The finalists for the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards have been announced, featuring a caiman with an Elvis-style hairdo, a tiny mantis posing like a fashion model, and a wild orangutan seemingly giving the camera the middle finger. The annual competition showcases wonderfully unexpected and perfectly timed moments from the animal kingdom.
This year's competition has been the most successful in its history, with over 10,000 entries submitted from 112 countries. The shortlist includes 40 individual finalists, three U16 category finalists, four portfolio category finalists, and nine video category finalists, featuring animals such as elephants, bears, leopards, birds, insects, reptiles, and marine life.
Serious Message Behind the Laughs
Founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, the Comedy Wildlife Awards use humour and exceptional photography to promote wildlife conservation. This year's competition supports the Born Free Foundation, an international charity that rescues and protects wild animals from exploitation and conserves threatened species and their habitats.
Tom Sullam, competition co-founder, said: "The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards started very gently, somewhere out on the vast plains of the Serengeti. What began as a small effort to raise awareness of wildlife conservation has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined. The competition is now truly global, and a decade or so on, we want to make it even bigger, funnier, and more far-reaching than ever. We use humour to get people to feel empathy towards wildlife, and it's that empathy that creates behavioural change for the better."
Nikon's Support and Judging Process
Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe's senior general marketing manager, said: "Nikon is proud to see the Comedy Wildlife Awards continue to grow in impact, with this year’s competition attracting more entries than ever before. With more than 10,000 hilarious and heartfelt images capturing the character and vibrancy of our natural world, the competition also pulls into focus the vital importance of conservation. Congratulations to all the finalists."
The expert judges will pick their favourites over the coming weeks. The Overall Winner, Category and Highly Commended Winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 8, during an awards night in London, followed by a week-long exhibition of all 2026 finalists. The ultimate winner will receive a safari with Alex Walker's Serian in Kenya's Masai Mara, along with Nikon cameras and photography equipment.
10 Hilarious Photos from the Shortlist
Here are 10 of the most hilarious photographs to make the 2026 shortlist:
Sea Gangsters: Marek Jackowski captured a squad of eight walruses swimming up to him during an expedition to Svalbard Archipelago in Autumn 2024. He wrote: "Managed to capture them popping up all at once—looking like absolute Sea Gangsters about to drop the hardest album of 2024. Unforgettable!"
Little Godzilla: A squirrel with too much greenery in its mouth, making it fit with a few firm bites. (Image: Udo Harms)
Sexy Mantis: A tiny green mantis peeks over a leaf during a night walk in Cusco, Peru. Photographer Diego Perez noted the visual trick of the insect's hind legs hidden behind the leaf, making its forelegs look like human legs. The area is part of the proposed Bosques del Araza Regional Conservation Area, threatened by illegal gold mining.
Hair Check Before the Family Photo: A meerkat gives a last-minute grooming inspection while others try to look respectable. (Image: Subi Sridharan)
Hercules, the baboon: An infant olive baboon appears to hold an adult above its head. (Image: Andy Parkinson)
