2026 COMPETITION LAUNCH

(Dubai, UAE, 2 JUNE 2025) – The 19th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards is open for submissions and free for all to enter on worldphoto.org.  

The Sony World Photography Awards is a definitive platform for the celebration and discovery of contemporary photography. Since its first edition in 2007, the Awards has recognised the seminal images and stories that shape our visual language and is one of the most prestigious photographic awards programmes in the world, providing global exposure and new opportunities for photographers. Organised by Creo, the Awards form the core part of Creo’s photography programming strand, the World Photography Organisation. Sony supports the Awards to help the continued development of photographic culture by giving a global platform to today’s talent.  

Photographers worldwide are invited to submit to the Awards’ four competitions:  

• Professional, celebrating outstanding series of work between five to 10 images across 10 categories; 

• Open, rewarding the best single images of the year across 10 categories; 

• Youth, championing images by emerging talent aged 19 and under; 

• and Student, highlighting the projects of photography students across the globe.

Additional initiatives include the National & Regional Awards, the Latin America Professional Award, the Japan National Award, and the Alpha Female Award, as well as the  Sustainability Prize. 

Entry to the Awards is free and photographers are judged anonymously by a panel of industry leading judges. 

INSIGHTS 

Introduced for the 2025 Professional competition and returning for a second year, Insights is an additional prize element that sees the 10 category winners joining a day of tailored sessions in London with leading industry figures. From a range of commercial and institutional backgrounds, these experts offer the photographers specialised guidance on ways to continue to widen their platform and to find new opportunities to showcase their work; from insights into private collectors of photography, to sessions on photobook publishing, and behind the scenes access to the acquisition process of public collections.  

STUDENT COMPETITION BRIEF: TOGETHER 

For this year’s Student competition, photographers are asked to respond to the 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, students are invited 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 – the brief invites students of photography to consider the innate need for sociality in all living beings.  

Images can be taken on any device, shot in any style, and approached from any angle. While creative responses are encouraged, photographers must stick to the brief. 

2026 PRIZES AND DEADLINES 

The Sony World Photography Awards is open to submissions from 1 June 2025. Full competition and category descriptions can be found at worldphoto.org. 

Deadlines for submission across the Awards’ four competitions are: 

Professional: 13 January 2026, 13:00 GMT 

Open: 6 January 2026, 13:00 GMT 

Student: 28 November 2025, 13:00 GMT 

Youth: 6 January 2026, 13:00 GMT 

All category winners of the Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions will receive digital imaging equipment from Sony. In addition, cash prizes of $25,000 (USD) will be presented to the Photographer of the Year, $5,000 (USD) to the Open Photographer of the Year and $5,000 (USD) to the winner of the Sustainability Prize. The winner of the Photographer of the Year title will also be rewarded with a solo presentation of their work as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London the following year. All winning and shortlisted photographers’ works will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London and will then be toured internationally. The winning images will also be published in the annual Awards’ book.  

### 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

For press inquiries, please contact: 

Polly Brock / Hugo Ximenes 

media@creoarts.com 

SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 

Produced by Creo under its photography strand World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in its 19th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world’s most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; previous recipients include William Eggleston (2013), Mary Ellen Mark (2014), Martin Parr (2017), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Sebastião Salgado (2024) and Susan Meiselas (2025). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. worldphoto.org/exhibition  

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION  

World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work. The Sony World Photography Awards is World Photography Organisation’s principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide. World Photography Organisation is the photography strand of Creo, which initiates events and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art. worldphoto.org 

FOLLOW WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Instagram: @worldphotoorg 

LinkedIn: World Photography Organisation 

Facebook: World Photography Organisation 

CREO 

Creo initiates and organises events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS and Photo London. Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, Creo helps deliver the group’s ventures, comprising some of the world’s leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for ‘I create’, it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. creoarts.com  

About Sony Middle East and Africa  

Sony Middle East and Africa FZE is a 100% subsidiary of Sony Corporation and is the regional headquarters for the Middle East and Africa regions. The company is engaged in the business of Sony Consumer Electronics, Mobile Electronics (Car Audio), broadcasting and professional products and Computer Entertainment (PlayStation) products in more than 40 countries in the region. 

About Sony Corporation 

Sony Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is responsible for the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) business. With the mission to “create the future of entertainment through the power of technology together with creators,” we aim to continue to deliver Kando* to people around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.sony.net/ 

*Kando is a Japanese word that roughly translates to the sense of awe and emotion you feel when experiencing something beautiful and amazing for the first time. 

For media enquiries, please contact: