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Tracy Chapman makes rare appearance to sing 'Fast Car' with Luke Combs at the Grammys

The late 80s hit is finding new life as a country song—and topping the charts.

Hans Hillewaeart, WIkipedia, David Bergman/Wikipedia

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs performed an epic duet of "Fast Car" at the 2024 Grammys.

It had been rumored that Tracy Chapman might be making an appearance at the Grammys this year, after Luke Combs’ country version of her iconic song “Fast Car” earned a grammy nomination.

Combs' rendition of the late 80s classic, which won him Song of the Year at 2023 Country Music Awards, has been met with both great praise and great criticism.

Many applauded Combs for giving the tune a major resurgence and even bringing it to a whole new audience. At the same time, some took umbrage with the fact that Combs’ version had placed higher on the Billboard Hot 100 charts than Chapman’s original and argued that it was a symptom of long-endured racism within the country music genre.

Chapman eventually came out of her private life to endorse Combs’ cover, saying, “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”

Which brings us to the opening half hour of the Grammy 2024 Awards, where both Chapman and Combs appeared on stage in matching all-black outfits to perform a moving duet. This made for a landmark appearance for Chapman, who hadn’t performed publicly in several years.

As they sang, audiences mouthed the words and clapped along. Some songs really do have the power to bring folks of all walks of life together.

Watch:

— (@)

“Fast Car” has struck a chord with listeners since that seemingly fateful night at Wembley Stadium in 1988, when a few technical difficulties led Chapman to performing it as a backup plan, unwittingly stepping into musical history. Fans love the folk anthem for its raw simplicity and vivid depiction of yearning, brought to life by Chapman’s one-of-a-kind voice.

And even though there’s no replacing her original hit, the collaboration with Combs has led to some amazing genre-busting breakthroughs. Back in November of 2023, Chapman also reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Songwriters chart and won song of the year for “Fast Car,” making her the first Black woman to win a Country Music Association award.

Then a mere moments after Chapman’s Grammy performance with Combs, “Fast Car” shot to No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs. Her debut album from 1988, titled “Tracy Chapman,” also shot to No. 1.

Art is subjective, but it stands to reason that a work of art can be considered great if it continues moving people time and time again. Chapman’s art certainly has this kind of staying power, and it’s wonderful anytime that achievement gets recognition.

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awards

United Nations Foundation

Awards

These global change-makers represent the very best of humanity

Photo: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Honorees, speakers and guests on stage at We the Peoples

True

Some people say that while change is inevitable, progress is a choice. In other words, it’s a purposeful act—like when American media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner established the United Nations Foundation 25 years ago.

Turner recognized that the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity’s greatest challenges and driving global progress, and he also knew that solving complex, worldwide problems require a blend of diverse solutions and partners. He’s a pretty smart guy.

As a strategic partner of the United Nations, the UN Foundation seeks to solve the world’s biggest challenges by bringing together different perspectives, fresh thinking, and innovative ideas. Think of it as a massive table, where the best and the brightest from all over the world are invited to bring new and creative ideas to solve complex problems affecting humanity. That’s the UN Foundation, and it’s awesome.

Honorees, speakers and guests on stage at We the PeoplesPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Every year, the organization recognizes extraordinary individuals and institutions whose work stands out as an embodiment of their guiding principles: to create a safer, healthier, and fairer world for all. This year’s annual Global Leadership Awards were presented at We the Peoples in New York City’s Gotham Hall, where five recipients were honored for their tireless work to push progress forward.

Here are the change-makers who accepted the awards, which celebrate the very best of humanity.

Mia Amor Mottley, 2022 Champion for Global Change award. Not only is she the first female to hold the position of Prime Minister of Barbados, she exhibits top-notch leadership in her fight for global change. She is known for fearlessly urging the leaders of larger, richer, and more powerful countries to recognize their contributions to climate change and their responsibility to help combat its disastrous effects—especially in smaller island nations. (She also encourages leaders to have “mature conversations” with their constituents, something we can all agree is woefully lacking across the board!)

