Image description
In this image the photographer describes how the black plastic covering most of the woman’s face is a sign of ‘dark thoughts and the imposition of beliefs’, while the red balloon falling to the ground could be ‘her lost hope’. The background evokes Iranian urban society, which has been the setting for the recent demonstrations involving Iranian women, noting that 'the red clothes and lips are the bloody price that women have paid.’
Shortlist
Sai Ma
The Pulse Within
The Pulse Within is a story about Shirley Elle and her connection to Vogue dance. It is part of a series where the photographer created a virtual world for voguers to showcase the beauty of the body, regardless of the time and space in which they live. Here, the dancer and her virtual avatar unite, imagining an endless performance, spanning universes.
© Sai Ma, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Chukwudebelu Ojekwe
The Beauty of Edo
An homage to the grandeur of the Kingdom of Benin, where power, heritage and divinity intertwine. Red symbolises the sacred essence of royalty and the bloodline of warriors, while green represents the fertility of the land and the endurance of its people, and gold echoes the kingdom’s artistic and spiritual wealth.
© Chukwudebelu Ojekwe, Nigeria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Claudia Behrensen
Sacred Bond
This image was taken in Villa Epecuén, a small coastal village in Argentina that was under water for almost 30 years after a nearby dam collapsed in a storm. The photographer set the scene with a large-scale print of a photograph of a forest, contrasted with the dead trees on the beach, reflecting on the bond between humanity and nature.
© Claudia Behrensen, Argentina, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Jay Tang
Unseen
Unseen is a black-and-white series of faceless portraits and abstract close-ups of the female body, exploring its delicacy through light and shadow. The photographer and model were exploring a variety of poses and compositions, and the model moved her arm in front of her face, inspiring this photograph.
© Jay Tang, Netherlands, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Maja Schubert
Untitled
This double exposure image was created near Yellowstone National Park, USA. The photographer aimed to create a contrast between something rough and sharp, and something fluid, moving and calm, so the first exposure was of a lake and the second was of the mountain range.
© Maja Schubert, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Shabnam Maleki
Flying Carpet
A Persian carpet of a thousand patterns set against white snow. The warmth of the carpet’s traditional patterns creates a striking contrast with the silence and cold of nature.
© Shabnam Maleki, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Chen Zijun
The Demand for Viewing
The main part of this image is a partial photograph of an ancient tree, and a new visual landscape is constructed in digital post-production. The photographer explains ‘a telescope is a useful item to give people a better view of the scenery.’
© Chen Zijun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Anne-Marie Etienne
Ana Tree
This photograph was taken in the Hoanib Valley in northwestern Namibia. During dry periods, desert elephants seek out the Ana trees for their pods. The elephants do not break the trees, though, but instead trim them using their trunks; they are the gardeners of this gorgeous, harsh environment.
© Anne-Marie Etienne, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Cameron Wilcox
Moving Electric
Some of the first ice forming on Lake Superior in North America. Like a chilly cauldron, the ice is thrown together to create an abstract image that the photographer notes ‘looks like electricity.’ This photograph was taken during a snow storm, and the streaks of the snowflakes add to the chaos.
© Cameron Wilcox, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Ben Mozafari
Prodromal
Prodromal is a medical term describing the subtle signs that appear before a condition fully reveals itself. The photographer describes how ‘the image gently points to the importance of paying attention to the early, quiet symptoms of depression in our loved ones and in ourselves, before they deepen into silence or become trapped in their window of thought’.
© Ben Mozafari, Canada, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Toshio Ishido
Created in Illusion, Destroyed in Ephemerality
‘Mugen Hoyo (Dreams, Phantoms, Bubbles, and Shadows) is a Buddhist term for impermanence.’ To create this image, the photographer applied dental chemicals to a Tokyo nightscape photograph, dissolving the ink to visualise decay. In this way, tools of creation were used to manifest destruction, highlighting the ambiguity of human endeavour and civilisation’s duality.
© Toshio Ishido, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Abdulla AL-Mushaifri
Toxic Art
Following rainfall near an industrial zone, a discarded plastic bottle floats within a swirling, iridescent oil slick. The photographer explains the vibrant, psychedelic patterns created by the chemical runoff mimic a beautiful abstract painting, ‘serving as a haunting visual metaphor for the environmental poison hidden beneath a colourful surface.’
© Abdulla AL-Mushaifri, Oman, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Ali Zolghadri
The Space In Between
This photograph was captured in a modern architectural space in Tehran. The final image is composed of three photographs, all taken on location, and later merged.
© Ali Zolghadri, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Marie-Line Dentler
Quiet Pulse
Details of an ice cave in Iceland.
© Marie-Line Dentler, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards