• The Sony World Photography Awards announces the 10 category winners and shortlists of the 2026 Open competition, recognising the best single images of 2025
• Open Photographer of the Year to be announced on 16 April at a prestigious gala ceremony in London
• 2026 exhibition opens at Somerset House, London from 17 April – 4 May 2026

(ASIA PACIFIC, 19 February 2026) – The Sony World Photography Awards announce today the 10 category winners and the shortlisted photographers in the 2026 Open competition. Now in its 19th year, the Open competition recognises the best single images taken in the last year, celebrating the power of an individual image to pique curiosity, spark imagination, and reveal a wider narrative. Entrants shared their strongest images from 2025, and the winners and shortlists represent a diverse range of photographs; from striking landscapes to thoughtful portraits, and both captivating and humorous scenes from nature.

Across this year’s competitions, over 430,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted.

The Open Photographer of the Year will be announced at the Awards’ ceremony in London on 16 April and will receive a $5,000 (USD) cash prize as well as a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment. A selection of winning and shortlisted images will be shown as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House from 17 April – 4 May 2026, and will then travel to other locations.

This year’s Open category winners are:

ARCHITECTURE
Markus Naarttijärvi (Sweden) for his image of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, surrounded by layers of shadows, concrete and clouds, on a dark November night.

CREATIVE
Siavosh Ejlali (Iran, Islamic Republic Of) for Lost Hope, a carefully composed portrait, using staged and symbolic elements in a poignant ode to Iranian women.

LANDSCAPE
J Fritz Rumpf (United States) for Shapes and Patterns of the Desert, a study of the geometric composition and the rich, warm colours of the Sossusvlei dunes in Namibia.

LIFESTYLE
Vanta Coda III (United States) for the portrait Charlotte and Dolly, depicting a young woman and her cow, resting together in a barn to keep cool in summer heat in West Virginia, United States.

MOTION
Franklin Littlefield (United States) for his motion blur shot of a punk concert in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, capturing the dynamism of the moment.

NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE
Klaus Hellmich (Germany) for a photograph of a blue arctic fox in the Varager Peninsula, Norway. The fox is caught in a blizzard and stands alone braving the wind and snow.

OBJECT
Robby Ogilvie (United Kingdom) for Colour Divides, depicting the juxtaposition of a blue car against bright green and pink buildings of the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood in Cape Town, South Africa.

PORTRAITURE
Elle Leontiev (Australia) for The Barefoot Volcanologist, a striking portrait of Phillip, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcano scientist, standing atop a volcanic rock bomb on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Giulia Pissagroia (Italy) for Between the Lines, a candid, comedic black-and-white photograph of a family at Ørnevegen (Eagle Road), Norway, showing their humorous facial expressions as they admire the view.

TRAVEL
Megumi Murakami (Japan) for a glowing photograph capturing the lively Abare Festival, where men leap into the river as torches blaze, a traditional celebration passed down for over three centuries in the Noto region of Japan.

This year’s Open competition was judged by Ruby Rees-Sheridan, Assistant Curator, Photography, National Portrait Gallery, UK.

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 will be announced on 16 April 2026. For more information about upcoming announcements and winners please visit worldphoto.org.

OPEN COMPETITION CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST

NOTES TO EDITORS

For press inquiries, please contact:
Polly Brock, Vanda Ivančić – media@creoarts.com

A selection of press images is available to download on press.creoarts.com.

SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Produced by Creo under its photography strand the World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards are 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; the acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz is the 2026 recipient of this award, joining a distinguished list of iconic names including 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 the 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 (AMA), 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

SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Sony Group Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. From Game & Network Services to Music, Pictures, Electronics Products & Solutions, Imaging & Sensing Solutions and Financial Services – Sony’s purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology. For more information, visit: sony.com/en

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: 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.

About Sony Electronics (Singapore)
Sony Electronics (Singapore) is responsible for the marketing and sales of Sony products in Singapore. It also handles export business for Sony products from Singapore to various parts of Asia. Since establishing our presence in Singapore in 1973, we have grown steadily over the years to become a leader in the electronics market. For more information on Sony’s products and services in Singapore, please visit http://www.sony.com.sg/

For media enquiries, please contact: