The Sony World Photography Awards have announced the 30 finalists and over 65 shortlisted photographers in the 2026 Professional competition.
Across this year’s Sony World Photography Awards competitions, including Professional, Open, Student, and Youth categories, photographers from more than 200 countries and territories entered over 430,000 images.
In the Professional competition, photographers compete across 10 categories, with each photographer entering a series of five to 10 images per category. First-, second-, and third-place winners are selected for each category, along with up to seven shortlisted photographers per category.
Of the 10 category winners, one will be named the “Photographer of the Year,” a prestigious honor for one of the world’s biggest photography competitions. The Photographer of the Year will also get a solo exhibition as part of the Sony World Photography Awards show next year in London. This year’s show in April will feature a solo exhibit from last year’s Photographer of the Year, Zed Nelson.
“The finalist and shortlisted work in the Professional competition for the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 demonstrates a remarkable growth in the craft and commitment to photography as a powerful storytelling medium. Across the many series we judged, I was deeply struck by the celebration of the human experience, and of love, kindness, and quiet resilience woven into complex and often challenging realities. Many of the most powerful images focused on intimate moments and small acts of heroism, revealing the enduring strength and spirit found in everyday life,” says Monica Allende, Chair of the Jury.
The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open, and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 will be announced on April 16, 2026.
