Latest news with #SonyWorldPhotographyAwards
Mid East Info
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
2026 COMPETITION LAUNCH - Middle East Business News and Information
(Dubai, UAE, 2 JUNE 2025) – The 19 th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards is open for submissions and free for all to enter on . The Sony World Photography Awards is a definitive platform for the celebration and discovery of contemporary photography. Since its first edition in 2007, the Awards has recognised the seminal images and stories that shape our visual language and is one of the most prestigious photographic awards programmes in the world, providing global exposure and new opportunities for photographers. Organised by Creo, the Awards form the core part of Creo's photography programming strand, the World Photography Organisation. Sony supports the Awards to help the continued development of photographic culture by giving a global platform to today's talent. Photographers worldwide are invited to submit to the Awards' four competitions: Professional , celebrating outstanding series of work between five to 10 images across 10 categories; Open , rewarding the best single images of the year across 10 categories; Youth , championing images by emerging talent aged 19 and under; and Student , highlighting the projects of photography students across the globe. Additional initiatives include the National & Regional Awards , the Latin America Professional Award , the Japan National Award , and the Alpha Female Award , as well as the Sustainability Prize . Entry to the Awards is free and photographers are judged anonymously by a panel of industry leading judges. INSIGHTS Introduced for the 2025 Professional competition and returning for a second year, Insights is an additional prize element that sees the 10 category winners joining a day of tailored sessions in London with leading industry figures. From a range of commercial and institutional backgrounds, these experts offer the photographers specialised guidance on ways to continue to widen their platform and to find new opportunities to showcase their work; from insights into private collectors of photography, to sessions on photobook publishing, and behind the scenes access to the acquisition process of public collections. STUDENT COMPETITION BRIEF: TOGETHER For this year's Student competition, photographers are asked to respond to the brief Together. Togetherness can take many meanings, shapes and forms. It is a subject rich for exploration. Throughout history photographers have looked at life in communities in both the human and the natural world, considering the ways that individuals exist as members of a group. For this year's brief, students are invited to explore the theme of togetherness from any angle they choose, looking at the concept in its broadest sense. From intimate stories of camaraderie to big and small communities working towards shared goals, to places and spaces that bring us together, and patterns of connection in the natural world – the brief invites students of photography to consider the innate need for sociality in all living beings. Images can be taken on any device, shot in any style, and approached from any angle. While creative responses are encouraged, photographers must stick to the brief. 2026 PRIZES AND DEADLINES The Sony World Photography Awards is open to submissions from 1 June 2025. Full competition and category descriptions can be found at . Deadlines for submission across the Awards' four competitions are: Professional: 13 January 2026, 13:00 GMT Open: 6 January 2026, 13:00 GMT Student: 28 November 2025, 13:00 GMT Youth: 6 January 2026, 13:00 GMT All category winners of the Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions will receive digital imaging equipment from Sony. In addition, cash prizes of $25,000 (USD) will be presented to the Photographer of the Year, $5,000 (USD) to the Open Photographer of the Year and $5,000 (USD) to the winner of the Sustainability Prize. The winner of the Photographer of the Year title will also be rewarded with a solo presentation of their work as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London the following year. All winning and shortlisted photographers' works will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London and will then be toured internationally. The winning images will also be published in the annual Awards' book. ### NOTES TO EDITORS For press inquiries, please contact: Polly Brock / Hugo Ximenes media@ SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS Produced by Creo under its photography strand World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in its 19th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world's most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; previous recipients include William Eggleston (2013), Mary Ellen Mark (2014), Martin Parr (2017), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Sebastião Salgado (2024) and Susan Meiselas (2025). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work. The Sony World Photography Awards is World Photography Organisation's principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world's biggest and most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide. World Photography Organisation is the photography strand of Creo, which initiates events and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art. FOLLOW WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @worldphotoorg LinkedIn: World Photography Organisation Facebook: World Photography Organisation CREO Creo initiates and organises events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS and Photo London. Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, Creo helps deliver the group's ventures, comprising some of the world's leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for 'I create', it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. About Sony Middle East and Africa Sony Middle East and Africa FZE is a 100% subsidiary of Sony Corporation and is the regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa regions. The company is engaged in the business of Sony Consumer Electronics, Mobile Electronics (Car Audio), broadcasting and professional products and Computer Entertainment (PlayStation) products in more than 40 countries in the region. About Sony Corporation Sony Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is responsible for the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) business. With the mission to 'create the future of entertainment through the power of technology together with creators,' we aim to continue to deliver Kando* to people around the world. For more information, visit: *Kando is a Japanese word that roughly translates to the sense of awe and emotion you feel when experiencing something beautiful and amazing for the first time. For media enquiries, please contact:
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A portrait of solidarity: Raúl Belinchón's stunning images of mud-covered volunteers in Spain
When torrential rains swept across eastern Spain in 2024, they unleashed one of the most catastrophic floods the Valencia region had seen in living memory. Among the worst-hit areas was the small town of Paiporta, where entire neighbourhoods were submerged, homes were rendered uninhabitable, businesses destroyed, and streets turned into rivers of thick, suffocating mud. But out of the devastation came an extraordinary response. Young people - many still students - arrived in numbers to unflinchingly clear debris, carry water, and comfort strangers. Photographer Raúl Belinchón, who initially came to help a friend whose home had been flooded, found himself unable to look away. Moved by the determination of the volunteers, Belinchón set up a white backdrop to document these anonymous heroes in deeply intimate portraits. "Each of these volunteers represents solidarity, empathy, but also hope. Individually and collectively, they showed, with their extraordinary effort, their commitment to achieving a more benevolent, dignified, and kind world," Belinchón tells Euronews Culture. The resulting project, titled "The Mud Angels", has since received international recognition, including a second place award in the portraiture category at this year's Sony World Photography Awards. Euronews Culture spoke with Belinchón to discuss the power of photography, and why, in the face of immense political failure, it was a generation dismissed as "fragile" that stepped up and got their hands dirty. Euronews Culture: You've described those 72 hours in Paiporta as both a descent into hell and a revelation of humanity's brightest side. What were some of the most emotionally difficult moments for you during those days? Raúl Belinchón: The most difficult moments came as the days went by and I became aware of the magnitude of what had happened, the force of nature and its consequences. When you find out that family or friends have been affected, you can't quite believe what has occurred. I went to help a friend who lent me his damaged house in Paiporta, the so-called ground zero of the catastrophe. The first days and weeks were complete chaos, and I used the house as a base to work from. Being among so much destruction day after day was tough. Seeing people's faces, the elderly walking through the streets full of mud, the queues to get supplies and be able to have a hot meal, affected me emotionally. It reminded me of a war zone. What led you to set up a white backdrop at the foot of the Bridge of Solidarity? After an intense week working in the ground zero area, I ended up exhausted, reaching the end of the day physically and psychologically drained, without a clear idea of how to approach the work. Everything was destruction and covered in mud. A large brown stain of sludge invaded everything. It was striking how the force of the water had piled up the cars in the streets. There were photographers everywhere, professionals and curious onlookers who wanted to immortalise those Dante-esque scenes as if they were from a dystopian film. I felt the need to get out of there, but something struck me: the way groups of young people flocked to the disaster area, willing to help, to distribute food and essential supplies. That wave of young volunteers who went back and forth from the city and also from other cities in Spain, and even students from other countries (Erasmus), was what made me focus my attention and think that there was the story I wanted to tell – the story of solidarity and hope. I needed to work on a positive theme amidst so much destruction. Then came the how and the where. I was around the Solidarity Bridge that connected the city with the affected towns; it was like crossing from hell to paradise. At that moment, news images showed how the bridge was filled with volunteers coming and going. It was the crossing point for people walking, and it seemed like the place where I should work. I had that white backdrop available because I usually use it to photograph animals for adoption for the animal shelter managed by the Valencia City Council, and I knew from the beginning that I should set up that white backdrop to portray the volunteers, right after their return, after an intensive day of work, where they came back exhausted from removing mud. The white backdrop