You don't have to be a rock star to steal the show. Sometimes you're a hare caught laughing at exactly the right moment. Sometimes you're a singer who sounds so much like Freddie Mercury that 10,000 people can't help joining in. Stick around for a genuinely touching moment between two beloved TV stars. There may be something in your eye by the end of this one.
 | ||
17 of the funniest finalists in the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards | ||
A sexy mantis, a laughing hare, a chatty polar bear, and more! | ||
By Tod Perry | ||
It’s time again for one of Upworthy’s longest-running traditions: announcing the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards finalists. | ||
The 2026 competition received over 10,000 entries from 112 countries and has been narrowed to 40 finalists, including a laughing hare, a “sexy” mantis, and a very angry goldcrest. The photographers are competing for the top prize—a once-in-a-lifetime safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara. Other prizes include Nikon Z6III and Nikon Z50II cameras. | ||
“The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards started very gently, somewhere out on the vast plains of the Serengeti. What began as a small effort to raise awareness of wildlife conservation has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined,” Tom Sullam, the competition co-founder, said in a statement. | ||
|
 | ||
Marc Martel sings with the audience in Santiago, Chile, in May of 2022. | ||
Freddie Mercury soundalike gets 10,000 people to spontaneously sing Queen’s ‘Love of My Life’ | ||
Marc Martel captures Freddie’s unique voice almost perfectly. | ||
By Annie Reneau | ||
Freddie Mercury was known for many things: his dramatic showmanship, his larger-than-life personality, and his untimely death during the peak of the AIDS epidemic. Above all, though, he is most remembered for his clear, powerful voice, ranging from rich bass notes to impressive soprano coloratura. | ||
It’s hard to do Freddie’s voice justice, but Marc Martel has managed to wow millions with his impersonations of the Queen lead singer. If you close your eyes and listen, there are seconds when you might swear you were hearing Freddie himself singing again. | ||
Martel’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” has been viewed over 60 million times on YouTube. And another of his videos showcases Martel’s ability to captivate an audience with his, or Freddie’s, voice. | ||
|
And now they’re besties for life. 🥹
 | ||
In 1966, the Bee Gees covered a Rolling Stones song on TV, proving they were musical chameleons | ||
How did Robin Gibb turn into Mick Jagger? | ||
By Tod Perry | ||
When you think of the Bee Gees, most people probably picture them in tight white satin pants and shirts, wearing big gold medallions and singing “Stayin’ Alive” or “More Than a Woman.” However, before they were a popular disco act, they were a folky band with incredible harmonies. Before their big break in 1967, they were mainstays on Australian TV, singing cover songs by bands such as The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, and The Shirelles. | ||
In 1966, the Gibb brothers, Barry, Maurice, and Robin, appeared on ATN-7 in Sydney and performed “Out of Time,” a tune written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones that appeared on their album Aftermath from earlier that year. The funny thing is that the song was a bigger hit for singer Chris Farlowe (although Jagger produced it) than it was for the Stones. | ||
In this performance, a 16-year-old Robin takes the lead vocal, and although he’s known for having a soft voice with an elegant vibrato, here he lets it rip in the spirit of England’s bad boys. The performance is quite a production with Go-Go dancers, a horn section, and Maurice decked out in Lennon-esque shades. For some reason, at 1:10 and 1:40, the camera focuses right on Barry’s butt. | ||
|
An Upworthiest Poll
If you could visit one era of live music for a single night, which would you choose?
Yesterday’s Results
In yesterday's issue, we shared 33 things Gen X kids thought were perfectly normal, including some pretty casual attitudes toward car safety.
And we asked: In 1978, which state became the first to require car seats for young kids? Just 4.3% of you nailed it: Tennessee! A whopping 65.2% went with California. Sorry, Golden State. Tennessee was first across this particular finish line.
California (65.2%)
New York (15.1%)
Tennessee (4.3%) 🏆
Michigan (15.3%)
 | ||
Fans applaud Quinta Brunson for how she supported Jennifer Aniston during an emotional interview moment | ||
“Quinta handled this masterfully.” | ||
By Heather Wake | ||
For those not familiar with Variety’s “Actors on Actors,” it’s a live interview series where two actors discuss various aspects of their craft and career. Often, actors will be paired together because of a common thread. Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy during the height of “Barbenheimer,” for example. Or Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, who both starred in the 2006 classic The Devil Wears Prada. | ||
At one point during the conversation, a producer off camera suggested that Brunson ask Aniston “what it’s like to watch Friends now.” | ||
This clearly struck a chord with Aniston, who, already tearing up, said, “Don’t make me cry.” | ||
Noticing this, Brunson softly said, “You’re already crying. Do you want a minute?” before assuring her, “We don’t have to talk about [this].” | ||
|