Hon. Mia Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of BarbadosPhoto: Stuart Ramson for United Nations Foundation

Prime Minister Mottley takes stewardship of the environment very seriously. The island of Barbados is on the frontline of climate change impacts, which manifest in everything from more devastating hurricanes, to coastal erosion, and are getting worse from year to year. Not only that, she’s tackling social justice reform, lack of education access, and political corruption, one step at a time. “There are so many who are voiceless and so many who are incapable of action, but if those of us who have the capacity can make that difference in their lives, then the world would be a better place,” said Prime Minister Mottley. Seriously.

Forest Whitaker, SDG Vanguard Award: While Whitaker is best known for his acting roles, he is also Founder & CEO of Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, a project aiming to promote the values of peace within communities all over the world that are impacted by conflict and violence. His work has touched the lives of approximately 1.3 million children—including former child soldiers—helping them cope with trauma and learn to thrive in their communities. The goal is to move people from chaos to hope and engagement by educating, training, and restoring peace.

Hans Vestberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon and UN Foundation Board member, presents the SDG Vanguard Award to Khadija Mayman, Youth PeacemakerPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Whitaker staunchly values the potential of youth, insisting they deserve a seat at the table. He believes that in order to attain peace and prosperity, communities and nations must heed the voices of their young people; keeping them engaged is what preserves our future. “We must realize that whatever challenge we are faced with, young people can and should be part of the solution – both for today and tomorrow,” he said.

Whitaker walks the walk— and it showed when the spotlight was put on Khadija Mayman, Youth Peacemaker for the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, who accepted the award on his behalf. What better way to change the world, than to start by healing our children and letting them lead?

Mia Kami, SDG Vanguard Award: Kami is a Tongan singer/songwriter. She is passionate about gender equality, indigenous rights, and climate action, reminding us that storytelling has the power to fuel political and environmental change. She channels her passions into songwriting and uses her music to inspire hope and healing.

In 2022, a devastating volcanic eruption created a massive humanitarian crisis in her home country of Tonga. The volcano generated a plume of ash that rose more than 12 miles above sea level; the next day, there was a larger, more violent eruption that created an ash plume 375 miles in diameter. This second explosive eruption produced a tsunami that affected the entire Pacific Ocean, and atmospheric pressure waves that circled Earth several times. After the eruption, satellite images show that 90% of the island is no longer visible. Kami drew attention to the crisis through song. In one of her most popular works, Rooted, she sings:

There is hope

There is strength

There is power

There is change

In you and I

Singer-songwriter Mia Kami performs at We The Peoples 2022Photo: Stuart Ramson for United Nations Foundation

Kami’s ability to bridge art and action to protect the world's oceans draws attention to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, marking her as an extraordinary, creative change-maker.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), presented with the 2022 UN Heroes Award: Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, accepted the Award on behalf of the organization.

Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, accepts the 2022 UN Heroes Award, presented by Mark Malloch-Brown, President of Open Society Foundations and UN Foundation Board member at We the PeoplesPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Founded in 1969 by concerned American citizens, this institution is the lead United Nations sexual and reproductive health and rights agency. They are there for mothers, pregnant women, and girls around the world, no matter what, and their work encompasses everything from educating women on family planning to working to end child marriage and gender-based violence—especially in times of war.

UNFPA delivers lifesaving care in places in crises so that girls and women can manage their periods, have healthy pregnancies, and deliver their babies safely. They recognize that when individuals are deprived of the right to make crucial choices about their own bodies and futures, it has a cascading impact on their families’ welfare and future generations.

Unsurprisingly, courage is one of their four core values; they pride themselves on saying and doing what’s right, not what’s easy, all the time. That is a purposeful act of progress for certain.

