Sony World Photography Awards 2026 have just launched
The 19th edition is now open
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, a leading competition that unlocks doors to new opportunities and elevates the careers of photographers worldwide.
Now in their 19th year, the Awards continue to be completely free-to-enter and open to all photographers shooting on any devices and at all stages of their careers. Top prizes include $25,000, inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards London and global exhibitions, a solo display the following year, top Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusion in the book, worldwide recognition through press and media coverage - plus more!
Whether you’re an amateur or an established photographer, there’s a competition that celebrates your unique vision and perspective.
Professional competition
The Professional competition rewards the best photography series worldwide, championing the storytellers of our time. Enter five to 10 images into up to 10 categories (one series per category) for free for a chance to win $25,000, a solo show, Sony Digital Imaging equipment plus more!
Professional competition winners will also benefit from the second edition of Insights, a career-development day during which expert speakers from a range of commercial and institutional backgrounds share their specialised guidance aimed at finding new opportunities to platform your work. Last year’s talks included Understanding Photography: Private Collecting and Collectors with Brandei Estes and Photobook Publishing: An Inside Look at the Process with Andrew Sanigar of Thames & Hudson amongst others.
Last year’s recipient of the prestigious Photographer of the Year title was British photographer Zed Nelson, awarded for his series The Anthropocene Illusion. Nelson will showcase a solo presentation of his work at Somerset House, London as part of next year’s Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition.
Could you become the next Photographer of the Year? Enter up to 10 projects for free (one per category) today!
Open competition
The Open competition rewards striking standalone shots that tell a story in a single image. There are 10 categories you can enter, so no matter what you shoot — from wonderful wildlife to comedic street scenes, perfectly balanced architecture to energy-packed motion shots - your photographs have the chance to be celebrated worldwide!
Entry is free and you could win $5,000, top Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards London and global exhibitions, global recognition through press and media coverage - plus more!
Olivier Unia (France) won last year’s Open Photographer of the Year for his image of a horse-riding competition in Morocco, an action-packed shot that was captured at just the right moment.
© Olivier Unia, France, Winner, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Become the next Open Photographer of the Year, enter your best single photographs for free now!
Student competition
The Student competition celebrates series created by photography students worldwide.
The up-and-coming photographers have the chance to take the next, big step in their careers and win Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusion in the London exhibition and in the annual book - plus more!
New 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, we invite students 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 - we invite you to consider the innate need for sociality in all living beings.
Your images can be taken on any device, shot in any style, and approached from any angle you feel is best. While creative responses are encouraged, photographers must stick to the brief.
In the previous edition, Micaela Valdivia Medina won Student Photographer of the Year 2025 for her series The Last Day We Saw The Mountains and the Sea, which documents the complexity of female prisons.
The Last Day We Saw The Mountains and The Sea
This project explores the complexity of female prison spaces and the people who inhabit them, from the inmates to their families. The series consists of photographs of the architecture of the prisons, the neighbourhoods they are in, and the dynamics at the visitor and family member entrances. This project was carried out at the women's penitentiary centres of San Miguel, San Joaquín and Valparaíso, between the months of March and July 2024.
A female inmate’s mobile phone, which was kept by her mother.
Support between the spikes at San Miguel Women's Penitentiary Centre in Santiago.
A view of Valparaíso Women’s Penitentiary Centre on Camino La Pólvora, Valparaíso.
Self-portrait outside San Joaquín Women's Penitentiary Centre in Santiago. The painting was made by feminist groups and later damaged by unknown people.
One of the internal patios at Valparaíso Women's Penitentiary Centre.
Photographs of the various parcels brought in by the relatives of female inmates. The photographs were taken at the entrance to the penitentiary centres using a white cardboard background and natural light.
Become the next Student Photographer of the Year and kickstart your photography career - enter for free now!
Youth competition
The Youth competition rewards the best single images captured by aspiring photographers worldwide who are 19 years-old and under. Enter up to three of your favourite photographs taken in 2025 for free to win Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusion in the London exhibition and in the annual book, worldwide promotion through our channels plus more!
All photographic styles, genres and approaches are welcome – enter your top standout images you think will catch the judge’s eye and imagination.
Last year’s Youth Photographer of the Year was awarded to Daniel Dian-Ji Wu (16 years-old, Taiwan) for his sun-soaked photograph of a skater in California.
Want to become the next Youth Photographer of the Year? If you’re 19 years-old and under we want to see what you’ve been shooting. Enter for free now!
Dates for your diary
To learn all about the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, reveal deadlines and the details of all the competitions and available programmes, click here.