once again served as a canvas of solidarity, first for animals needing adoption and then for volunteers who helped those most in need after the floods. That white backdrop also helped me to decontextualise the volunteers from the location and highlight, without distractions, their exhausted faces, the peculiarities of their expressions, the particular testimony of their gazes, the marks and wrinkles of mud on their clothes, the chapped skin of their hands, their relationship with the tools they clung to and that had accompanied them through long hours of hard work. Undeniably, in those days, the memory of Avedon's "American West" images came to me. I had the book at home and was looking at his wonderful portraits and how the human figure is enhanced when you photograph it against a clean white background. There's a quiet dignity in each portrait - a stillness. How did you work with the volunteers to create that tone? Did you give them direction or did you allow them to present themselves however they wished? I set up the white backdrop on a wall near a jazz school, which was also affected by the water and mud, about 50 metres from the volunteers' crossing area and the Solidarity Bridge. I approached them and told them about the project I was doing, and they were all very collaborative. A few metres from where I set up the backdrop, there was a fountain, and there I also found many volunteers who were getting ready to wash and remove the mud. I asked them to be photographed before. When photographing them, I didn't give instructions; perhaps I asked some to come out with their work tools or photographed them in groups. The quiet tone has more to do with the success of photographing them at that moment of returning home after an intense day, where fatigue, exhaustion, and psychological burden were reflected in their faces. Most of the volunteers were young people - students, as you mentioned. What did their generation show you about courage and responsibility that perhaps others had forgotten? They, with their actions, paid homage to their own humanity. They shattered the stigma of a "crystal generation," supposedly fragile and indifferent, and I wanted to pay tribute to them with my photographs. Each of these volunteers represents solidarity, empathy, but also hope. Individually and collectively, they showed, with their extraordinary effort, their commitment to achieving a more benevolent, dignified, and kind world. Did you see a transformation in the volunteers - from when they arrived in the morning to when they crossed the bridge again in the evening? They arrived in the early hours of the morning, clean, energetic, delicately young and disappeared with the light of day, like angels' ghosts covered in mud, their bodies trembling from the physical exertion, their souls consumed by the emotional extenuation. They crossed a long footbridge that linked ground zero with the urban core of Valencia, from chaos to order, from hell to paradise. Related How a wildfire in Palermo led photographer Jim Fenwick to create award-winning images Meet Toby Binder: The German photographer capturing the lives of Belfast's divided youth You mention the 'injustice and ineptitude of politicians.' Do you see this project as an act of protest or documentation against institutional failure? Failure begins with a lack of prevention, because a large part of the disaster and the loss of life could have been avoided; that is a management task that was not carried out by the institutions and politicians. I would have liked to see that preventative action before the altruistic response of the volunteers, which is what I address with this project. My work represents the kindest face of the tragedy. If photography is a form of storytelling, what kind of story do you think Mud Angels tells that words alone couldn't? The Mud Angels focuses on the faces and the individuals who showed solidarity and didn't stay at home but went to offer help to those most in need. It's a story of anonymous heroes who, with their efforts, arrived in the early days when many of those affected felt abandoned. What do you hope viewers take away from The Mud Angels? Is it simply a record of what happened, or is it also a call to action? The Mud Angels speaks of hope and solidarity, of seeing something positive when disaster and destruction invade everything. It's about still believing in humanity and in a more benevolent and kind world where people are still capable of offering help to one another without getting anything in return. I want the viewer to reflect and ask themselves questions when seeing these photographs; for me, that is the action. How have the volunteers responded to their portraits? What were their reactions? Very positively. One of my commitments to them was to give them their portraits for having collaborated on the project. They feel grateful to be a part of it and are aware of the importance of making visible the work they did as volunteers. How did it feel to receive recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards? The previous year I had been a finalist, so I received the news of the award with great enthusiasm because they are recognising my photographic work again, and I am especially thrilled that this project can be shared due to the work and effort that the volunteers put in amidst a natural catastrophe.
Daily Maverick
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Sony Wold Photography Awards winners 2025
The Sony World Photography Awards announced the overall winners of its 18th edition at a special gala ceremony in London, bringing together leading figures in the industry to honour this year's winners and their achievements.