Peace on Purpose/lululemon. This year, the inaugural Goal 17 Innovation in Partnership Award was presented to recognize creative, cross-sector partnerships that are driving progress forward. Most of us associate the brand name lululemon with leggings, but it turns out that they do much more than sell athletic wear. Peace on Purpose is a collaborative effort between lululemon and the UN Foundation to provide tools, such as mindfulness training, for humanitarian workers to care for their mental and physical well-being so they can effectively care for others. Support people need support people, after all!

From left to right: Baroness Valerie Amos, Master, University College Oxford and Vice Chair, UN Foundation Board of Directors; Esther Speck, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Business & Impact at lululemon; Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon.Photo: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

The award was accepted by two of lululemon's leaders: Esther Speck, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Business & Impact, and Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer. Speck is widely respected among her colleagues as one of the most result-oriented professionals in sustainability. She managed to bridge lululemon and the UN Foundation seamlessly by recognizing that lululemon focuses on offering their customers a path to wellbeing, which entails supporting humanitarian and sustainable causes.

Photo courtesy of the UN Foundation Esther Speck, Senior Vice President Sustainable Business & Impact at lululemon and Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon.Photo: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Neuburger is responsible for lululemon's ability to share compelling stories from their team of 2,000 global ambassadors. "We really lean into highlighting those ambassadors," said Neuburger in an interview with Ad Age, "lifting them up not only in terms of what they are doing with us, but also what they've got going on in their own communities."

The results are undeniable: over 8,000 UN workers from 137 countries have been reached through in-person and digital mental health and well-being programs! Research shows that the Peace on Purpose initiative has so far led to a 40% reduction of important psychological risk factors such as anxiety and depression, and an increase in overall well-being and resilience.

It’s a dynamic table of visionaries, that’s for sure—and the world is better because of them. As Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the UN Foundation stated at the ceremony, “A few years ago, Ted [Turner] said: ‘The world is facing some tough obstacles, but I’ve never found much use in giving up. It’s much more effective to get to work.’ Well, at the UN Foundation, we believe in getting to work. We believe that allies and partners make us stronger. We believe that progress is worth fighting for, and we know you do too.”

If pushing progress forward is a choice, then these change-makers make the right one, every single day. Learn more about these change-makers and the work they are doing here.

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Mom's post about her chronically ill child is just one reason 'attendance awards' need to go

National Cancer Institute on Unsplash, @chronicparent30/Twitter

As a student, I always thought perfect attendance awards were dumb. Then I became a teacher, and I still thought they were silly. Then I became a parent and the full scope of how ridiculous they are became crystal clear.

Apparently, I'm not alone. A mom's post calling out perfect attendance awards for how they impact her chronically ill daughter has gone viral, with thousands of people agreeing with her.

Twitter user Kat (@chronicparent30) wrote, "All the kids with 100% attendance at my daughter's school get an Easter egg this week. The rest don't. I despise attendance awards. Anyway today I'm going to go buy my daughter, who'll never get 100% attendance due to chronic illness, a huge Easter egg."

Her post received more than 545,000 likes and 43,000 retweets.

— (@)

Perfect attendance awards are presumably supposed to encourage good habits in kids. But there are two main reasons they need to go.

The first, as this mother points out without saying it directly, is that they are unfair. Children have very little control over when and how they get to school, so who is really being rewarded or punished for attendance? Parents? But the kids who get the reward are the ones who are able to get to school every day on time because they are privileged in some way—they never get really sick, they don't have any ongoing health issues, they don't have any tragedies that occur during the year, and they don't have a parent with a disability/mental illness/work schedule/etc. that might occasionally impede a kid getting to school.

Not everything in life is fair, of course, nor does everything have to be. But if we're rewarding kids for something that's largely out of their control and for something that requires a certain level of privilege to attain, that's not the kind of unfair that should be accepted and perpetuated. We're literally teaching kids that privilege should be celebrated. Gross.

The second reason perfect attendance awards should be eliminated is because, rather than encouraging good habits, they actually encourage unhealthy ones.

Kids should absolutely not go to school sick, and they certainly shouldn't be incentivized to do so. That was always true, but it's especially important now that we've experienced a global pandemic. If you're sick, you should stay home. Period.

There's also real value in taking days off sometimes, even if you're not physically ill. I've written before about how grateful I was to my dad for letting me take a mental health day when I was in high school. I was an honors student, very involved in school activities, and I broke down in tears one day on the way to school. I told him I needed a break, and he immediately turned the car around and headed home. It was the kindest thing he could have done, and it also taught me a valuable lesson about taking a break when you need one. Giving awards for perfect attendance discourages mental health care that some kids desperately need.

As a former teacher, I understand that it's easier when kids always come to class. It's extra work to help get a kid caught up on what they've missed. But I would much rather one of my students miss my class because they're sick, overly stressed, visiting grandma on her deathbed, going to a doctor's or dentist's or therapist's appointment—or heck, even going on a family vacation during the off-peak season because it's what their family can afford—than to feel like they absolutely should never miss a day of school.

School is important, absolutely. But so is health. So is family life. And perfect attendance awards send the absolute wrong message that it's somehow desirable and praiseworthy to never take a day off, even when you have good reason to. That's a toxic message that none of us should embrace for our kids or for ourselves.

We have enough overworked, overstressed adults who don't know how to care for their physical and mental health. We don't need to instill into kids the message that taking the time you need, for whatever reason, is some sort of moral failure or that ignoring your needs is the right thing to do. Kids and parents know that kids need to be in class the vast majority of the time, and the kids who get perfect attendance awards aren't the ones with attendance problems to begin with.

It's time to just drop the whole idea once and for all.

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Olivia Colman doesn't seem to realize she's a famous actress, and it's so stinking cute

NBC/YouTube

Olivia Colman is back with another endearing acceptance speech, and she's proven once again to be the most relatable actress ever.

Last year, Olivia Colman stole the show at the Oscars with her incredulous, off-the-cuff acceptance speech after winning the Best Actress in a Leading Role award. Stunned that she had won, the British actress was so genuine and obviously unrehearsed in her reaction that you couldn't help but love her. She was all of us, giddy and disbelieving and delightfully awkward about a lifelong dream come true.

RELATED: Olivia Colman deserves an award for Most Endearing Oscar Speech Ever

If you missed it, it's worth a watch before seeing this year's speech:

Olivia Colman wins Best Actresswww.youtube.com

Despite having won the highest movie award an actress can receive, and despite being cast as the queen herself in the hit show The Crown and playing an iconic role in the award-winning comedy Fleabag, Colman doesn't seem to have internalized that she is a famous, critically-acclaimed actress. At last night's Golden Globes, she won the award for Best Actress in a Television Series for her role as Queen Elizabeth—and yet again, she charmed everyone with her impromptu acceptance speech.

Colman began with a simple thank you, then said, "Oooh, I said I had money on this not happening. For the last year, I've felt like I was living someone else's life, and now I definitely feel like I've won someone else's award."

She thanked Netflix and the Hollywood Foreign Press, then showed her flummoxed—and apparently slightly tipsy—hand.

"I don't know what to say, because I genuinely... I'd already gotten a little bit boozy because I thought this wasn't going to happen. Thank you…umm…completely stumped."

Much like last year's fangirling of Meryl Streep during her Oscars speech, Colman became more of a starry-eyed, celebrity-sighting audience member than famous actress winning her own top award.

RELATED: Oprah's powerful Golden Globes speech brings the nation to a standing ovation.

"Honestly, sitting there and watching everybody, it's so exciting. We've gone, 'Look who it is! Look who's there!'" Then she added, as if honored by the entire idea of being invited in the first place, "So, thank you for having us. Thank you for having me. I've had such a lovely time."

Olivia Colman: Best Actress in a TV Drama - 2020 Golden Globeswww.youtube.com

How adorable is it that she doesn't seem to realize she's one of the famous people she's referring to? After all, she was theone winning the award for Best Actress on that stage. She was the one winning her third Golden Globe in as many nominations. In that moment, she was the reason all of those celebrities were gathered in the room. People in attendance were undoubtedly looking at her, saying "Look who it is!" And she appears to be totally oblivious to it all. She's still genuinely surprised to find herself among the entertainment industry elite and maintains a humble and childlike wonder at it all.

