Celebrating women behind the lens this International Women's Day
It's International Women's Day, and although we celebrate women in photography every day here at the World Photography Organisation, today we shine an extra bright spotlight to bring their talent to the fore.
The Alpha Female Award, focused on supporting women photographers, was created by the World Photography Organisation and Sony US through their Alpha Universe’s Alpha Female programme.
The winner receives Sony Digital Imaging equipment and will be on show at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition in London’s Somerset House.
Winner
Fiona Stappmanns (Germany)
Congratulations to German photographer Fiona Stappmanns, winner of this year’s Alpha Female Award. Fiona’s practice is rooted in a passion for outdoor sports, vast landscapes and wildlife. Her work sits at the intersection of conservation and nature - capturing moments of both beauty and fragility to inspire people to protect the world around them.
In this compelling black-and-white photograph, Stappmanns captures the moment a black rhino diverts from the herd during migration and crosses the Sand River in Kenya’s Maasai Mara alone, the wide angle exposing the vastness of the landscape around the animal.
SHORTLIST
Lara Campostrini (Italy)
Lara Campostrini, a photographer from Italy, documents herself in a surreal, black-and-white portrait that evokes an eerie quality.
SHORTLIST
Marie-Line Dentler (France)
Inside an Icelandic ice cave, French photographer Marie-Line Dentler reveals the enormous scale and rugged beauty of a world held in frozen stillness.
SHORTLIST
Candela Gonzalez (Spain)
Spanish photographer Candela Gonzalez turns her lens on a Portuguese cavalry officer in a classic portrait showcasing the intricacies of their full ceremonial uniform.
SHORTLIST
Maria Gutu (Moldova, Republic Of)
Moldovan photographer Maria Gutu captures a quiet, contemplative portrait of Dmitrii, a young film student and musician in Dendrarium Park in Chișinǎu.
SHORTLIST
Sunny Quintero (Mexico)
Sunny Quintero from Mexico documents the vibrant energy of dancers at a ‘Dance for Peace’ event held on the streets of Tepito, with the aim of reclaiming public spaces and building community.
SHORTLIST
Andreea Selagea (Romania)
Rising before dawn, Romanian photographer Andreea Selagea freezes the burnt orange and yellow tones of a sunrise igniting the Torres del Paine peaks in Chile's Patagonia region.
SHORTLIST
Tania Shcheglova (Ukraine)
Ukrainian photographer Tania Shcheglova sticks to her visual manifesto of optimism and kindness through a soft portrait of a four-day-old lamb, a butterfly perched delicately on its face.
SHORTLIST
Simone Steuxner (Austria)
Simone Steuxner, an Austrian photographer based in Sweden, documents a scene straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale, revealing icy layers and frosty trees set against a dark, misty landscape.
SHORTLIST
Catherine Wang (United States)
© Catherine Wang, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
American photographer Catherine Wang depicts Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture, Bridge, which consists of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, USA.
Over 300 images from the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, including the Alpha Female Award winner, will go on display at Somerset House, London from 17 April - 4 May.
