wildlife trade. Her photos and exhibitions contribute to keeping the necessary legal measures, including the ban on trophy imports, on the agenda of the British Parliament.

Through Péter Gaál's personal story, those present remembered with deep respect and affection the recently deceased Éva Keleti, a fantastic photographer who left behind a legacy of work and was a member of the Magical Hungary jury for 14 years. Although she did not consider himself a nature photographer, she believed that all good pictures are about the same thing: life, light, and the true moment.

András Kádár, Secretary General of the Jane Goodall Institute, also took the stage at the ceremony and spoke about the deepening professional partnership between the two organizations, which began with the Magic Hungary nature photography and conservation magazine's issue honoring Jane Goodall. He announced that as part of the collaboration, the "Jane90 – Stories of a Lifetime" exhibition will once again be open to the public at the Magic Mountain in the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden.