Now considered the leading competition for photographers and artists working in photography, the Sony World Photography Awards was, at launch, not seen as more than a marketing decision, one that would help Sony gain presence in the photography market, as the company had acquired, in 2005, the Konica Minolta SLR business. In the end, photographers took to the Sony World Photography Awards and made it what it is today: a reference in terms of the annual photography competitions for both professionals and amateurs.
Created by the World Photography Organisation, the Sony World Photography Awards are held annually. Made up of four competitions (Professional, Open, Student and Youth), all entries are free and the top prize is $25,000. The Awards is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions by elevating photographers’ careers – from established to emerging – since it started 16 years ago.
Sony supports the Awards to help with the continued development of photographic culture by offering a global platform to the talent of today. Entry to the Awards is, as said before, completely free and photographers are judged anonymously by a panel of industry-leading judges.
The organizers have just announced the judging panel for the Sony World Photography Awards 2023, alongside new prizes and exhibition elements. These include the launch of a $5,000 prize in support of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals and a new solo presentation for the Photographer of the Year.
The 2023 exhibition returns to Somerset House, London from 14 April – 1 May 2023. The 2022 exhibition continues to travel internationally, including the Awards’ first-ever presentations at the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, California (8 October 2022 – 19 March 2023) and at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK (10 November – 11 December 2022).
The brand new Sustainability Prize announced has a goal: to recognise the stories, people and organisations whose actions highlight one of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals. These can include depictions of climate change, a spotlight on ecological technologies and innovations or a celebration of individuals and groups working to make a difference.
The Sustainability Prize rewards the winning photographer with a $5,000 cash prize and a presentation of their project as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London. All photographers entering the Professional competition are eligible to win the prize.
Also new this year is a new element for the Photographer of the Year Award. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and book, the winner will also be rewarded with a solo presentation of their work as part of the Sony World Photography Awards London exhibition the following year. This opportunity allows photographers to further develop their winning project or exhibit a brand new work, gaining them additional exposure and advancing their careers. The first of these presentations will be dedicated to the work of Photographer of the Year 2022 Adam Ferguson (Australia) and will take place at the exhibition in Somerset House in April 2023.
The Sony World Photography Awards 2023 also introduces a new format to the Youth competition, opening it to anyone under the age of 19 and inviting entrants to submit up to three images related to the theme Your Everyday. Judges will select a shortlist of 10 photographers who will go on to compete for the title of Youth Photographer of the Year.
In 2023 the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition opens at Somerset House, London from 14 April – 1 May 2023. Following the London exhibition and a subsequent presentation in Tokyo, the Sony World Photography Awards 2022 exhibition continues to travel to a variety of international venues, as previous editions.
Full competition and category descriptions about the Sony World Photography Awards can be found at worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards.
Deadlines across the Awards’ four competitions are:
- Professional: 13 January 2023, 13:00 GMT
- Open: 6 January 2023, 13:00 GMT
- Student: 30 November 2022, 13:00 GMT
- Youth: 6 January 2023, 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. All winning and shortlisted photographers’ works will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London and will then be toured internationally. The winning images will also be published in the annual Awards book. Overall winners will be announced on 13 April 2023.