A collage with three images: a rhinoceros by a forest stream, a close-up of a greyhound running through sand, and a woman in a hijab standing indoors with soft light on her face.

The Sony World Photography Awards have announced the 30 finalists and over 65 shortlisted photographers in the 2026 Professional competition.

Across this year’s Sony World Photography Awards competitions, including Professional, Open, Student, and Youth categories, photographers from more than 200 countries and territories entered over 430,000 images.

In the Professional competition, photographers compete across 10 categories, with each photographer entering a series of five to 10 images per category. First-, second-, and third-place winners are selected for each category, along with up to seven shortlisted photographers per category.

Of the 10 category winners, one will be named the “Photographer of the Year,” a prestigious honor for one of the world’s biggest photography competitions. The Photographer of the Year will also get a solo exhibition as part of the Sony World Photography Awards show next year in London. This year’s show in April will feature a solo exhibit from last year’s Photographer of the Year, Zed Nelson.

“The finalist and shortlisted work in the Professional competition for the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 demonstrates a remarkable growth in the craft and commitment to photography as a powerful storytelling medium. Across the many series we judged, I was deeply struck by the celebration of the human experience, and of love, kindness, and quiet resilience woven into complex and often challenging realities. Many of the most powerful images focused on intimate moments and small acts of heroism, revealing the enduring strength and spirit found in everyday life,” says Monica Allende, Chair of the Jury.

A selection of 25 of the finalists’ photos are featured below, and the complete gallery of all category finalists and shortlisted photographers are available on the Sony World Photography Awards website.

A small neighborhood shop called "Loja e Mercado Marielen" is lit warmly at night, with its open entrance revealing colorful products inside. The surrounding area is dimly lit, casting shadows on the building's exterior.© Andre Tezza (Brazil), Finalist, Architecture and Design | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Aerial view of agricultural fields with parallel rows on sandy terrain, intersected by winding blue lines that look like streams, with two small vehicles working in the fields.© Andreas Secci (Germany), Finalist, Landscape | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A white car with several people inside is parked by the side of the road, while a capybara grazes on the grass in the foreground. Trees and bushes line the background.© Anita Pouchard Serra (Argentina), Finalist, Wildlife and Nature | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A bearded man in a red jacket and white shirt stands outdoors, holding his hand up to his face making a circle with his fingers. He wears a large pendant necklace. The background features pink foliage.© Ben Brooks (United Kingdom), Finalist, Creative | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A tall, multi-story building with arched windows and decorative details stands near a pond, surrounded by greenery and vegetable plots, with a person walking along the water's edge on a sunny day.© Chen Liang (China), Finalist, Architecture and Design | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A woman stands outside wearing a long skirt and blouse, surrounded by large hand-drawn leaves and two sketched female figures. Light blue dots accent the ground, blending illustration with the black-and-white photo.© Citlali Fabian (Mexico), Finalist, Creative | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A person covered in black paint wears and carries multiple African tribal masks and artifacts, standing against a weathered gray wall on a concrete surface.© Colin Delfosse (Belgium), Finalist, Documentary Projects | Sony World Photography Awards 2026
A collage of rocky coastal landscapes with jagged edges, overlapping sections, and outlined shapes revealing sparkling blue water and rugged stone formations under sunlight.© Dafna Talmor (United Kingdom), Finalist, Landscape | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Five young women pose confidently in a spacious room with blue floors, wood pillars, and a tiled ceiling. Some are kneeling, others standing, all facing the camera. A black speaker sits on the floor to the right.© Federico Borella (Italy), Finalist, Portraiture | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A woman wearing a black cowboy hat with gold fringe covering her eyes, a plaid shirt, layered gold necklaces, and a black lace bustier stands outdoors with trees in the background.© Frerik Lerneryd (Sweden), Finalist, Perspectives | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A still life composition featuring a rose, a custard apple, wood circles, a glass cup, dried leaves, a fig, and other round objects, arranged on a red surface with a green gradient background.© Gargi Sharma (India), Finalist, Still Life | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A person lies in a hospital bed, resting their head on a pillow, covered with a blanket, with a hospital wristband on their arm. They appear to be recovering, with medical equipment visible nearby.© Hayate Kurisu (Japan), Finalist, Perspectives | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A group of people wearing brightly colored clothes rest amid dense, misty jungle foliage, surrounded by tall trees and purple flowers, with fog creating a mysterious, tranquil atmosphere.© Isadora Romero (Ecuador), Finalist, Environment | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A woman with a serious expression, wearing a dark hooded shawl, clasps a rosary in her hands and stands behind a white cloth against a backdrop of a cloudy sky.© Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni (Italy), Finalist, Portraiture | Sony World Photography Awards 2026
Aerial view of a small, rectangular island with metal-roofed buildings and trees, completely surrounded by muddy floodwaters.© Joy Saha (Bangladesh), Finalist, Architecture and Design | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A woman in a beige dress and hijab stands in a lush garden, surrounded by potted plants and greenery, with a green building and trees in the background.© Marisa Reichert (Germany), Finalist, Portraiture | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A woman wearing a light-colored hijab and an earthy brown dress stands in soft light against a dim, plain wall with faint, blurred drawings in the background. She gazes slightly downward with a thoughtful expression.© Matteo Trevisan (Italy), Finalist, Environment | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A winding road curves up a rocky cliff toward a lighthouse at the edge, surrounded by the sea; the landscape is dramatic and rugged, with sparse vegetation and waves visible below.© Michael Blann (United Kingdom), Finalist, Landscape | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A young person in boxing gloves and athletic wear stands confidently in an outdoor boxing area, with punching bags and other people visible in the background. The image is in black and white.© Morgan Otagburuagu (Nigeria), Finalist, Sport | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A vintage black-and-white photo of a woman standing in a hallway is partially covered by a bright red circle, with the woman's silhouette cut out and placed over the circle, creating a layered collage effect.© Pablo Ramos (Mexico), Finalist, Creative | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A brindle greyhound dog running at full speed, kicking up a cloud of sand behind it, with ears perked up and focused eyes; blurry green background.© Rob Van Thienen (Belgium), Finalist, Sport | Sony World Photography Awards 2026
Close-up of a person in camouflage uniform holding a rifle. Their hands, which are tattooed with butterfly designs, rest on their lap. Part of the gun magazine and a watch on the left wrist are visible.© Santiago Mesa (Colombia), Finalist, Documentary | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A young child and a fluffy dog curiously look at a sunny-side up egg cooking in a cast iron skillet on a yellow table.© Seungho Kim (Korea), Finalist, Perspectives | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A person rides a rearing horse on a barren field with distant mountains and leafless trees under a dramatic cloudy sky. The image is in black and white.© Todd Antony (New Zealand), Finalist, Sport | Sony World Photography Awards 2026 A rhinoceros stands by a small stream surrounded by dense tropical vegetation at night, illuminated by a focused light amidst the darkness.© Will Burrard-Lucas (United Kingdom), Finalist, Wildlife and Nature | Sony World Photography Awards 2026

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open, and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 will be announced on April 16, 2026.


Image credits: Sony World Photography Awards. Individual photographers are credited in the captions.