The Sony World Photographic Awards are the leading photography competition for photographers and artists. Since its inception 17 years ago, the Awards has been regarded as one of the world’s most renowned photography competitions, advancing photographers’ careers from established to emerging. The tournament consists of four competitions (Professional, Open, Student, and Youth), and all submissions are free. The top prize is $25,000.

The Sony World Photography Awards aim to create a forum for the ongoing growth of the photographic culture. The Awards accomplish this by recognizing outstanding accomplishments in photography in the past through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize and discovering and promoting future talents worldwide. Sony is committed to photographic culture by continuing to work with individual award winners after the Awards to help them advance their careers.

Key Details

Organized by: World Photography Organization
Funding Organization: Sony Company
Deadlines:

• Student Competition Deadline: 30 November 2023 (13:00 GMT)
• Youth Competition Deadline: 5 January 2024 (13:00 GMT)
• Open Competition, including National andRegional Awards and Alpha Female Award) Deadline: 5 January 2024 (13:00 GMT)
• Professional Competition, including Latin America Professional Award and Sustainability Prize Deadline: 12 January 2024 (13:00 GMT)

Sony World Photography Awards Categories

The Sony World Photography Awards, in general, has four categories listed as follows:

1. Professional – for different works
2. Open – for a single image
3. Youth – for 12 to 19 years old
4. Student – for academic institutions

Focus Areas for Each Category

Following are the focus areas for each category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024:

Professional Categories:

• Architecture and Design
• Creative
• Documentary Projects
• Environment
• Landscape
• Nature and Wildlife
• Portraiture
• Portfolio
• Still Life
• Sport

Open Categories:

• Architecture
• Creative
• Motion
• Landscape
• Lifestyle
• Nature and Wildlife
• Object
• Portraiture
• Street Photography
• Travel

Youth Categories:

Submit What You See Through Your Eyes: What does your day-to-day look like? Who is around you? What do you see: hectic streets or peaceful landscapes? Whatever the genre, style, or subject matter, they want to celebrate your unique perspective on the world. Enter up to 3 pictures for free right now!

Student Categories:

Home, as the focal point: Photographers in this category can submit five to 10 images of a story where the theme ‘Home’ is the focal point. Entrants can submit images capturing a place they hold close, documenting quotidian life, and what home symbolizes to a group or community.

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Prize and Benefits of the Sony World Photography Awards Categories

Professional:

Winners of the Professional Category will benefit as follows as overall winner, category winner, second place, third place, and shortlisted candidates:

• Win $25,000 (USD)
• Receive Sony digital photography equipment
• Flights costs and accommodation to the awards ceremony in Lond
• Certificate
• Trophy
• Global press exposure
• Copy of the book
• Inclusion in book
• Inclusion in exhibition*
• Promoted on website
• Promoted to an online community
• Solo display at London exhibition the following year

Open:

Winners of the Open Category will benefit as follows as overall winner, category winner, and shortlisted candidates:

• Win $5,000 (USD)
• Receive Sony digital photography equipment
• Flights costs and accommodation to the awards ceremony in London
• Certificate
• Trophy
• Global press exposure
• Copy of the book
• Inclusion in book
• Inclusion in exhibition
• Promoted on WPO’s website
• Promoted to WPO’s online community

 Youth:

Winners of the Youth Category will benefit as follows as the overall winner, and shortlisted candidates up to 9:

• Receive Sony digital photography equipment
• Flights costs and accommodation to the awards ceremony in London
• Portfolio review
• Certificate
• Trophy
• Global press exposure
• Copy of the book
• Inclusion in book
• Inclusion in exhibition
• Promoted on our website
• Promoted to our online community

Student:

Winners of the Student Category will benefit as follows as the overall winner, overall university winners, and shortlisted candidates:

• Receive Sony digital phogography equipment
• Flight costs and accommodation to the awards ceremony in London
• Certificate
• Trophy
• Global press exposure
• Copy of the book
• Inclusion in book
• Inclusion in exhibition
• Promoted on WPO’s website
• Promoted to WPO’s online community

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should meet the following criteria for a specific category:

Professional:

• Open to anyone who can submit 5 to 10 images per category
• All Photographers entering a body of work are eligible for the Professional Competition.
• All entrants must be at least 18 years old.

Open:

• Open to anyone
• Once you enter this category, you cannot participate in Professional and Youth ones.
• The Competition is free to enter.

Youth:

• Application is open to entrants under 19 years old
• You can submit three images about the theme you want to participate in.
• The Competition is free to enter.

Student:

• Students in this category should be from registered official universities
• The Competition is open to all photography students from World Photography Organisation’s selected Universities.
• Anyone who is currently a student in a full-time photography program
• Be 18 to 30 years old
• You can submit 5 to 10 images in response to the brief mentioned

Note: Please read the details of each category on specific pages linked for each type.

How to Apply for Sony World Photography Award?

The registration procedure is entirely online. Entrants who wish to apply for the Sony World Photography Award 2024 must consider the following points:  

• Images must be taken between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023.
• Entries must be relevant to the focus areas described.
• Images should be no less than 1MB and no more than 5MB in size.
• All submissions should be JPEG files.
• The sRGB color model must be used to save all photographs.

NOTE: Please go to the main website and read all the rules and regulations of the specific category you are applying.

Register Now

 

Please visit the website of the Sony World Photography Awards for more information about Sony World Photography Awards 2024.

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