Time Out
24-04-2025
- General
- Time Out
Sony World Photography Awards 2025: The winning photos
News The Sony World Photography Awards winners have been announced – here are all the champions from the professional categories
Mid East Info
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Overall Winners - Middle East Business News and Information
The Overall Winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 were announced tonight at a special gala ceremony in London Zed Nelson receives prestigious Photographer of the Year title Susan Meiselas honoured as the 2025 Outstanding Contribution to Photography 10 Professional category winners additionally announced Exhibition opens at London's Somerset House from 17 April – 5 May (Dubai, United Arab Emirates,17 April 2025) – The Sony World Photography Awards announced today the overall winners of its 18th edition at a special gala ceremony in London, bringing together leading figures in the industry to honour this year's winners and their achievements. The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2025 title was awarded to the acclaimed British photographer Zed Nelson for the series The Anthropocene Illusion. Nelson receives a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present an additional body of work at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition. Nelson was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced at today's ceremony, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. The evening's programme additionally recognised the overall winners of the Awards' Open, Student and Youth competitions. Also honoured during the course of the evening was this year's Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, the acclaimed documentary photographer Susan Meiselas. Over almost two decades, the Awards have become a definitive annual moment for the discovery and celebration of contemporary photography. Each year the Awards celebrate the stories and images that shape our visual language and capture the imagination, offering a global perspective on this ever-evolving medium. The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition is on display at Somerset House, London from 17 April – 5 May, presenting over 300 prints and hundreds of images in digital displays, as well as a special presentation by Susan Meiselas. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The Anthropocene Illusion is a long-term documentary project, spanning six years and four continents, which explores the deeply fractured relationship between humans and the natural world. Taking the concept of the 'Anthropocene', a term for the current period in Earth's history which is characterised by humans being the dominant influence on the environment, Nelson's series focuses on humanity's response to its impact on the planet. The project looks at artificial spaces, created by humans as a means to 'experience' and interact with nature, from safari parks, nature reserves and resorts, to natural history museums, zoos and green cities. Nelson uses these constructions as a lens through which to explore the dissonance between the human desire to stay connected to nature, and the continuous environmental destruction caused by human activity. Commenting on Zed Nelson's winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2025 Professional jury says: ' The jury applauded Nelson's urgent topic and his ability to translate complex environmental issues into striking visual narratives. The Anthropocene Illusion illustrates a world where the boundaries between the real and the artificial blur, where the wild survives in controlled enclosures, and where human nostalgia for nature is expressed through spectacle rather than action. Nelson's work compels viewers to question their own role in this paradox and consider the consequences of a society increasingly distanced from the natural world. This timely body of work tells one of the most important stories of our age, and is now more critical than ever.' PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS The winning series in the 2025 Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges. Each of the winning photographers displays an original approach to narrative and exceptional technical ability. As part of their prize this year, for the first time the Professional category winners were invited to attend Insights, a day of specialised sessions with industry experts in London. Drawn from leading institutional and commercial photography spaces, the expert speakers offered the winners their insights on ways to continue expanding their platforms and growing their reach. All of the category winners additionally receive Sony digital imaging equipment. To learn more about this year's Professional winners and finalists, please visit This year's winners are: ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN WINNER: Ulana Switucha (Canada) for The Tokyo Toilet Project Finalists: 2nd place Andre Tezza (Brazil); 3rd place Owen Davies (United Kingdom) CREATIVE WINNER: Rhiannon Adam (United Kingdom) for Rhi-Entry Finalists: 2nd place Irina Shkoda (Ukraine); 3rd place Julio Etchart & Holly Birtles (United