National Geographic photo competition winners announced The Ice Bear ... Grand Prize and Nature Winner by Paul Souders. FROM a polar bear peering up through melting sea ice to a hand fed Indian parrot hatchling or the moment a protester is shot with rubber bullets in Rio de Janeiro - they are the photographs that have defined 2013. National Geographic's online photography blog Proof has announced the winners of the 2013 National Geographic photography contest. From more than 7000 entries across 150 countries the stunning shot of a polar bear submerged between melting ice floes in Canada's Hudson Bay by Paul Souders, of Washington, took out the top gong and a US$10,000 (AU$11,200) cash prize. Souders shot The Ice Bear as the setting midnight sun glowed red from distant fires during a record-breaking hot spell. The Manitoba population of polar bears, the southernmost in the world, is considered most at risk by climate change and reduced sea ice. Souders' photograph also took top place in the Nature category and will see him visit National Geographic headquarters in Washington DC next month to participate in the magazine's annual photo seminar. Together, alone ... People category winner by Cecile Baudier. Cecile Baudier of Jylland, Denmark, won first place in the People category for his portrait of identical 15-year-old twins Nils and Emil. The photo Together, Alone was part of a series of pictures he said portrayed people who had a strong connection to another person and who often thought of themselves as "we" instead of "me." Long Road to Daybreak ... Places category winner by Adam Tan. Malaysia's Adam Tan took out first prize in the Places category for his image Long Road to Daybreak of a working mother carrying her child in a basket through the misty streets of Laocheng, China. The three winning images will be published in National Geographic magazine. "The caliber of entries in the National Geographic photo contest continues to impress every year," website photography director Keith Jenkins said. We were thrilled to see a global community of picture lovers connect and share each other's photos of our world. He said photographs in each of the three categories, People, Places and Nature, were judged on creativity, quality and authenticity of the content. Laurentiu ... Honourable mention in the people category by Aurélie Geurts. Graveyard ... Honourable mention in the places category by Julie Fletcher. Francesca ... Honourable mention in the people category by Michele De Punzio. Life Along The Polluted River ... Honourable mention in the people category by Andrew Biraj. Flying Egrets ... Honourable mention in the nature category by Réka Zsirmon. Honourable mention in the people category by Cecile Baudier. Cows And Kites ... Honourable mention in the places category by Andrew Lever. Arabic in Gambia ... Honourable mention in the people category by Bisig Maurin. Indian Rhino, Canadian Winter ... Honourable mention in the nature category by Stephen De Lisle. Crows Nest ... Honourable mention in the nature category by Yosuke Kashiwakura.