The finalists from the 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are now selected. You can also vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Vote. Here are some of the finalists:
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Artur Stankiewicz
Zgorzelec
Poland
Title: I’m too sexy for my love
Description: One of the ‘lazy’ mornings we have decided to stop by the pool with hippos while in Mana Pools NP. My idea was to try and catch fighting hippos, yet, they all were quite peaceful. I have positioned on the bank, safely from the potential charge and waited. Some of them raised their heads in curiosity or when proximity to the other individuals was too close. Then I got this idea to catch the portrait with water plants decorating the head, It looked like the guy just got our of the hairdresser with a big smile on his face 🙂
Animal: Hippopotamus
Location of shot: Mana Pools NP, Zimbabwe
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Arvind Mohandas
Offenbach am Main
Germany
Title: The Contemplative Chimpanzee
Description: Shot in the jungles of Uganda, following a group of around 50 chimpanzees. This one was obviously comtemplating an important issue, on a day of realization and reaffirmation of how close chimpanzees are to humans!
Animal: Chimpanzee
Location of shot: Uganda
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Christine Haines
Spokane
United States
Title: Saying My Prayers
Description: I visited Lake Clark National Park to photograph bears. While there, I had an opportunity to travel to Duck Island where I saw an otter floating next to the boat. Otters hold their food with their paws making it appear like they are praying.
Animal: Sea Otter
Location of shot: Duck Island, Alaska
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Damyan Petkov
Svishtov
Bulgaria
Title: Whiskered tern crash on landing
Description: Whiskered tern head hit the rock when try to land
Animal: Whiskered tern
Location of shot: Svishtov, Bulgaria
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Eberhard Ehmke
Schlüchtern
Germany
Title: Frog in in a baloon
Description: During a photo shoot at the pond I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell.
Animal: Frog
Location of shot: Bergwinkel, Germany
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Gabriel Rojo
Macachin
Argentina
Title: Smiling Elephant Seal
Description: These multi-ton giants fight to keep their harem of females. In the instant of the photo, the animal seems to be smiling… but the reality of the situation is that its expression of astonishment and smile is at the moment of fleeing quickly, because the dominant male was on his way to a bloody fight. It is better to preserve physical integrity… I better go…
Animal: Southern Elephant Seal
Location of shot: Peninsula Valdes, Chubut Province, Argentina
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Inés Godínez
Madrid
Spain
Title: I am COMING!
Description: Razorbill attempting a very wobbly landing!
Animal: Razorbill
Location of shot: Saltee islands
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Ingo Hamann
Bad Homburg
Germany
Title: Laughing out loud
Description: This newborn seal seems to be laughing at a good joke.
Animal: Seal
Location of shot: Helgoland, Germany
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Kingston Tam
Gatton
Australia
Title: Awkward smiley frog
Description: I asked this frog to smile for the camera but it seemed a little shy.
Animal: Cyclorana novaehollandiae
Location of shot: Queensland, Australia
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Leslie McLeod
Ottawa
Canada
Title: Hide and Seek
Description: We were on safari in Kenya and happened upon this beautiful female who was looking for a mate. A group of topi were also keeping a pretty close eye her as she left messages for a potential partner on various trees. This shot makes me think that the cheetah is just about to shout out, “ready or not, here I come!”
Animal: Cheetah
Location of shot: Mara North Conservancy
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Mark Meth-Cohn
MILNTHORPE
United Kingdom
Title: The Speed Skater
Description: Stellers Sea Eagle in the drifting sea ice off Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan
Animal: Stellers Sea Eagle
Location of shot: Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Marti Phillips
Tiburon
United States
Title: Are You Kidding?
Description: Two Cape Fur seals
Animal: Cape Fur Seal
Location of shot: Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Namibia
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Michela Bordoli
Dino
Switzerland
Title: Gecko fashion model
Description: As we walked on the sands of the Namib Desert, a gecko suddenly appeared, emerging out of nowhere with a smile on its face. It positioned itself perfectly, posing for a portrait worthy of a National Geography cover. It seemed to say: “Take my picture, I’m ready for my cover!”
Animal: Namib sand gecko
Location of shot: Sandwich harbour, Namibia
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
MILKO MARCHETTI
FERRARA
Italy
Title: SQUIRREL…BLOCKED
Description: WHEN THE SQUIRREL ENTERED, HE REMOVED HIS FEET FROM THE TRUNK FOR A MOMENT, AND FOR THAT MOMENT IT SEEMED AS IF HE WAS BLOCKED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BURIAL
Animal: SQUIRREL
Location of shot: ITALY – PARCO PODERE PANTALEONE
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
RICORDEL Philippe
Paris
France
Title: Hajime !
Description: Hajime ! This is the term used by the referee in Judo to invite opponents to start fighting. Here, the standing bear seems to be saying this to the other two, adopting the gesture that referees use when they say this word.