Kingdom) DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS WINNER: Toby Binder (Germany) for Divided Youth of Belfast Finalists: 2nd place Florence Goupil (Peru); 3rd place Alex Bex (France) ENVIRONMENT WINNER: Nicolás Garrido Huguet (Peru) for Alquimia Textil Finalists: 2nd place Maria Portaluppi (Ecuador); 3rd place Cristóbal Olivares (Chile) LANDSCAPE WINNER: Seido Kino (Japan) for The Strata of Time Finalists: 2nd place Lalo de Almeida (Brazil), 3rd place Mischa Lluch (Spain) PERSPECTIVES WINNER: Laura Pannack (United Kingdom) for The Journey Home from School Finalists: 2nd place Giovanni Capriotti (Italy); 3rd place Valentin Valette (France) PORTRAITURE WINNER: Gui Christ (Brazil) for M'kumba Finalists: 2nd place Raúl Belinchón (Spain); 3rd place Tom Franks (United Kingdom) SPORT WINNER: Chantal Pinzi (Italy) for Shred the Patriarchy Finalists: 2nd place Michael Dunn (Bolivia); 3rd place Antonio López Díaz (Spain) STILL LIFE WINNER: Peter Franck (Germany) for Still Waiting Finalists: 2nd place KM Asad (Bangladesh); 3rd place Alessandro Gandolfi (Italy) WILDLIFE & NATURE WINNER: Zed Nelson (United Kingdom) for The Anthropocene Illusion Finalists: 2nd place Pascal Beaudenon (France); 3rd place Kevin Shi (United States) OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The Open competition celebrates the power and dynamism of a single photograph. Winning photographs are selected for their ability to distil a singular moment and evoke a broader narrative. The Open Photographer of the Year 2025 is Olivier Unia (France), who receives a $5000 (USD) cash prize and Sony digital imaging equipment. Olivier Unia was chosen from the 10 Open category winners for his photograph Tbourida La Chute, which captures the danger and excitement of the moment a rider is thrown from their mount during a tbourida , a traditional Moroccan equestrian performance. Commenting on his win, Olivier Unia says: 'I'm very proud to be the Open Photographer of the Year in this major competition. It gives me the confidence to continue to share my work. I entered Tbourida La Chute , one of the photographs from a project I've been working on for the past two years about the Moroccan equestrian art form of tbourida , and I am pleased to see this image recognised.' STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The brief for this year's Student competition was In the Beginning. Students of photography from leading institutions across the world were invited to enter a series documenting the beginning stages of a story. The Student Photographer of the Year 2025 is Micaela Valdivia Medina (Peru), from the Instituto Profesional Arcos in Chile. Micaela Valdivia Medina's project, The Last Day We Saw the Mountains and the Sea, focuses on female prison spaces across Chile, and the dynamics that shape the lives of incarcerated women and their families. Commenting on her win, Micaela Valdivia Medina says: 'To be a winner in the Sony World Photography Awards is very important to me, but also to all the women I worked with for this project. To talk about and photograph prison spaces is never easy, but it is necessary to keep making and sharing these images. As a student, I appreciate this opportunity and recognition. At this time when photography and arts education is in decline, I think it's important that students, teachers and professional photographers unite to protect it.' YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR For the 2025 Youth competition, photographers aged 19 and under were invited to respond to an Open Call and enter their best images from the last year. The Youth Photographer of the Year 2025, chosen from a shortlist of 11 photographers, is Daniel Dian-Ji Wu (Taiwan, 16 years old) for his arresting image of a skateboarder doing a trick, silhouetted against a sunset in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Commenting on his win, Daniel Dian-Ji Wu says: 'It's an incredible honour to be named Youth Photographer of the Year. I feel beyond excited and grateful. Photography has been a huge part of my life for the past seven years, so this means so much to me—not just as recognition, but as a reminder of why I love what I do. It opens doors to new opportunities and connections, which makes the journey ahead even more meaningful. I'm really thankful to the Sony World Photography Awards for selecting me and can't wait to see what's next.' OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2025 is awarded to acclaimed documentary photographer Susan Meiselas. Known for her collaborative approach to portraiture, and for shedding light on lesser-known narratives, Meiselas' work has been instrumental in shaping contemporary documentary practices, and the conversation around participation in photography. More than 60 images by Meiselas, including excerpts from some of her landmark series, are on view at Somerset House as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, showing some of the key themes and narrative trajectories of the past five decades of her practice. PROFESSIONAL COMPETITION CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Category Winner Ulana Switucha, Canada 2nd Place Andre Tezza, Brazil 3rd Place Owen Davies, United Kingdom