We just love you, Olivia Colman. Please don't change.

— (@)

movies

Social impact superheroes are all around us.

True

SreyRam Kuy was 2 years old when the refugee camp where her family had been staying was bombed.

They had been fleeing the “Killing Fields” of the Cambodian genocide, only to be attacked again.

During the bombing, both she and her mother were hit by shrapnel. She lost her ear in the explosion, and her mother’s wounds would’ve likely been fatal without proper medical attention, but thankfully, Red Cross doctors came to their aid, saving both SreyRam’s ear and her mom’s life.

Even though she doesn’t remember much of the experience, the story’s become an integral part of her family’s history. It’s also why SreyRam chose to dedicate her life to helping others as a doctor.

Dr. SreyRam Kuy. Photo via L’Oréal Paris’ Women of Worth.

Not only did she become the first female Cambodian refugee to work as a surgeon in the United States, but she regularly performs free and low-cost surgeries for people in need. She also partners with Dog Tag Bakery — an organization that gives jobs and necessary work experience to disabled veterans.

What’s more, as chief medical officer for the state of Louisiana, she oversaw the first state-led Zika prevention program for pregnant women in the United States.

SreyRam is just one of 10 extraordinary women who were chosen as L’Oréal Paris’ 2017 Women of Worth Honorees.

Since 2005, the brand has selected women who are making a major impact in their communities through their passion for volunteerism and philanthropy. Each Honoree receives a $10,000 grant for their charitable cause, as well as recognition of their work through L’Oréal Paris’ Women of Worth.

Other 2017 Women of Worth honorees. Photo via L’Oréal Paris’ Women of Worth.

Past Honorees have been everything from anti-bullying advocates to supporters of victims of human trafficking to self-defense trainers. It really doesn’t matter what kind of charitable work you do, just as long as it’s making a positive impact on your community.

There are so many women out there who’re making a huge difference but aren’t getting any recognition for it. This program is trying to change that.

Want to nominate someone to be a Woman of Worth? Here’s what you need to know:

Candidates must be women who are legal residents of the 50 United States and 16 years or older at the time of nomination. Their philanthropic work must also have occurred within the United States, and their involvement needs to have been ongoing for at least six months. If it’s filling a previously unmet need in an innovative way and making a significant difference in their community, it’s worthy.

It’s fine if the woman you have in mind gets paid for her work as long as she’s working for a nonprofit or a national service program like AmeriCorps. However, she should have a noticeable passion for what she does that’s inspiring others to follow suit.

Photo via iStock.

If you think you know someone who fits the bill, click here to sign up and submit an application form. You can also submit the form by sending it in the mail to:

"Women of Worth Award" c/o The Points of Light Institute

600 Means Street, Suite 210

Atlanta, GA 30318

If you think you’d make a great honoree yourself, you can absolutely throw your name into the ring!

Whoever you decide to nominate, you better do it soon, because the submission period ends May 31, 2018.

Once all the nominees are submitted, the judges will narrow it down to a group of finalists.

That’s where the final 10 nominees are selected — and where you come back in.

In November, you can see the list of 2018 Honorees online and vote on one to be named the Woman of Worth National Honoree. This woman will receive an additional $25,000 for her charity of choice, along with national recognition for her cause. But every honoree will get an all-expense paid trip to New York City for the awards ceremony, where they’ll meet many notable women who are also working towards social good.

Sounds pretty awesome, huh?

It’s time the world recognizes these unsung philanthropy superheroes, but it’s on you to make that happen.

So what are you waiting for? Get nominating!

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Want to be the change? Join an Elevate Giving Circle. ›

Casey Affleck dropping out of the Oscars should motivate us all.

A lot has changed in just a year.

