Commons:Picture of the Year

Shortcut: COM:POTY

The Commons Picture of the Year is a competition that was first run in 2006. It aims to identify the best freely licensed images from those that during the year have been awarded Featured picture status. This year's candidate images are listed at Commons:Featured pictures/chronological/2020.

Contents: 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006

2019

2019 Picture of the Year (Results)

2018

2018 Picture of the Year (Results)

2017

2017 Picture of the Year (Results)

2016

2016 Picture of the Year (Results)

2015

2015 Picture of the Year (Results)

The tenth edition of POTY.

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  First place: NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. – Attribution: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute (public domain)
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  Second place: A view of the interior of Nasir ol Molk Mosque located in Shiraz. – Attribution: Ayyoubsabawiki (cc-by-sa-4.0)
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  Third place: Milky Way lying above a lady, at Trona Pinnacles National Landmark, California. – Attribution: Ian Norman (http://www.lonelyspeck.com)(cc-by-sa-2.0)

2014

2014 Picture of the Year (Results)

A huge "Thank you" to all our 3824 voters in round 2. You contributed to the highest participation POTY ever experienced, with 4504 people voting for all 983 files in round 1, and 3824 voting for the 54 finalists in round 2.

2013

2013 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: The tungsten filament burning with a flame in the light bulb. Stefan Krause, Germany (License: FAL 1.3)

2012

2012 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: European Bee-eater, Ariège, France. The female (in front) awaits the offering which the male will make. Pierre Dalous (User:Kookaburra 81)

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  Second place: On August 31, 2012 a long filament of solar material that had been hovering in the Sun's atmosphere, the Corona, erupted out into space at 4:36 p.m. EDT. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Flickr)

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  Third place: High-speed photography of a light bulb shot with an airsoft pistol (positioned right of the lamp). Stefan Krause, Germany (User:Ritchyblack)

2011

2011 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: A view of the lake Bondhus in Norway. In the background a view of the Bondhus Glacier as a part of the Folgefonna Glacier. (POTD) Heinrich Pniok (Alchemist-hp / pse-mendelejew.de)

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  Second place: Self portrait of Tracy Caldwell Dyson in the Cupola module of the International Space Station observing the Earth below during Expedition 24. (POTD) Tracy Caldwell Dyson (NASA)

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  Third place: Cueva de los Verdes, Canary Islands, Spain. Reflection on water. (POTD) Luc Viatour (Lviatour)

2010

2010 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: In mid-August 2010 ESO Photo Ambassador Yuri Beletsky snapped this amazing photo at ESO’s Paranal Observatory. A group of astronomers were observing the centre of the Milky Way using the laser guide star facility at Yepun, one of the four Unit Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). (POTD) – Credit:

  Yuri Beletsky (ESO).

  (ESO - CC-BY-SA-3.0)
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  Second place: Stari Most, the "Old Bridge", which connects the two banks of river Neretva, has been a symbol of Mostar for centuries. This view from north shows Helebija tower to the left and Tara tower to the right. It was made from the minaret of Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. (POTD) – Credit: Own work by Ramirez. (GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0)

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  Third place: Sarychev Peak Volcano erupts June 12, 2009, on Matua Island (North Kuril Islands) (POTD) – Credit:

  Original photo by NASA, uploaded on Flickr by user John, derivative work by The High Fin Sperm Whale.

  (CC-BY-SA‑2.0)

2009

2009 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: Sikh pilgrim at the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, India. (POTD) – Credit: Wikimedian Paulrudd. (GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0)

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  Second place: Elakala Waterfalls in the Blackwater Falls State park, West Virginia, United States. (POTD) – Credit: Forest Wander from Cross Lanes, USA. (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

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  Third place: The Russian military honor guard welcomes U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, June 26, 2009. Mullen is on a three-day trip to the country, meeting with counterparts and touring the Russian military academy. (POTD) – Credit: MC1 Chad J. McNeeley. (PD US Navy)

2008

2008 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: Horses on Bianditz mountain. Behind them Aiako Harria mountain can be seen. Mikel Ortega/Richard Bartz (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

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  Second place: Fire breathing "Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band" in Chassepierre, Belgium. Luc Viatour (CC-BY-SA-2.5, 2.0, 1.0)

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  Third place: Steam locomotives of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway in the roundhouse at the Chicago, Illinois rail yards in 1942. Jack Delano (PD-USGov)

2007

2007 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: Broadway Tower in Cotswolds, England. Newton2 (CC-BY-2.5)

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  Second place: New York City at night, USA. Paulo Barcellos Jr. (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

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  Third place: Red Squirrel with pronounced winter ear tufts in the Hofgarten in Düsseldorf Ray eye (CC-BY-SA-2.0-DE)

2006

2006 Picture of the Year (Results)

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  First place: The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska Joshua Strang (Public domain)

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  Second place: Homeless person in Paris Eric Pouhier (CC BY-SA 2.5)

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  Third place: A Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada. Mdf (GFDL)

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  Third place: Hoverflies mating in midair. Fir0002 (GFDL)