(Asia Pacific, 15 March 2022) – The World Photography Organisation is pleased to announce the category winners and shortlist in the Open competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2022, recognising the best single shots from 2021.

Over 170,000 images were entered to this year’s Open competition, with over 100 photographers shortlisted in addition to the ten category winners. Each winner receives digital imaging equipment from Sony and will go on to compete for the prestigious Open Photographer of the Year title and a $5,000 (USD) prize.

The overall winner of the Open competition will be announced on the 12 April. Selected work by winners and shortlisted entries will be exhibited as part of the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House from 13 April – 2 May 2022.

The ten category winners are:

ARCHITECTURE
Anthony Chan (Hong Kong) for Old Meets New, a black and white photograph depicting the chaotic façade of a weathered industrial complex, juxtaposed with the stylish front entrance of a skyscraper. The image highlights a clash between the past and the present in Hong Kong by contrasting the co-existence of old and new developments.

CREATIVE
Isabel Salmon (United Kingdom) for Untitled, in which the photographer documents her mother’s experiences with chronic vertigo and dizziness. In this portrait Salmon explores the senses; shooting her Mother with her eyes closed in a stark red light, head titled as if trying to find balance.

LANDSCAPE
Vicente Ansola (Spain) for Exodus, an evocative image of a field of wilted sunflowers dried out by the beating sun in Castilla León. The photographer’s imagination was caught by the proud stature of the flowers, recalling for him the rural past of Spain, and the women who worked the arid fields of Castilla.

LIFESTYLE
Utsab Ahamed Akash (Bangladesh) for The Honey Collector, capturing a honey collector from below as they inspect a tray of honeycomb. A typical countryside scene in Bangladesh, honey collectors place bees’ nests near mustard fields and collect the honey in winter.

MOTION
Raido Nurk (Estonia) for Surfing festival, a shot of a stormy day of surfing in the Hague, the Netherlands. The stark silhouettes of surfers stand out against the grey waves and driving rain.

NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE
Scott Wilson (United Kingdom) for Anger Management, a dramatic black and white photograph of a wild mustang stallion, bowing its head as it kicks up a dust storm in northwest Colorado, United States.

OBJECT
Leonardo Reyes-González (Mexico) for Segundo Uso (Second Use) II, a still-life of discarded objects. Assembled together against a blue wall, a balanced broken hat stand, and a three-legged chair take on a new elegance.

PORTRAITURE
Simone Corallini (Italy) for The Endless Summer – Surf Trip, a black and white portrait of 16-year-old surfer Simone Gentile. Corallini captures Simone fresh from the sea, with beads of water running down his cheeks.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Etienne Souchon (France) for Havana Running Away, a photograph showing a split-second moment as a child runs across a street in Havana, Cuba, turning to look behind him at a car blocking the road. The black and white format, crumbling building facades and vintage car give the image the appearance of a classic street scene.

TRAVEL
Nguyen Phuc Thanh, Vietnam (Vietnam) for Bike with Flowers, an image depicting a traditional flower street seller cycling in Hanoi, Vietnam. The bike has been shot just as it passes a wall bursting with flower decorations, giving the appearance that they are spilling from the rider’s baskets.

This year’s Open competition was judged by Hideko Kataoka, Director of Photography at Newsweek Japan.

Commenting on the judging Hideko Kataoka says: ‘‘I enjoyed judging this wide variety of categories from Object to Street Photography. Creativity and originality were very important in choosing a winning image and it was terrific to see the excitement and joy of the photographers when they captured the moment. The photographs in this competition each make a coherent visual statement about a situation or particular circumstance in an elegant visual way. As can be seen in many images in the shortlist this year, black and white photography holds a special place in the hearts of many photographers. The simplicity of black and white has the power to distil the content of an image and direct the viewer’s attention to the subject.’’

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2022 will be announced on the 12 April 2022 and will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London from 13 April – 2 May 2022. For more information about winners and shortlists please visit www.worldphoto.org.

OPEN COMPETITION 2022 CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST

PRESS CONTACTS
For further information, please contact:
Inbal Mizrahi on press@worldphoto.org / +44 (0) 7393 023508

NOTES TO EDITORS
Images are available for download at: http://www.worldphoto.org/press

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About Sony World Photography Awards
Produced by the 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 13th 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 Awards; previous recipients include Martin Parr, William Eggleston and Nadav Kander.

About World Photography Organisation
The World Photography Organisation is a global platform for photography initiatives.  Working across up to 180 countries, our aim is to raise the level of conversation around photography by celebrating the best imagery and photographers on the planet. We pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with both individual photographers as well as our industry-leading partners around the world. The World Photography Organisation hosts a year-round portfolio of events including the Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s leading photography competitions, and PHOTOFAIRS, leading international art fairs dedicated to photography. For more details see worldphoto.org. Follow the World Photography Organisation on Instagram (@worldphotoorg), Twitter (@WorldPhotoOrg) and LinkedIn/Facebook (World Photography Organisation). Our hashtags to follow are #sonyworldphotographyawards #swpa.

About Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Based in Singapore, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It serves as the regional management and marketing headquarters for Sony’s consumer as well as broadcasting and professional products, overseeing Asia, Middle East and Africa regions. For more information on Sony’s products and services in Asia Pacific, please visit www.sony-asia.com

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is responsible for the Electronics Products & Solutions (EP&S) business in the Sony Group. With the vision of “continuing to deliver Kando and Anshin to people and society across the world through the pursuit of technology and new challenges,” Sony will create products and services in areas such as home entertainment & sound, imaging, and mobile communications. For more information, visit: www.sony.net

IMAGE CREDITS

LEFT TO RIGHT BY ROW:

© Gerhard Hucke, Germany, Shortlist, Open competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Shabnam Maleki Islamic Republic of Iran, Shortlist, Open competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Sawamaru Pokiru, Japan, Shortlist, Open competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Cigdem Ayyildiz, Turkey, Shortlist, Open competition, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

© Seyed Ali Hoseinifar, Islamic Republic of Iran, Shortlist, Open competition, Street Photography, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Manuel Schmidt, Germany, Shortlist, Open competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Hanna Lisava, Germany, Shortlist, Open competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Christine Abel, United States, Shortlist, Open competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Olga Urbanek, Poland, Shortlist, Open competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Jacek Orzeł, Poland, Shortlist, Open competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Hong Nguyen, Vietnam, Shortlist, Open competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Sujon Adikary, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

© Nguyen Phuc Thanh, Vietnam, Winner, Open competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

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