Summary
- The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026 shortlist includes 40 Individual Finalists, 3 U16 entries, 4 portfolios and 9 Video Category Finalists.
- The competition received more than 10,000 entries from 112 countries.
- The STERNA People’s Choice Award is open from 2 October 2026 until 1 March 2027.
- The winners will be announced in London on 8 December 2026.
The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026 have revealed the complete shortlist, featuring 40 Individual Finalists, 3 U16 entries, 4 Portfolio Finalists and 9 Video Category Finalists.
This year’s competition received more than 10,000 entries from 112 countries, the highest number in its history. The overall prize includes a safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara, while other prizes include a Nikon Z6III, Nikon Z50II, Nikon ZR and additional photography equipment.
The STERNA People’s Choice Award opens on 2 October 2026 and voting runs until 1 March 2027. The Overall Winner, Category Winners and Highly Commended entries will be announced in London on 8 December.
The 40 Individual Finalists
Andy Parkinson — “Hercules, the baboon”
Animal: Olive baboon
Location: Mara North Conservancy, Kenya
Andy Rouse — “Doris with her hat”
Animal: Water Buffalo
Location: Sri Lanka
Barbara Seiberl-Stark — “Push Over”
Animal: Lion
Location: Zimbabwe
Carolyn Moore — “Oops – I think I just parped”
Animal: Brown Hare
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Celine Nic Oireachtaigh — “Zonkling”
Animal: Greylag Geese
Location: Finnamore Lakes, Co. Offaly, Ireland
Charles Janson — “Bears Sharing a Joke”
Animal: Brown Bear
Location: Chinitna Bay, Alaska, USA
Cliff Fawcett — “If I can’t see you”
Animal: Elephant
Location: Addo National Park, South Africa
David Lee — “The Leap He’ll Never Forget”
Animal: Long tailed macaque
Location: Singapore
Diego Perez — “Sexy mantis”
Animal: Mantis
Location: Camanti, Cusco, Peru
Dirk Koster — “The different one”
Animal: Giraffe
Location: Masai Mara
Doug Gimesy — “Oooh, that tickles…”
Animal: Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina)
Location: Macquarie Island, Southwestern Pacific Ocean
Thong Duy Vu — “Out of water”
Animal: Cinnyris jugularis
Location: Vietnam
Eigil B Jensen — “Fish-headed bird”
Animal: Anhinga
Location: Los Chiles, Rio Frio, Costa Rica
Eric Boren — “If I were just a little faster…”
Animal: Polar bear, ivory gull
Location: Svalbard, Norway
Fabi Fregonesi — “Did I sleep past my alarm?”
Animal: Blenny
Location: Curaçao
Hannah Dietl — “Cheeky little elephant”
Animal: African Elephant
Location: South Africa
Heather Cudworth — “Lessons”
Animal: African Elephant
Location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Homagni Sahana — “The Handstand”
Animal: Leopard
Location: Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
Jan Wittmer — “Angry Bird”
Animal: Goldcrest
Location: Helgoland, Germany
Jeetendra Chaware — “The Secret Kiss”
Animal: Parakeets
Location: South India
Ka Chum Jacky Sung — “Resting Owl Face”
Animal: Mountain Scops-Owl
Location: Nanling National Forest Park, China
Kevin Lohman — “Are You Kidding Me?”
Animal: Great Horned Owl and squirrel
Location: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Kyo Chen — “A Very Pressured Spadefish”
Animal: whale shark & spadefish
Location: Philippines, Dumaguete
Lee Frost — “Nature’s Window”
Animal: Azure damselfly (Coenagrion puella)
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Lukas Andree Andersen — “Exhausted Badger cub”
Animal: Badger
Location: Sweden
Lynn Emery — “Two birds one vision”
Animal: little owl
Location: Al Qudra Desert, Dubai
Marek Jackowski — “Smile”
Animal: Elephant seal
Location: South Georgia
Marek Jackowski — “Sea gangsters”
Animal: Walrus
Location: Svalbard, Norway
Natalie Veekmans — “This is my best side”
Animal: Beaver
Location: Ardennen – Belgium
Paolo Torre — “Elvis”
Animal: Caiman
Location: Pantanal, Brazil.
