Overview
Jackson Wild (formerly the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival) is the leading organization in nature, wildlife, and conservation media. Founded in 1991 and based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Jackson Wild runs two main programs: the Jackson Wild Media Awards and the Jackson Wild Summit. The Media Awards are widely recognized as the highest honor in natural history filmmaking, often described as "nature film's equivalent to the Oscars."
The 2025 Jackson Wild Summit took place September 29 to October 3, 2025, at Grand Teton National Park and downtown Jackson, Wyoming. The summit included film screenings of Media Awards finalists, workshops, panel sessions, wildlife tours, and the Grand Teton Awards Gala on October 2, 2025.
For 2026, Jackson Wild has partnered with the Hollywood Climate Summit to launch an expanded awards program. The 2026 Jackson Wild Media Awards and Hollywood Climate Summit Awards use a shared entry portal, with winners from both organizations announced at a joint awards gala in Los Angeles in November 2026. This represents a significant shift from the traditional Jackson Hole biennial summit model to a Los Angeles-based awards ceremony.
Submission Details
Submissions for the 2026 Media Awards are open through Submittable. Films and content must have been completed after June 1, 2025 (with exceptions for Impact Campaign and Narration categories). The deadline for Jackson Wild Media Awards entries is May 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM MT. The Hollywood Climate Summit Awards deadline is June 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM MT. Early bird pricing is available through April 1, 2026.
Jackson Wild Media Awards Categories and Entry Fees
| Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Animal Behavior | $180 |
| Ecosystem | $180 |
| Conservation | $180 |
| Planet in Crisis | $180 |
| People & Nature | $180 |
| Limited Series | $240 |
| Long Form (over 40 min) | $240 |
| Investigative | $180 |
| Global Stories | $50 |
| Onscreen Personality | $180 |
| Narration (new category) | $180 |
| Student (enrolled or within 2 years) | $50 |
| Documentary Short (new category) | $150 |
| Digital Short (new category) | $100 |
| Cinematography | $180 |
| Editing | $180 |
| Original Music Score | $180 |
| Writing | $180 |
Shared Categories (Jackson Wild + Hollywood Climate Summit)
| Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Content Creator Award | $50 |
| Social Media | $50 |
| Branded Content | $125 |
| Impact Campaign | $50 |
Hollywood Climate Summit Categories (Fiction and Expanded Media)
| Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Narrative Feature (75+ min) | $70 |
| Narrative Short (under 40 min) | $50 |
| Television Series Scripted Drama | $70 |
| Television Series Scripted Comedy | $70 |
| Television Series Unscripted | $70 |
| Video Game | $50 |
| Comedy Special | $50 |
| Digital Series (under 22 min) | $50 |
| Podcast (2 episodes) | $50 |
Key Eligibility Rules
- Impact Campaign entries must have been active between June 2025 and June 2026 (no film completion date requirement)
- Documentary Short: under 40 minutes
- Digital Short: under 10 minutes
- Student entries: must be currently enrolled or no more than 2 years out of a program; Film Lab or Fellowship participants also qualify
Awards and Prizes
The 2026 awards structure combines Jackson Wild's traditional nature and wildlife categories with Hollywood Climate Summit's climate and narrative categories. The top prize remains the Grand Teton Award, given to the most outstanding natural history film of the year. Additional Jackson Wild categories include Animal Behavior, Ecosystem, Conservation, Planet in Crisis, People & Nature, Limited Series, Long Form, Investigative, Cinematography, Editing, Original Music Score, Writing, Onscreen Personality, and the new Narration category. Shared categories judged by combined juries include Content Creator, Social Media, Branded Content, and Impact Campaign.
Cash prizes are not publicly listed for the 2026 cycle. The primary value of a Jackson Wild Media Award is industry recognition. Winning or being named a finalist carries significant weight in the natural history production community and can influence commissioning decisions by broadcasters like BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, and PBS Nature.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Industry Orientation
Jackson Wild is primarily an industry event, not a public film festival. The Summit brings together wildlife cinematographers, natural history producers, scientists, broadcasters, and conservation organizations. If you work in natural history or wildlife filmmaking, the Summit is where you meet commissioning editors from the major natural history broadcasters. The 2025 Summit included sessions on wildlife cinematography, conservation storytelling, and connecting traditional filmmakers with online content creators.
