• Judging panel for the 18th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards announced;
  • 2025 Professional Jury to be led by Chair Monica Allende for the second year;
  • 2025 Exhibition returns to Somerset House, London from 17 April – 5 May 2025;
  • 2024 Travelling Exhibition on view in Italy, Canada, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and Germany.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Sony World Photography Awards announces today the judging panel and London exhibition dates for the 2025 edition. Now in its 18th year, the Sony World Photography Awards honours the photography shaping our visual language. Among the most prestigious photography programmes in the world and with an unparalleled reach, over the years the Awards has helped elevate the conversation around photography and provide photographers with career-defining opportunities.

The Sony World Photography Awards are organised by Creo under its photography strand: the World Photography Organisation. Supported by Sony, the Awards contribute to the development of photographic culture by offering a global platform to the talent of today. Entry to the Awards is completely free and photographers are judged anonymously by a panel of industry-leading judges.

2025 JUDGES

This new edition follows an exceptional 2024 Awards which saw the highest number of entries on record for the Professional competition. Monica Allende returns for the second year as the Chair of the Jury for the Professional Competition and curator of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition at Somerset House, London.

Allende is joined by a panel of leading industry figures bringing a breadth of knowledge and diversity of photography expertise.

Professional competition:

  • Monica Allende, Independent Curator and Photography Consultant, Chair of the Jury
  • Yves Chatap, Independent Curator, Publisher, and Art Critic, Cameroon & France
  • Aldeide Delgado, Founder and Director, Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA), United States
  • Vicky Ismach, Curatorial Coordinator, Montevideo Centre of Photography (CdF), Uruguay
  • Manuel Sigrist, Head of Exhibitions and Programmes, Photo Elysée, Switzerland
  • Isabella Tam, Curator of Visual Art, M+, Hong Kong

Open & Youth competitions: Claudia Grimaldi Marks, Senior Manager, New Creator Strategy, Getty Images, United States

Student competition: Charlotte Jansen, Author, Journalist and Critic, UK

2025 LONDON EXHIBITION AND 2024 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION TOUR DATES

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition returns to Somerset House, London from 17 April to 7 May 2025.

Following the London exhibition and subsequent presentations through the Spring and Summer in Lenzburg, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition continues its tour to the following international destinations:

  • Milan, Italy, 6 June - 29 September 2024
  • Busan, Republic of Korea, 22 August - 22 September 2024
  • Montreal, Canada, 29 August - 15 October 2024
  • Hastings, New Zealand, 14 - 22 September 2024
  • Berlin, Germany, 11 October 2024 - 19 January 2025

To find out more about our exhibitions, please visit worldphoto.org/exhibition.

NEW IN 2025

New Professional competition category: Perspectives

In 2025, the Awards introduces an engaging new category in the Professional competition; entrants will have the opportunity to submit a body of work to the Perspectives category, which welcomes series that tell a story through a variety of formats and genres – from using a documentary or creative approach to mixing portraiture, landscapes and still life.

2025 PRIZES AND DEADLINES

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 opened on 1 June 2024. Full competition and category descriptions can be found at worldphoto.org/swpa.

Deadlines for submission across the Awards’ four competitions are:

  • Professional: 10 January 2025, 13:00 GMT
  • Open: 3 January 2025, 13:00 GMT
  • Student: 29 November 2024, 13:00 GMT
  • Youth: 3 January 2025, 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 and $5,000 (USD) to the Open Photographer of the Year. 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 London exhibition the following year. Work from the winning and shortlisted photographers will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London and will then be toured internationally. The winning images are additionally published in the annual Awards’ book.

PRESS CONTACTS
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Polly Brock / Vanda Ivančić
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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 18th 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), Gerhard Steidl (2020), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Rinko Kawauchi (2023) and Sebastião Salgado (2024). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. worldphoto.org/exhibition

About 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

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About 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 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.

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Sony  Middle East and Africa FZE
Ria Tharakan
Email: ria.tharakan@sony.com

BPG Group
Sai Talwalkar
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