Sony World Photography Awards 2026: Professional Finalists
March 4, 2026The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 has revealed 30 finalists and over 65 shortlisted photographers in the Professional competition. This year, over 430,000 images from more than 200 countries were submitted, showcasing bold storytelling and technical mastery across photography genres.
The 10 category winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 16 April, where the Photographer of the Year will receive $25,000 USD, Sony Digital Imaging gear, and a solo exhibition at next year’s London showcase. Winners and finalists will also attend Insights, a mentorship day with industry experts. Selected works will be on display at Somerset House, London, from 17 April – 5 May 2026, before traveling to other locations.
Jury Chair Monica Allende says:
“The finalists demonstrate remarkable commitment to photography as a storytelling medium, capturing human resilience, quiet heroism, and intimate everyday moments.”
Selected Finalists by Category
Architecture & Design
- Everyday Structures – André Tezza (Brazil)
- Homes of Haor – Joy Saha (Bangladesh)
- Chen Liang (China Mainland) – Watchtowers in Guangdong
Creative
- The Black Album – Pablo Ramos (Mexico)
- The Palm, On Piru – Ben Brooks (UK)
- Bilha, Stories of My Sisters – Citlali Fabian (Mexico)
Documentary Projects
- Under the Shadow of Coca – Santiago Mesa (Colombia)
- Sixteen and a Half: Eight Months in a Juvenile Prison – Alexandre Bagdassarian (France)
- Restitution – Colin Delfosse (Belgium)
Environment
- Beneath | Beofhód – Shane Hynan (Ireland)
- Jinê Land: Where Women Keep the Earth Alive – Matteo Trevisan (Italy)
- Notes on How to Build a Forest – Isadora Romero (Ecuador)
Landscape
- Dafna Talmor (UK) – Constructed Landscapes
- Andreas Secci (Germany) – Aerial views of oyster farms
- Michael Blann (UK) – European mountain roads
Perspectives
- Living Photographs – Hayate Kurisu (Japan)
- Country Music in Kenya – Fredrik Lerneryd (Sweden)
- Sunny Side Up – Seungho Kim (Korea, Republic Of)
Portraiture
- Federico Borella (Italy) – Koryo-saram community
- Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Italy) – St. Peter’s Square crowds
- Marisa Reichert (Germany) – Older Muslim trans people in Indonesia
Sport
- Todd Antony (New Zealand) – Buzkashi in Tajikistan
- Rob Van Thienen (Belgium) – Sighthound training
- Morgan Otagburuagu (Nigeria) – Amateur boxing in Lagos
Still Life
- Daniele Vita (Italy) – Pistachio nuts of Sicily
- Gargi Sharma (India) – Experiments in Stillness
- Vilma Taubo (Norway) – Everyday objects as protest symbols
Wildlife & Nature
- Wolfgang Duerr (Germany) – WILD, motion-triggered wildlife
- Anita Pouchard Serra (Argentina) – Capybaras in Buenos Aires
- Will Burrard-Lucas (UK) – Maasai Mara wildlife monitoring
Professional Jury Members
- Monica Allende (Chair), Independent Curator
- Daniel Brena, Mexico
- Yumi Goto, Japan
- Zack Hatfield, USA
- Paul Ninson, Ghana
- Bindi Vora, UK
The overall winners across Student, Youth, Open, and Professional competitions will be revealed on 16 April 2026. For more details, visit worldphoto.org.
