The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists for 2025 are 40 standalone images, three portfolios, and 10 videos selected for funny, authentic moments in animal behavior. Announced on October 23, 2025, the collection includes Mark Meth-Cohn’s winning gorilla image “High Five,” plus comic scenes featuring frogs, lemurs, foxes, birds, lions, and a rhinoceros.
The strongest images do not need staged behavior or digital invention. A precisely timed pose, unusual grouping, or familiar human resemblance can turn an ordinary wildlife encounter into a visual joke while keeping the animal—and the conservation message—at the center.
Key takeaways
- The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists included 40 standalone photographs, three portfolio entries, and 10 videos, announced on October 23, 2025.
- Mark Meth-Cohn’s “High Five,” showing a young gorilla in Rwanda, won the 2025 overall award and the Mammals Category Award.
- The finalist selection ranges from frogs using one another to see over a pipe to foxes appearing to tumble and play in the Netherlands.
- Nikon joined the competition as a partner in 2024; the contest was founded in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam.
- Nikon says 10% of competition profits support the Whitley Fund for Nature’s Next Gen initiative.
What are the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists?
The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists are a collection of 40 individual photographs, three portfolios, and 10 videos selected for their humorous interpretations of real wildlife behavior. The finalists were announced on October 23, 2025, and the selection includes animals from birds and amphibians to primates, foxes, lions, and rhinoceroses. The 2025 finalist announcement provides the full context and list.
The comedy usually comes from timing and visual resemblance rather than staged behavior: a bird appears to be arguing, a rhino seems to have a haircut, and a group of lemurs resembles a yoga class. The photographs are presented as authentic wildlife images; the finalist announcement says AI or digital manipulation was not permitted to create the photographs. That authenticity does not mean the images may be freely republished. Image rights remain with the relevant photographers and must be checked before publication.
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Which funny animal pictures stood out among the 2025 finalists?
The following selection is representative rather than a complete gallery. Captions and descriptions are based on the finalist and winner coverage, while the humor comes from the moment captured and the human interpretation suggested by each title.
| Photographer | Image or entry | Animal and setting | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alison Tuck | “Now which direction is my nest?” | Gannet at Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire | Strong wind disrupts the bird’s nest-building effort, making the gannet look confused about its next move. |
| Andrew Mortimer | “If I have seen further…” | Frogs at a mine-site bore casing | One frog uses another as a makeshift viewing platform because the frogs are too short to see over the pipe. |
| Andrey Giljov | “Welcome to Zen Lemur Yoga Course!” | Ring-tailed lemurs at Anja Community Reserve, Madagascar | The animals’ arrangement resembles a coordinated yoga class. |
| Warren Price | “Headlock!” | Bridled guillemots at Hornøya, Norway | Two seabirds appear to be locked in a comic dispute; the photograph later won the ThinkTANK Birds Award. |
| Yann Chauvette | “The wig” | Greater one-horned rhinoceros at Chitwan National Park, Nepal | Vegetation covering the emerging rhino’s head creates the unmistakable appearance of a new hairstyle. |
| Meline Ellwanger | “The Choir” | Lions | Yawning lions look as though they are performing together in a vocal ensemble. |
| Paula Rustemeier | “Hit the Dancefloor” | Three young foxes in the Netherlands | One fox tumbles while the other two appear to watch, producing the impression of a dance-floor routine. |
| Grayson Bell | “Baptism of the Unwilling Convert” | Reptile, amphibian, or insect subject | The image won both the Reptiles, Amphibians and Insects Award and the Nikon Junior Award. |
| Tatjana Epp | “Surfing Heron” | Heron | The image won the Video Award, extending the competition’s comic timing beyond still photography. |
| Maggie Hoffman | “Digging for Gold” | Chimpanzee portfolio | The portfolio won the Amazing Internet Portfolio Award. |
Who won the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards?
Mark Meth-Cohn won the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards overall prize with “High Five,” a photograph of a young gorilla in Rwanda that appears to show the animal performing a high five or acrobatic gesture. Nikon also reports that “High Five” won the Mammals Category Award. Nikon’s official winner coverage describes the gorilla as dancing through a forest clearing.
According to Nikon’s official winner article (2025), the winning photograph was selected from more than 10,000 entries submitted from 109 countries. The field was described as record-breaking for the competition.