2026 Format Change
The 2026 edition marks a structural shift. Instead of the traditional biennial Jackson Hole summit, the 2026 awards ceremony will take place in Los Angeles in November 2026 as a joint event with the Hollywood Climate Summit. The 2026 cycle does not include the traditional Jackson Hole Summit programming. Filmmakers who attended past summits for the Jackson Hole networking experience should verify whether summit-style programming will be offered separately.
Submission Strategy
The shared entry portal means a single submission can be considered for both Jackson Wild and Hollywood Climate Summit categories. If your film addresses both wildlife/nature and climate themes, submit to both simultaneously. The entry fees are per category, so submitting to multiple categories increases costs but also increases recognition chances.
For student filmmakers, the $50 student entry fee is significantly lower than the standard $180 for most categories. The new Documentary Short ($150) and Digital Short ($100) categories provide lower-cost entry points for shorter work.
My World Film Grant
Jackson Wild, in partnership with Amberjack Films and Schoolyard Films, offers the My World Film Grant for early-stage filmmakers. The grant funds a short 10 to 20 minute nature or environmental film, with mentorship and distribution support. This is a separate application from the Media Awards.
Practical Considerations
Jackson Hole is accessible via Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), located within Grand Teton National Park. The town has limited accommodation, and rates during the Summit are high. Past summits have been based at Jackson Lake Lodge and downtown Jackson venues. For the 2026 Los Angeles awards, venue and logistics details had not been announced as of early 2026.
Festival History
Jackson Wild was founded in 1991 as the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. For over three decades, it operated as a biennial event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, combining an industry conference with a competitive film festival focused on natural history and wildlife filmmaking. The Grand Teton Award established itself as the most recognized prize in the wildlife film industry.
The organization rebranded to "Jackson Wild" to reflect its expanded scope beyond traditional wildlife documentary into broader nature, conservation, and environmental storytelling across all media formats.
The 2026 partnership with the Hollywood Climate Summit represents the most significant structural change in the organization's history. The joint awards program recognizes nature and climate content across documentary, narrative film, television, video games, digital media, and podcasts. The move to Los Angeles positions the event closer to the mainstream entertainment industry.
Past Winners
The 2025 Grand Teton Award went to YANUNI (dir. Richard Ladkani, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio). The film also won Best Feature. Underdogs (Nat Geo, exec. produced by Ryan Reynolds) won Limited Series and Animal Behavior.
The 2024 Grand Teton Award went to Turtle Walker (dir. Taira Malaney), which also won the Conservation category. Canary won Best Feature and Queens (Nat Geo) won Limited Series in 2024.
The 2022 Grand Teton Award went to The Territory (National Geographic Documentary Films). The 2019 Grand Teton Award went to The Biggest Little Farm (NEON/LD Entertainment).
Notable Alumni Films
The Territory (2022 Grand Teton Award) premiered at Sundance 2022, winning the Audience Award and Special Jury Award for Documentary Craft. National Geographic Documentary Films distributed the film, which streamed on Disney+.
The Biggest Little Farm (2019 Grand Teton Award) received a theatrical release through NEON in May 2019. The film grossed over $5 million at the box office and later streamed on Hulu.
YANUNI (2025 Grand Teton Award) premiered at Tribeca 2025 and screened at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival in October 2025. The film is generating Academy Award buzz.
Submission Tips
- Submit to both a Jackson Wild category and a Hollywood Climate Summit category if your film addresses wildlife and climate themes - a single entry covers both
- The $50 student entry fee is significantly lower than the standard $180 for most categories
- New Documentary Short ($150) and Digital Short ($100) categories provide lower-cost entry points for shorter work
- Films must be completed after June 1, 2025
- Winning or placing as a finalist carries significant weight with commissioning editors at BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, and PBS Nature
- Early bird pricing ends April 1, 2026
Industry Reputation Notes
Jackson Wild is widely recognized as the highest honor in natural history filmmaking, often described as "nature film's equivalent to the Oscars." The Summit connects wildlife cinematographers, natural history producers, scientists, broadcasters, and conservation organizations. Commissioning editors from BBC Natural History Unit, National Geographic, and PBS Nature attend regularly.
Compared to the International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) in Missoula, Jackson Wild is more industry-focused and carries higher prestige. IWFF is more public-facing and community-oriented. Compared to Wildscreen in the UK, Jackson Wild serves as the North American equivalent for natural history media recognition.
The 2026 move to Los Angeles positions the event closer to the mainstream entertainment industry.
See Also
Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For documentary filmmaking strategy, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, see IWFF Missoula. Submit through the Jackson Wild Submittable portal or visit the official website.