Shortlist Alejandro Fernández-Llamazares Vidal, Spain Maciej Leszczynski, Poland Márton Mogyorósy, Hungary Miku Yokoyama, Japan Peter Franck, Germany Yu Ting Lei, China Mainland CREATIVE Category Winner Rhiannon Adam, United Kingdom 2nd Place Irina Shkoda, Ukraine 3rd Place Julio Etchart & Holly Birtles, United Kingdom Shortlist Alice Poyzer, United Kingdom Carolina Krieger, Brazil Giorgia Lisi, Italy Mariana Greif, Uruguay Valentina Fusco, Italy Yinna Higuera, Colombia DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS Category Winner Toby Binder, Germany 2nd Place Florence Goupil, Peru 3rd Place Alex Bex, France Shortlist Alessandro Grassani, Italy Alfredo Bosco, Italy Caroline Gutman, United States Da Yang, China Mainland Giovanni de Mojana, Italy Jodi Windvogel, South Africa Noriko Hayashi, Japan ENVIRONMENT Category Winner Nicolás Garrido Huguet, Peru 2nd Place Maria Portaluppi, Ecuador 3rd Place Cristóbal Olivares, Chile Shortlist Daniele Vita, Italy Kasia Strek, Poland Matteo Bastianelli, Italy Per-Anders Pettersson, Sweden Shunta Kimura, Japan Skander Khlif, Tunisia LANDSCAPE Category Winner Seido Kino, Japan 2nd Place Lalo de Almeida, Brazil 3rd Place Mischa Lluch, Spain Shortlist Dudu Roth, Israel Francisco Gonzalez Camacho, Spain Gunnar Knechtel, Germany Javi Parejo, Spain Kazuaki Koseki, Japan Lorenzo Poli, Italy Masood Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran PERSPECTIVES Category Winner Laura Pannack, United Kingdom 2nd Place Giovanni Capriotti, Italy 3rd Place Valentin Valette, France Shortlist Bárbara Monteiro, Portugal Carlos Folgoso Sueiro, Spain Jed Bacason, Philippines Lea Greub, Germany Lina Czerny, Germany Lorraine Turci, France Mauricio Holc, Argentina PORTRAITURE Category winner Gui Christ, Brazil 2nd Place Raúl Belinchón, Spain 3rd Place Tom Franks, United Kingdom Shortlist Alena Grom, Ukraine Cletus Nelson Nwadike, Sweden Constance Jaeggi O'Connor, Switzerland Ivan Ryaskov, Kazakhstan Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy Niccolò Rastrelli, Italy Stas Ginzburg, United States WILDLIFE & NATURE Photographer of the Year Zed Nelson, United Kingdom 2nd Place Pascal Beaudenon, France 3rd Place Kevin Shi, United States Shortlist Amit Eshel, Israel Brent Stirton, South Africa Efrain Sueldo, United States James Wylie, United Kingdom Marielle van Uitert, Netherlands Melina Schildberg, Germany Thomas Nicolon, France SPORT Category Winner Chantal Pinzi, Italy 2nd Place Michael Dunn, Bolivia 3rd Place Antonio López Díaz, Spain Shortlist Matthew Joseph, United Kingdom Mihaela Ivanova, Bulgaria Robin Tutenges, France Svenja Wiese, Germany Tanara Stuermer, Brazil STILL LIFE Category Winner Peter Franck, Germany 2nd Place K M Asad, Bangladesh 3rd Place Alessandro Gandolfi, Italy Shortlist Amanda Harman, United Kingdom Elaine Duigenan, United Kingdom Li Sun, China Mainland Miriam Bräutigam, Germany Oded Wagenstein, Israel Rui Caria, Portugal Shinya Masuda, Japan OPEN COMPETITION CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST ARCHITECTURE Winner Xuecheng Liu, China Mainland Shortlist Alessio D'Addato, Italy Andrew Newman, United Kingdom David Eliud Gil Samaniego Maldonado, Mexico Hans Wichmann, Germany Jason Smith, Australia Max van Son, Netherlands Michael Echteld, Netherlands Michael Echteld, Netherlands Pati John, Netherlands Radek Pohnán, Czechia Robert Fülöp, Romania Thibault Drutel, France Ute-Christa Scherhag, Germany CREATIVE Winner Jonell Francisco, Philippines Shortlist Ana Leal, Brazil Ana Peiró Muñoz, United Kingdom Enda Burke, Ireland Hardijanto Budyman, Indonesia Ian Knaggs, United Kingdom Marina Tsaregorodtseva, United Kingdom Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Nigeria Rachel Nixon, Canada Vida Khani, Islamic Republic Of Iran Yijing Yang, China Mainland LANDSCAPE Winner Ng Guang Ze, Singapore Shortlist Dan Liao, China Mainland Francisco Negroni, Chile KunPeng Zhu, China Mainland Marcin Zajac, Poland Martin Stranka, Czechia Patrick Ems, Switzerland Timo Zilz, Germany Victor De Valles Ibañez, Spain Vilhelm Gunnarsson, Iceland Witold Ziomek, Poland Xiaoying Shi, China Mainland Yoshiaki Kudo, Japan Zhu Yang, China Mainland LIFESTYLE Winner Hajime Hirano, Japan Shortlist Barry Mayes, United Kingdom Emma Rogers, New Zealand Enamur Reza, Bangladesh Kathryn Mussallem, Canada Kevin Molano, Colombia Lucero Mora Ardila, Mexico Maira Ray, Brazil Scott Seager, United States Syed Mahabubul Kader, Bangladesh Wan Yong Chong, Malaysia Yaping Du, China Mainland Yevhen Kostiuk, Ukraine Zhang Xun, China Mainland MOTION Open Photographer of the Year Olivier Unia, France Shortlist Ahmed Abdallah, Egypt Alex Halloway, United States Antonio Flores García, Mexico Cristopher Rogel Blanquet Chavez, Mexico Eduardo Schneider, United States Hao Guo, China Mainland Joe Wakefield, United Kingdom Leo Huang, Taiwan Nick Alston, United Kingdom Sergey Geller, United States Swee Choo Oh, Malaysia Tim Jenka, Switzerland Tuan Nguyen Tan, Vietnam Wan Yong Chong, Malaysia NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE Winner Estebane Rezkallah, France Shortlist Anirban Dutta, India Christopher Baker, United States Daniel Hannabuss, United Kingdom Gianni Maitan, Italy Hasan