The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards shortlist is here!

The shortlist of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards has been announced and voting for the People’s Choice Award has opened, with the public able to vote for their favourite funny photo from the shortlist.

Entries include a fish chasing an eagle through the air (yes, you read that right) and a group of penguins walking in slow motion.

Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe Senior General Manager Marketing, said: ‘We’re delighted to announce the finalists for the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, which showcase the incredible talent and creativity of photographers from around the world. These images not only capture the humour and charm of wildlife, but also highlight the importance of conservation in a way that appeals to people of all ages and walks of life. At Nikon, we’re immensely proud to be part of a competition that brings both joy and awareness to the wonders of our natural world.’

The Overall Winner, Category and Highly Commended Winners will be announced on 10 December, followed by a free exhibition at Gallery@Oxo featuring the 2024 Award finalists from 10-16 December.

Check out some of the best photos below!

From Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards:

London, September 26, 2024: The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are very pleased to announce the long-awaited shortlist of 40 standalone images, 4 portfolio items and 3 video items of the 2024 competition and they are an amazing collection of amazing, stunning and hilarious photos of some of the most incredible wildlife we ​​share this planet with. This also means that voting is now OPEN for the Audience Award, sponsored byAffinity photo giving the public the chance to vote for their favourite funny photo of the finalists and be entered into a free prize draw to win £500!! Closing date for votes: 31st October 2024.

Once again, the world’s funniest wildlife photography competition has received a record number of brilliant and hilarious entries, with just under 9,000 entries from 98 countries all competing for the grand prize of an incredible week-long safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara. Entries include a cheetah playing hide-and-seek behind a tree, a couple of bears giving him a cuddle, a fish chasing an eagle through the air (yes, really) and even a tiny flying squirrel bossing him around like a mafia boss! This shortlist of entries showcases some of the most spectacular images ever submitted, capturing the funniest moments in wildlife on camera!

Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager Marketing at Nikon Europe, says: ““We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of photographers from around the world. These images not only capture the humor and charm of wildlife, but also highlight the importance of conservation in a way that resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. At Nikon, we are incredibly proud to be part of a competition that brings both joy and awareness to the wonders of our natural world.”

The Awards were founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, with the aim of creating a competition that combined exceptional wildlife photography with the positive power of humour, to help conserve the wildlife and habitats on which our precious planet depends.

Each year the competition supports a sustainable conservation organisation and Comedy Wildlife is once again delighted to be partnering with the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a UK charity that supports conservation leaders working in their home countries in the Global South. Over the past 30 years they have channelled £20 million to over 200 conservationists in 90 countries and we are delighted 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 skilled judges will be busy over the next few weeks doing their homework and choosing their favourites. And… EVERYONE will get the chance to enter and vote online for their favourite entry, in the Affinity Photo Audience Award. Simply visit the website and click on the People’s Choice link for your chance to win a £500 cash prize, courtesy of our brilliant competition sponsors at Affinity Photo. “As the world’s wildlife faces increasingly intense challenges, it’s vital that conservation messages continue to be shared. The Comedy Wildlife Awards highlight those messages in a strong, effective yet light-hearted way and we’re proud to support that work, especially when it’s backed by such a great selection of images as we have this year.”
Ashley Hewson, CEO, Affinity.

Tom Sullam said: ‘What an incredible year this has been. Nikon have picked up the flame and have been a fantastic partner this year, proving invaluable in attracting some of the world’s best photographers. What’s more, we’ve reached our tenth year of the competition and the entries, support and laughter just keep growing. It’s a privilege to be part of this exciting journey, making us all laugh and raising 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 10^and December at an Awards Night in London, followed by a glorious week-long exhibition (and one week only) from 10th-16th December, showcasing all the 2024 Award finalists at Gallery@Oxo, thanks to the support of our wonderful competition partners at Nikon. This is a great opportunity to see all the finalists up close – for free – and experience the wonders of nature through some incredibly talented photographers. All are welcome! For more information on other Comedy Wildlife Exhibitions, see our exhibition page on the website.

Competition categories include:

• Category Serian Mammals by Alex Walker
• Spectrum Photo Birds Category
• ThinkTANK Reptiles & Amphibians Category
• Fish and other aquatic animals
• Insects Category
• Nikon Young Photographer (up to 25 years)
• Nikon Junior category (up to 16 years)
• Amazing internet portfolio category
• Video Category
• Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award (Voting begins after finalists are announced)

The shortlist will be carefully reviewed by our fantastic judges, newcomers this year include Nikon Creators Cameron Whitnall, Lara Jackson and Roxy Furman. We are also delighted to welcome Charlotte Kemsley, Regional Director for Northern Europe at Nikon. They join our regular group of expert judges, TV presenter Kate Humble, actor and comedian Hugh Dennis, world renowned wildlife photographers Daisy Gilardini and Will Burrard-Lucas wildlife expert and co-founder of The Born Free Foundation Will Travers OBE, Ashley Hewson, Managing Director of Affinity Photo and Bella Lack, a super young passionate conservationist.

Thanks to our growing team of contest supporters and sponsors who we are honored to have in our camp: Nikon, Alex Walker’s Serian, Affinity Photo, Spectrum Photo, Amazing Internet and ThinkTANK.

For more information about the competition or how to enter, please contact [email protected] or visit: www.comedywildlifephoto.com.

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