The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most celebrated and diverse photography competitions in the world. Now in its 12th year, it aims to showcase the best contemporary photography worldwide.
The Awards are free to enter and open to all levels of photographer, from emerging 12-19-year-olds, enthusiastic hobbyists, and students, to established professionals. There is a competition and a category for everyone, from Architecture, Documentary, Landscape, Portraiture, Sports, Street Photography, Wildlife, Travel, Culture, and more.
The four main competitions are:
• Professional - 10 categories judged upon a body of work (5-10 images)
• Open - best single images across 10 categories
• Youth - young photographers aged 12-19 responding to a brief with a single image
• Student - for anyone undertaking a full-time photography course
The awards offer an unparalleled opportunity for exposure for photographers at all stages of their career and are known worldwide by industry leaders. The images are judged by the World Photography Organisation and a specially selected jury from the World Photographic Academy which is made up of the photographic industry's most esteemed individuals.
There is no entry fee.
Eligibility
Open to professional, amateur, youth and student photographers from across the world.
Prize
The Awards have brought untold reward and recognition to those involved and each year offers a 30,000 USD in cash prizes plus the latest Sony digital imaging equipment.
Moreover, from the winners of the 2019 Professional categories, Sony will award multiple grants of 7,000 USD to selected photographers to pursue photographic projects of their choice. In addition, shortlisted photographers from the Student competition will each be given 3,500 USD to work together on a new photographic commission set by Sony and the World Photography Organisation.
All category winners plus many of the shortlisted Awards photographers will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London and then toured internationally. The images will also be published in the annual Awards winners’ book and all shortlisted and winning photographers are given global exposure via dedicated marketing and press campaigns.