Last year Brie Larson presented Casey Affleck with the Oscar for Best Actor, and it was ... uncomfortable.

Just a year earlier, Larson had won the Oscar for her powerhouse performance in "Room," playing a woman who was held kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and forced to live in captivity with her young son. Hers was a moving performance that reflected a lot of Larson's own advocacy work for victims of sexual harassment and violence. But then she was asked to present one of acting's top honors to Affleck, who had been sued on multiple occasions for sexual harassment years earlier.

The audience erupted in applause as Affleck's name was announced and he took the stage — with one very notable exception: Larson. After offering Affleck a polite hug, she stood off to the side, motionless. In a pre-#MeToo, pre-Time's Up environment, her reluctance to follow the unspoken rules of being a presenter was a statement in itself.

[rebelmouse-image 19532043 dam="1" original_size="450x280" caption="Larson stands still as Affleck takes the stage in 2017. GIF from Oscars/YouTube." expand=1]Larson stands still as Affleck takes the stage in 2017. GIF from Oscars/YouTube.

"I think that whatever it was that I did onstage kind of spoke for itself,” she told Vanity Fair when asked about whether she was trying to make a statement by not clapping. "I’ve said all that I need to say about that topic."

Since then, a lot has changed in Hollywood — and Affleck will be absent from the Oscar stage this year as a result.

It's Academy Award tradition that the previous year's Best Actor winner presents this year's Best Actress award (and the past Best Actress presents Best Actor). But Affleck, who was scheduled to present, will not be in attendance when Hollywood gathers for the show on March 4.

Deadline reported that "Affleck did not want to become a distraction from the focus that should be on the performances of the actresses in the category and that is why he made the proactive move," calling it "a no-win situation."

Affleck accepts Best Actor during the 2017 Oscars. Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images.

Thanks to the activism of the past year, actors like Affleck are finally being held accountable for their actions.

It's proof that, when journalists, witnesses, and survivors speak out, they have the power to change the world for the better.

Without Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's bombshell New York Times exposé detailing megaproducer Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual assault and harassment, and without some of the brave actresses willing to go on record for it, it's hard to imagine that the #MeToo movement would have taken off the way it has.

In a world without the #MeToo movement (which was founded years ago by Tarana Burke, but given fresh life post-Weinstein), it's easy to picture Affleck on stage this year, again receiving cheers from a complicit audience. It's easy to imagine his past sexual harassment suits being brushed off as ancient history, or for audiences to be urged to separate the artist from the art; it's easy to picture a culture that has continued to laud the likes of Roman Polanski or Woody Allen treating Affleck the same way.

[rebelmouse-image 19346263 dam="1" original_size="750x555" caption="Tarana Burke poses with Affleck's "Manchester By the Sea" co-star, actress Michelle Williams at this year's Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images." expand=1]Tarana Burke poses with Affleck's "Manchester By the Sea" co-star, actress Michelle Williams at this year's Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

But activists, journalists, and regular, everyday people helped change that. Continued pressure and momentum can help reshape culture in powerful ways. The fact that Casey Affleck will not be on stage is a reminder that we can make the world a better place if we use our voices to advocate for a more just society.

In a world where cynicism and despair often win out, stories like these might just lend a little hope.

#MeToo demonstrators. Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

14 award-winning photos show what happens when nature gets silly.

This little owl seems to be stuck between "I've totally got this!" and "Oh God, why?" and it's hilarious.

[rebelmouse-image 19532984 dam="1" original_size="749x499" caption=""So are we going to help him?" "If we don't ignore him, he'll just keep doing this." Photo by Tibor Kerccz/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"So are we going to help him?" "If we don't ignore him, he'll just keep doing this." Photo by Tibor Kerccz/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

This image, one of a set captured by photographer Tibor Kerccz, isn't merely amusing. It beat out over 3,500 other entries from 86 different countries to be named the 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards' grand winner.

So it's not just funny. It's officially funny.

