This year, the Comedy Pet Photography Awards is running for the sixth time. The competition was created by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, who wanted to celebrate the positive and vital roles that pets have in our lives. They also wanted to encourage engagement around animal welfare.

Over the years, the contest has become a massive success, drawing in entries from all around the globe. It’s something that we eagerly look forward to every single year. 

Among this year’s judges, you’ll find TV presenter, writer, conservationist, and animal lover Kate Humble; professional photographer and nature lover Gerrard Gethings, his son Jarvis Gethings, and Barry the Border Terrier; writer, comedian and TV presenter, Mel Geidroyc; TV Vet and animal welfare campaigner Emma Milne; and former competition winner and professional pet photographer Elke Vogelsang.

However, the public is also eligible to vote for the People’s Choice Category! So, if you have a favorite, you can cast your vote on the Comedy Pet Photography Awards website. The voting takes place between May 10 and June 2. One voter, who will be chosen at random, will win a £100 cash prize.

All the winning entries will be announced on June 6, so stay tuned! Meanwhile, the winner of the People’s Choice Category will bring home £500, as well as a camera bag from ThinkTANK.

Every single year, the contestants—veteran and amateur photographers alike—continue to surprise us with their candid shots.

Capturing comedy in a single snapshot is hard work! Not only do you need skill, speed, persistence, and lots of patience, but you also need a spot of luck.

You never know when your pet could do something hilarious, so it really helps if you always bring your camera (or phone) with you at all times! Then, it’s just a matter of reacting quickly enough to capture all those wonderful spontaneous moments that life throws at us.

Bored Panda reached out to Michelle Wood, who is part of the Comedy Pet Photo Awards team, to hear more about this year’s competition. She was kind enough to tell us all about it, as well as the judging process. 

We were curious how tough the judges have it and what they’ll be paying the most attention to when evaluating the shortlisted entries. “When we start collating the images and viewing them for the first time, it is really tough to decide because they are all so good,” Wood told us via email.

According to Wood, the judges “inevitably” begin having favorites after going through all the finalists a few times. There are always going to be photos that you come back to time and again.

“That is when I know it’s a special shot. As well as making us laugh and ticking the humor box, the photo has to be of good quality and something a little out of the ordinary. The ones that tell a story or seem to mimic our human behavior are always very popular,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bored Panda was interested in finding out how active this year’s contestants were. According to Wood, the entire team had lots of interaction with the entrants, “especially close to the deadline of the competition closing.”

“People are so proud of their pets and rightly so and will literally do anything to get a photo entered. The commitment is off the scale,” she told us.

Waiting for the judges’ decisions can be nerve-wracking. We asked Wood what advice she’d give the finalists to help them keep their stress levels in check over the next month.

She noted that it’s important to stay positive, as well as to remember that no matter the outcome, being shortlisted as a finalist is “amazing in itself because the competition is so fierce.”

Wood urged everyone to “enjoy the ride.” Meanwhile, everyone can do their part to spread the word about the People’s Choice Category where the public decides the winner in that case.

“Be sure to get all your friends, family, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues to vote. It’s a fun way to spend 10 mins and you never know!”

We think all of the finalist entities are brilliant, however, which ones are your favorite of the bunch and why, dear Pandas? Who are you going to vote for to win the People’s Choice Category? What’s the funniest photo you’ve ever taken of your pet? We’d love to hear from you, so if you have a moment, feel free to drop by the comments!

For some more wholesome humor, check out Bored Panda's coverage of the Comedy Pet Photography Awards finalists in 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020.