Animal: Polar bears
Location of shot: Arctic Wildlife Refuge (Alaska – USA)
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Przemyslaw Jakubczyk
Bydgoszcz
Poland
Title: unexpected role swap
Description: Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle
Animal: bald eagle and bream
Location of shot: Szczecin Lagoon, Poland
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Ralph Robinson
Cambridge
United States
Title: Gang of Four
Description: On the penguin highway, these rockhoppers are moving into town, and this town ain’t big enough for all of them! I set up my camera a good distance from this ridge, where rockhopper penguins were returning from feeding in the southern Atlantic ocean in the Falkland Islands. The long lens pulled them into the frame without disturbing their return to nests on the hill. I love photographing penguins after they’ve been in the water as they are cleaner! These birds look like they are ready to kick some penguin ass!
Animal: Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
Location of shot: Pebble Island, Falkland Islands
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Sanjay Patil
Navi mumbai
India
Title: The Rock Star
Description: Fan-throated lizards are found only in the Indian subcontinent, where they have evolved under the influence of changing climates. These lizards are colorful and belong to the category of reptiles. Female Lizards do not display fan as they do not have. Male lizards inflates its attractive neck pouch to attract the female in hot summer season. Here is the female lizard standing upright to escape the summer heat.
Animal: Fan Throated Lizard, Female
Location of shot: Maharashtra State, India
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Takashi Kubo
aobadai meguro
Japan
Title: Mafia Boss
Description: It looked like he was sucking a cigar, and he looked like a mafia boss.
Animal: flying squirrel
Location of shot: Hokkaido Japan
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
wim bellemans
vlimmeren
Belgium
Title: parrotfish loves to be washed
Description: I saw this parrotfish with 2 other fishes cleaning him. The smile on his face shows that he really loves it. Picture shot while diving in Dahab, Egypt on 18/2/24
Animal: parrotfish
Location of shot: Dahab, egypt
Additional information:
London, 26 September 2024: the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are absolutely delighted to reveal the hotly anticipated shortlist of 40 Standalone Images, 4 Portfolio Entries and 3 Video Entries from the 2024 competition and they are a cracking collection of amazing, jaw dropping and laugh out loud photos of some of the most incredible wildlife that we share this planet with. This also means that voting is now OPEN for the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Affinity Photo offering the public the chance to vote for their favourite funny photo from the Finalists and enter a free prize draw to win £500!! Closing date for votes: 31 October 2024.
Once again, the funniest wildlife photography competition in the world has received a record number of brilliant and hilarious entries, with just under 9,000 in total from 98 countries, all competing to win the top prize of an incredible one-week safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara. Among the entries is a cheetah playing hide and seek behind a tree, a couple of bears hugging it out, a fish chasing an eagle across the sky (yes really) and even a tiny flying squirrel bossing it like a Mafia Boss! This shortlist of entries shows some of the most spectacular photos ever entered, catching wildlife’s funniest moments on camera!
Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe Senior General Manager Marketing says: “We are thrilled to unveil the finalists for the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of photographers from all around the world. These images capture not only the humour and charm of wildlife, but also highlight the importance of conservation in a way that resonates with people of all ages and from all different walks of life. At Nikon, we are immensely proud to be part of a competition that brings both joy and awareness to the wonder of our natural world.”
The Awards was co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to create a competition that fused exceptional wildlife photography and the positive power of humour in a bid to help promote the conservation of wildlife and habitats that our precious planet relies on.
Each year the competition supports a sustainable conservation organisation and once again Comedy Wildlife are delighted to be working with Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) a UK charity that supports conservation leaders working in their home countries across the Global South. Over 30 years it has channelled £20 million to more than 200 conservationists in 90 countries and we are really chuffed to be able to shine a spotlight on the amazing work they do and hope you will join us in supporting them.
Our fantastic team of highly expert judges will be busy over the next few weeks doing their homework and picking their favourites. And…EVERYONE gets a chance to be involved and vote for their favourite entry online, in the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award. Just head to the website and click on the People’s Choice link, to be in with the chance of winning a cash prize of £500, courtesy of our brilliant competition sponsors at Affinity Photo. “As the world’s wildlife faces more intense challenges all the time, it’s vitally important that messages of conservation continue to be shared. The Comedy Wildlife Awards emphasises those messages in a strong, effective but lighthearted way and we’re proud to support that work, especially when it’s supported by such a superb selection of photographs as we have this year.”
Ashley Hewson, CEO, Affinity.
Tom Sullam says: ‘What an incredible year this has been. Nikon have taken up the flame and been fantastic partners this year, which has proved invaluable in attracting some of the world’s best photographers. Furthermore, we have hit our tenth year of competition, and the entries, support and laughs just keep going up. It’s a privilege to be part of this exciting journey, making us all laugh and raising our awareness of animal conservation. We can’t wait to announce the winners!!’
The Overall Winner, Category and Highly Commended Winners will be announced on Tuesday 10th December at an Awards Night in London, which will be followed by a glorious exhibition for one week (and one week only) from 10 -16 December showcasing all the 2024 Award Finalists at the Gallery@Oxo, thanks to the support of our awesome competition partners at Nikon. This is an amazing chance to see all the Finalists up close – for free – and experience the wonders of wildlife by some unbelievably talented photographers. Everyone is welcome! For details on other Comedy Wildlife Exhibitions, please see our exhibitions page on the website.