The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards are the brainchild of two photographers: Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks, MBE. Created in partnership with Born Free, a U.K. animal rights and anti-poaching group, the awards are intended to raise conservation awareness while also letting people in on the softer, sillier side of nature.

This year's winners, including Kerccz's owls, were announced on Dec. 13.

Check out the rest below:

The "On The Land" category winner — Andrea Zampatti's "The Laughing Dormouse"

She just watched the aforementioned owl fall down. Photo by Andrea Zampatti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

The "In The Air" category winner — John Threlfall's "Duck Speed"

[rebelmouse-image 19532986 dam="1" original_size="750x527" caption=""Adorable dormouse photo? Turbo thrusters, ENGAGE!" Photo by John Threlfall/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Adorable dormouse photo? Turbo thrusters, ENGAGE!" Photo by John Threlfall/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

The "Under the Sea" category winner — Troy Mayne's "Slap"

[rebelmouse-image 19532987 dam="1" original_size="750x498" caption=""There's a magic zooming duck photo? Out of my way!" Photo by Troy Mayne/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"There's a magic zooming duck photo? Out of my way!" Photo by Troy Mayne/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Besides the four winners, the contest also highlighted a handful of "highly commended" photographs. Such as ...

Carl Henry's "All Dressed And Ready For Church"

They're going to go pray for that poor fish's face. Photo by Carl Henry/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Jean-Jacques Alcalay's "Animal Encounters"

The rest of the crowd were blocking her view of those penguins. Photo by Jean-Jacques Alcalay/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Katy Laveck-Foster's "Monkey-Escape"

[rebelmouse-image 19532990 dam="1" original_size="750x498" caption=""We're gonna be late to see the wildebeest!" "Hold on, I think I've got this." Photo by Katy Laveck-Foster/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"We're gonna be late to see the wildebeest!" "Hold on, I think I've got this." Photo by Katy Laveck-Foster/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Penny Palmer's "Cheering-Sea-Otter"

[rebelmouse-image 19532991 dam="1" original_size="750x464" caption=""Go little monkey dudes!" Photo by Penny Palmer/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Go little monkey dudes!" Photo by Penny Palmer/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Daisy Gilardini's "Hitching A Ride"

[rebelmouse-image 19532992 dam="1" original_size="750x499" caption=""Mom, is that a sea otter? Mom. MOM! Mom, are you looking? Mom, is that a sea otter?" Photo by Daisy Gilardini/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Mom, is that a sea otter? Mom. MOM! Mom, are you looking? Mom, is that a sea otter?" Photo by Daisy Gilardini/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Daniel Trim's "Mudskippers Got Talent"

[rebelmouse-image 19532993 dam="1" original_size="750x499" caption=""Yeeeeeees, it's a sea otterrrrrrr." Photo by Daniel Trim/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Yeeeeeees, it's a sea otterrrrrrr." Photo by Daniel Trim/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Douglas Croft's "Must Have Three-putted"

He expresses his musical opinions very literally. Photo by Douglas Croft/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Bence Mate's "Caught In The Act"

[rebelmouse-image 19532995 dam="1" original_size="750x499" caption=""Nothing to see here." Photo by Bence Mate/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Nothing to see here." Photo by Bence Mate/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Olivier Colle's "Eh What's Up Doc?"

[rebelmouse-image 19532996 dam="1" original_size="750x500" caption=""Gasp!" Photo by Olivier Colle/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Gasp!" Photo by Olivier Colle/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

George Cathcart's "WTF"

[rebelmouse-image 19532997 dam="1" original_size="750x496" caption=""Did you hear what Bernice saw?" Photo by George Cathcart/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards." expand=1]"Did you hear what Bernice saw?" Photo by George Cathcart/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

These hilarious awards are the perfect conservation pick-me-up.

Preserving nature is important, but the topic can be make for a pretty heavy discussion sometimes. I know there are only so many sad polar bear pictures I can look at in a day.

But I'll watch that owl fall down a million times before it gets old.

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