Remi Schnell — “Squirrel wars”
Animal: Red squirrel
Location: La Montagne (44), France
Robert Gondek — “The Ground Is Lava!”
Animal: Senegal chameleon
Location: Togo, West Africa
Robert Nairn — “Ballet Dancer”
Animal: Sparrowhawk
Location: Dumfries, Scotland
Rosie Barrett — “#ForTheGram”
Animal: Brown bear
Location: Finland
Scott Suraino — “Morning calisthenics”
Animal: Brown Bear
Location: Lake Clark, Alaska
Shailza Singhal — “Just a gentle nudge… for traffic discipline.”
Animal: Elephant
Location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Subi Sridharan — “Hair Check Before the Family Photo”
Animal: Meerkats
Location: Namibia
Tanner Mansell — “Spicy Orangutan”
Animal: Orangutan
Location: Borneo Jungle
Tapani Linnanmäki — “Fashion fades. Feather coats are forever.”
Animal: White-tailed eagle
Location: Kustavi, Finland
Udo Harms — “Little Godzilla”
Animal: Squirrel
Location: Hannover, Germany
The 3 U16 Finalists
Phiané Oosthuizen — “Playing Dress-Up”
Animal: Southern Double-Collared Sunbird
Location: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Western Cape, SA
Matei Maracineanu — “Walking to school at 7 AM in winter”
Animal: Hooded Crow
Location: Morii Lake – Bucharest, Romania
Jack Brackley — “Heard the one about the fox?”
Animal: Red fox
Location: Near Rayleigh, Essex, UK
The 4 Portfolio Finalists
Alexander Hormann — “Sneeze”
Animal: Moose (Alces alces)
Location: Maligne Lake, Alberta, Canada
Jeremy Richards — “African Bullfrog attacks rival”
Animal: African Bullfrog
Location: South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Heather Smith — “Mischief”
Animal: Kangaroos
Location: Diamond Head, NSW, Australia
Curt Lundeen — “Highway Robbery”
Animal: Bald Eagles
Location: La Crosse, WI, USA
The 9 Video Category Finalists
Deepak Jaybhaye — “Can He Sit Here?”
Animal: Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata)
Location: Pathardi, Maharashtra, India
Barbara Carlson — “Did You Hear That”
Animal: Burrowing Owl
Location: Fresno, California, USA
Madhumay Mallik — “Bear with me bro!”
Animal: Asiatic black bear
Location: Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Harry collins — “Sand Bath”
Animal: Burrowing Owl
Location: Florida, USA
Mark Koster — “The Chase is On !”
Animal: Roadrunner and Red Tailed Hawk
Location: Scottsdale Community College, Arizona, USA
James Jordan — “Mockingbirds Dance”
Animal: Northern Mockingbird
Location: Statham, Georgia, USA
Azusa Kawamura — “Couple’s Day Out”
Animal: Galah
Location: Sydney
JEETENDRA CHAWARE — “Lazy Baby Penguin”
Animal: King Penguins
Location: Sounders – Falkland Islands
Steven Chu — “Stumbling Chick”
Animal: American oystercatcher
Location: Nickerson Beach, NY
Conservation remains part of the competition
The competition was founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, combining wildlife photography with humour and conservation awareness. For 2026, the awards are working with the Born Free Foundation and are donating 10% of their profits to the organisation.
What we think
The complete shortlist shows how timing, animal behaviour and the relationship between subject and background can transform a wildlife photograph. The dedicated portfolio and video selections also broaden the competition beyond the single decisive frame and show how humour can work as visual storytelling.
Frequently asked questions
How many finalists are in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026?
The shortlist includes 40 Individual Finalists, 3 U16 entries, 4 portfolios and 9 Video Category Finalists.
How many entries did the competition receive?
More than 10,000 entries from 112 countries were submitted to the 2026 competition.
When will the winners be announced?
The Overall Winner, Category Winners and Highly Commended entries will be announced in London on 8 December 2026.
Can the public vote?
Yes. The STERNA People’s Choice Award is open from 2 October 2026 until 1 March 2027.
