Image description
The Magusto festival in the city of Braga is celebrated not only by eating chestnuts and drinking ‘água-pé’ (a traditional Portuguese spirit), but also by jumping the bonfire where the chestnuts are roasted, dancing and singing.
Shortlist
Maira Ray
Before the Show Starts
This portrait, taken shortly before a fashion show in Paris, France, captures a model in a serene moment of solitude. Standing in a dark, wood-panelled room, his vintage trench coat and refined neck scarf exude timeless elegance.
© Maira Ray, Brazil, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Ana Leal
Fold of Time #3
Dobra do Tempo #3 is part of a series entitled Chão de Histórias (Ground of Stories), in which the photographer explores the relationship between territory and family history. The series combines landscape photographs from the Floresta and Vale do Catimbau regions of north eastern Brazil with landscapes from the family archive, as well as Renaissance lace – a local tradition introduced to Brazil in the 19th century by French nuns and later passed on to indigenous women. The collages establish a continuity of forms between these three ‘materials’, weaving together the past and present.
© Ana Leal, Brazil,Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Hanna Kantor
La Femme Fever
An electrifying concert by the French band La Femme, who were performing in Warsaw, Poland. The atmosphere at the event was truly mesmerising, as psychedelic rock and an infectious energy swept through the crowd. This unforgettable moment was captured when one of the musicians spontaneously leapt into the audience.
© Hanna Kantor, Poland, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Beatrice Wong
Majestic Charge
A herder guides livestock down rugged hills, kicking up clouds of dust as they journey towards summer pastures. This photograph was taken in the Altay Mountains of northern Xinjiang, China.
© Beatrice Wong, Hong Kong, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Ute-Christa Scherhag
Park Bridge, Antwerpen
The park bridge connects Antwerp's (Belgium) two chic districts, Eilandje and Park Spoor Noord. When you cycle or walk across the bridge, the constantly changing play of light and shadow is impressive.
© Ute-Christa Scherhag, Germany, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Carol Santiago
The Egg: A Fragile Light in a Chaotic World
What does a person do with nothing? When the photographer lost sight of who she was, her search for purpose in a world saturated with conflict became a symbol of resilience and a message of peace. The egg reminded her of what is most precious: that, in our fragility, we can find strength and meaning. We can be our own light and hope.
© Carol Santiago, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Rachel Nixon
Fading Beauty
This dying tulip was much more interesting to the photographer than a pristine flower in full bloom, thanks to the colours that it had accrued, the twists, turns and textures of the petals, and its multi-directional asymmetry.
© Rachel Nixon, Canada, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Petia Angelova
Game Over
The photographer found this abandoned arcade game in the Peloponnese region of Greece.
© Petia Angelova, Bulgaria, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Tara Keane
We’ll Find a Way
This pygmy elephant comforts her calf, which was unable to climb the steep riverbank to join the herd after they had crossed the Kinabatangan River in Borneo. A second elephant offers support from behind the baby. The herd returned to the river and continued downstream for an hour until they found a place where the calf could exit safely.
© Tara Keane, Ireland, Shortlist, Alpha Female Award, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards