Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 winners announced – here are the hilarious winning images

Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 category winner

Sarthak Ranganadhan won the Nikon Junior category award with his 'Smooching owlets' photo and walks away with the new Nikon Z50 II and 16-50mm lens. (Image credit: © Sarthak Ranganadhan)

10th year of the awards sees a record 9,000+ entries
45 shortlisted finalists on display in Gallery@Oxo in London, 11-15 December
Italian photographer Milko Marchetti scoops top award

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 has unveiled this year's winners, selected from over 9,000 images of animals captured in a variety of entertaining situations and expressions – the most in the contest's 10-year history. Italian photographer Milko Marchetti scooped the overall winner award with their perfectly-timed image of a red squirrel seemingly stuck in a tree (see below).

Milko wins a safari trip to the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, while Nikon's Young photographer category winner, Kingston Tam, walks away with a Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera and 24-120mm zoom lens for their closeup image of a frog.

There were 45 shortlisted finalists in all, and TechRadar got to see the images at the awards evening in London. The exhibition runs from 11-15 December in the Gallery@Oxo in London, and entry is free.

If you're not in or visiting the UK, all of 2024's finalists can be seen on the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards website, and you'll find the category award winners below – try not to smile!

Overall winner – Milko Marchetti

Milko's photograph of a red squirrel was taken in 2022 in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo, Ravenna, Italy. Milko uses a hide during the months that the park is closed to the public – his access is granted in exchange for his photos. Sitings of such squirrels are generally rare in Italy, but in the park they are more confident.

Milko says, “Nature photography has been my passion, ever since I was a boy, and I’ve always put all my free time and energy into it. I think that nature offers so much beauty and variety, and with a camera, the photographer has this ability, this superpower to freeze a moment and make it last forever in the form of a photograph. The emotion I experience at the moment when I click the camera button is pure adrenaline, and my hope is always to be able to convey at least one natural emotion through my photography. It seems it really worked this time!”

Category winners

Nikon young photographer category winner – Kingston Tam

Closeup of a frog (Cyclorana novaehollandiae) — *Awkward smiley frog*, Kingston Tam (Image credit: © Kingston Tam)

People's choice category winner – Tapani Linnanmäki

White-tailed eagle ruffling its feathers — *Shake ruffle rattle and roll*, Tapani Linnanmäki (Image credit: © Tapani Linnanmaki)

Insect category winner – Jose Miguel Gallego Molina

Mantis mediterranea (Iris oratoria) on the ground, front legs in the air — *Mantis Flamenca*, Jose Miguel Gallego Molina (Image credit: © Jose Miguel Gallego Molina)

Reptile category winner – Eberhard Ehmke

Frog floating on water with its head in a bubble — *Frog in a balloon*, Eberhard Ehmke (Image credit: © Eberhard Ehmke)

Bird category winner – Damyan Petkov

Whiskered Tern bird hits rock head on when trying to land — *Whiskered Tern crash on landing,* Damyan Petkov (Image credit: © Damyan Petkov)

Fish & other aquatic animal category winner – Przemyslaw Jakubczyk

Nikon junior photographer category winner – Sarthak Ranganadhan

Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.