Bağlar, Cyprus Hira Punjabi, India Ilena Fasci, Italy Jake Virus, United States Klára Zamouřilová, Czechia Martin Steenhaut, Belgium Mohammad Anisur Rahman, Bangladesh Pedro Jarque Krebs, Peru Peter Delaney, Ireland Tara Keane, Ireland OBJECT Winner Sussi Charlotte Alminde, Denmark Shortlist Angelo Brancaccio, Italy Carol Santiago, Mexico Edyta Kopcio, Poland Fabi Bick, Germany Ieva Gailė, Lithuania Muhammad Amdad Hossain, Bangladesh Natalia Hresko, Ukraine Oliver Lahrem, Germany Petia Angelova, Bulgaria Rajeev Gaikwad, India Rakibul Alam Khan, Bangladesh Ralf Hanisch, Germany Robert Bolton, United Kingdom Yuting Li, China Mainland PORTRAITURE Winner Yeintze Boutamba, Gabon Shortlist Adolphe Maillot, France Elena Subach, Ukraine Emmanuel Lucky, Nigeria Ivana Dostálová, Czechia Mark Harrison, United Kingdom Mark Harrison, United Kingdom Matthieu Quatravaux, France Panagiotis Rontos, Greece Piotr Skubisz, Poland Robbie Murrie, United Kingdom Svetlana Jovanovic, Netherlands STREET PHOTOGRAPHY Winner Khairizal Maris, Indonesia Shortlist Angela Magalhães, Portugal Francisco Mira Vicent, Spain Gavin Bragdon, United States Kathryn Mussallem, Canada Manex Sungahid, Philippines Nina Papiorek, Germany Osvaldo Torres Reyes, Mexico Pranto Chakraborty, Bangladesh Samuel Terry, United Kingdom Sean Lim Choon Hean, Malaysia Seyed Ali Hosseini Far, Islamic Republic Of Iran Sohel Ahmed, Bangladesh Stefano Ruggiero, Italy Yusof Salimi Namin, Islamic Republic Of Iran TRAVEL Winner Matjaž Šimic, Slovenia Shortlist Akram Menari, Algeria Arun Saha, India Britt Knierim, Netherlands Chim Oanh, Vietnam Karolina Jurkiewicz, Poland Khai Chuin Sim, Malaysia Kunal Gupta, India Liu Song, China Mainland Mike Hellebrand, United Kingdom Nicola Ducati, Italy Ryo Yamamoto, Japan Shubhodeep Roy, India Spyridon Gennatas, Greece STUDENT & YOUTH COMPETITION WINNERS AND SHORTLISTS STUDENT COMPETITION YOUTH COMPETITION Student Photographer of the Year Micaela Valdivia Medina, Peru Instituto Profesional Arcos, Chile Shortlist Albert Słowiński, Poland Academy of Art in Szczecin, Poland Honorata Kornacka, Poland The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Poland Ilana Grollman, United States Emerson College, United States Joel Potter, New Zealand Aut University, New Zealand Louna Pauly, France Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière, France Montenez Lowery, United States Georgia State University, Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design, United States Peter Stougård Maunsbach, Denmark DMJX Danish School of Media and Journalism, Denmark Thapelo Mahlangu, South Africa Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, South Africa Xingyu Fan, China Mainland Nanjing University of the Arts, China Mainland Youth Photographer of the Year Daniel Dian-Ji Wu, Taiwan Shortlist Ankit Ghosh, India Chidima Ugwuedeh, New Zealand Claire Gonzalez, United States Joshua Hasanoff, Australia Landon Chong Chung Yi, Malaysia Matteo Botta, Switzerland Oliver Marks, United States Shayna Cuenca, United States Tinnapat Netcharussaeng, Thailand Zachariah Levens, United Kingdom NOTES TO EDITORS For press enquiries, please contact Polly Brock / Vanda Ivančić on media@ A selection of images is available to download on ### Sony World Photography Awards Produced by Creo under its photography strand World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in its 18th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world's most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; the acclaimed photographer Susan Meiselas is the 2025 recipient of this award, joining a distinguished list of iconic names including William Eggleston (2013), Mary Ellen Mark (2014), Martin Parr (2017), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022) and Sebastião Salgado (2024). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. 2024 Judges Professional Competition: Monica Allende, Independent Curator and Photography Consultant, Chair of the Jury; Yves Chatap, Independent Curator, Publisher, and Art Critic, Cameroon & France; Aldeide Delgado, Founder and Director, Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA), United States; Vicky Ismach, Curatorial Coordinator, Montevideo Center of Photography (CdF), Uruguay; Manuel Sigrist, Head of Exhibitions and Programmes, Photo Elysée, Switzerland; Isabella Tam, Curator of Visual Art, M+, Hong Kong Open & Youth competitions: Claudia Grimaldi Marks, Senior Manager, New Creator Strategy, Getty Images, United States Student competition: Charlotte Jansen, Author, Journalist and Critic, UK ZED NELSON Photographer of the Year Zed Nelson is acclaimed for long-term projects that explore contemporary society, driven by a critical focus on the intersection of modern capitalism and human psychology. He has published three monographs, Gun Nation , Love Me , and A Portrait of Hackney. OLIVIER UNIA Open Photographer of the Year Olivier Unia is a Morocco-based French photographer. He has been photographing for several years, and is the recipient of various awards, as well as having collaborated with publications. MICAELA VALDIVIA MEDINA Student Photographer of the Year Micaela Valdivia Medina is a student of Professional Photography at