Meth-Cohn said he photographed the gorilla at ground level with a wide-angle lens to increase the visual impact. That is the winning photographer’s description of his technique, not proof that a wide-angle lens is generally the best choice for wildlife photography or that the equipment caused the result.
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Several finalists received category or age-group recognition in addition to appearing in the main shortlist.
| Entry | Photographer | Recognition |
|---|---|---|
| “High Five” | Mark Meth-Cohn | Overall winner and Mammals Category Award |
| “Headlock!” | Warren Price | ThinkTANK Birds Award |
| “Hit the Dancefloor” | Paula Rustemeier | Nikon Young Photographer Award; for photographers under 25 |
| “Baptism of the Unwilling Convert” | Grayson Bell | Reptiles, Amphibians and Insects Award and Nikon Junior Award; for photographers under 16 |
| “Surfing Heron” | Tatjana Epp | Video Award |
| “Digging for Gold” | Maggie Hoffman | Amazing Internet Portfolio Award |
When was the 2025 awards exhibition?
The 2025 awards night took place in London on December 9, 2025. Nikon reported that a free public exhibition followed at London’s OXO Gallery from December 10 through December 14, 2025. Those events have now passed, so they should be treated as historical dates rather than current viewing opportunities.
Why do the Comedy Wildlife Awards support conservation?
The Comedy Wildlife Awards use humor to make wildlife behavior accessible to a broad audience and to encourage interest in animals and habitat conservation. The contest was founded in 2015 by wildlife photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam as a light-hearted competition with conservation at its core.
Nikon became a partner in 2024, after which the competition was renamed the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. According to Nikon’s official awards overview, 10% of competition profits are donated to the Whitley Fund for Nature’s Next Gen initiative. The finalist announcement also describes support for conservation leaders working in the Global South.
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The conservation connection should be understood accurately: the competition’s purpose is to use the reach and emotional accessibility of funny wildlife images to build attention for conservation. The connection does not mean that every finalist photograph documents a conservation project or intervention.
Where can readers find more funny wildlife photography?
Readers who want a physical collection related directly to the awards can look for Wild and Crazy wildlife photography book, a book by founders Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam based on the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The publisher’s page for Wild and Crazy is the most reliable starting point for identifying the book and its edition. Availability, pricing, and retailer listings should be checked before purchase.
An earlier Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards book is also described as a collection of humorous animal photographs with captions. The available bibliographic reference is useful for identifying that title, but current United States availability and the exact retailer edition should be verified before linking to a purchase listing. The bibliographic record for the earlier book provides a reference point.
Are the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists available?
The 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards competition has closed, but Nikon’s official awards page stated at the time of research that the finalists and winners would be revealed soon. A 2026 shortlist should not be treated as published until Nikon’s official page supplies the announcement. The 2025 finalist collection remains the confirmed subject of this roundup.
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Can these finalist photographs be republished?
Not automatically. The finalist announcement’s statement that the photographs are authentic and that AI or digital manipulation was not permitted does not grant republication rights. Anyone wishing to reproduce a finalist image should check the awards organization’s licensing terms and obtain permission from the individual photographer or rights holder where required.
Likewise, the Nikon partnership does not establish that every finalist used Nikon equipment. Nikon’s coverage mentions Nikon cameras and lenses among competition prizes and identifies the Z6III and Z5II in its editorial ecosystem, but the available material does not prove that a particular camera was used for every finalist image or that any one camera produced the winning result.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists announced?
The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists were announced on October 23, 2025. The shortlist contained 40 standalone images, three portfolio entries, and 10 video entries.
Who won the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards?
Mark Meth-Cohn won the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards overall prize with “High Five,” a photograph of a young gorilla in Rwanda. The image also won the Mammals Category Award.
Were all of the finalist photographs taken with Nikon cameras?
No. The available official material does not establish that every finalist used Nikon equipment. Nikon’s partnership and prize information should not be treated as proof that a specific Nikon camera created every finalist image.
Can I use a Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalist photograph on my website?
The finalist photographs cannot be assumed to be free to republish. Image rights belong to the relevant photographers or rights holders, so licensing terms and permission should be checked before publication.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalists turn fleeting animal behavior into memorable visual jokes, but the humor is grounded in authentic wildlife photography. Mark Meth-Cohn’s “High Five” won the overall award, while the competition’s broader purpose is to draw attention to wildlife and conservation through accessible, shareable images.
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