Instituto Profesional Arcos in Chile. Her work in photography is in constant movement through social contexts, forms of creation and collectivity. She develops themes of gender, culture, violence and territory through her work. DANIEL DIAN-JI WU Youth Photographer of the Year Daniel Dian-Ji Wu is a 16-year-old photographer and filmmaker from Taiwan, consistently seeking opportunities to express his creativity through the lens. He has created campaign videos, promotional content, and captured events. His work has been exhibited at Taipei National University of the Arts. SUSAN MEISELAS Outstanding Contribution to Photography Susan Meiselas is a documentary photographer based in New York. She is the author of Carnival Strippers (1976), Nicaragua (1981), Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History (1997), Pandora's Box (2001), Encounters with the Dani (2003), Prince Street Girls (2016), A Room of Their Own (2017), Tar Beach (2020) and Carnival Strippers Revisited (2022). Meiselas is well known for her documentation of human rights issues in Latin America. Her photographs are included in North American and international collections. In 1992 she was made a MacArthur Fellow and received a Guggenheim Fellowship (2015). Most recently, she received the first Women in Motion Award from Kering and the Rencontres d'Arles (2019), the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize (2019), and the Erich Salomon Award of the German Society for Photography (2022). Mediations , a survey exhibition of her work from the 1970s to present was initiated by the Jeu de Paume in Paris and travelled to Fundació Antoni Tàpies, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Instituto Moreira Salles in São Paulo, among others. Meiselas has been the President of the Magnum Foundation since 2007, with a mission to expand diversity and creativity in documentary photography. World Photography Organisation World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work. The Sony World Photography Awards is World Photography Organisation's principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world's biggest and most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide. World Photography Organisation is the photography strand of Creo, which initiates events and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art. Follow World Photography Organisation on Social Media Instagram: @worldphotoorg X: @WorldPhotoOrg LinkedIn/Facebook: World Photography Organisation Creo Creo initiates and organises events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS and Photo London. Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, Creo helps deliver the group's ventures, comprising some of the world's leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for 'I create', it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Book The hardback exhibition book will be available to purchase at the exhibition shop in Somerset House and is available to pre-order on (£24.99). This collectible hardcover book celebrates remarkable photographs from the past year and delves into the compelling stories, both big and small, that inspired them. Enjoy award-winning images of all styles, genres and topics and immerse yourself in the unique perspectives of photographers from around the world as you look through its pages. Alongside the acclaimed images, readers will also be able to enjoy an essay dedicated to this year's Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient Susan Meiselas. Sony Group Corporation Sony Group Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. From Game & Network Services to Music, Pictures, Electronics Products & Solutions, Imaging & Sensing Solutions and Financial Services – Sony's purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology. For more information, visit: About Sony Corporation Sony Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is responsible for the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) business. With the mission to 'create the future of entertainment through the power of technology together with creators,' we aim to continue to deliver Kando* to people around the world. For more information, visit: *Kando is a Japanese word that roughly translates to the sense of awe and emotion you feel when experiencing something beautiful and amazing for the first time. About Sony Middle East and Africa Sony Middle East and Africa FZE is a 100% subsidiary of Sony Corporation and is the regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa regions. The company is engaged in the business of Sony Consumer Electronics, Mobile Electronics (Car Audio), broadcasting and professional products and Computer Entertainment (PlayStation) products in more than 40 countries in the region. Apart from stock operations in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Establishment in Dubai, Sony Middle East and Africa leads execution of various logistics, sales, marketing, advertising and customer services activities through its business partners. 353 accredited third-party service centres reinforce Sony's presence in key markets in the region. 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