09 June, 2016

2017 Sony World Photography Awards Now Open for Entries


  • World's largest photography competition celebrates its 10th anniversary
  • New categories in Professional, Open, and Youth competitions

“We are committed to challenging photographers to push their creative boundaries in the years to come.” – Scott Gray, CEO, World Photography Organisation


(Dubai, UAE, 7 June 2016) – The Sony World Photography Awards, the world's largest photography competition, opens for entries today. Created by the World Photography Organisation, 2017 marks the awards’ 10th anniversary.

The Sony World Photography Awards annually recognises the world’s best photography. Open to all photographers, the awards are an authoritative voice in the photographic industry that has the power to shape the careers of its winning and shortlisted photographers. Each year the competition attracts both emerging talent and established artists, and presents the world’s best photography from the last 12 months to a global audience.

"Winning the Portrait category was life-changing. Professionally, winning the award helped kick-start my career."Sophie Gamand, Winner, Professional Portrait category 2015

"Winning brought more attention to my work and I started receiving more collaboration proposals and job opportunities.”Kylli Sparre, Winner, Open Enhanced category 2014
"The award changed my life and beyond the great visibility obtained allowed me to create solid relations of friendships and professional collaborations that I otherwise would not have been able to obtain.”Andrea Roseate, 3rd Place, Professional Candid category 2016

Photographers are welcome to enter their work for free into any of the awards’ four competitions: Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus via www.worldphoto.org. The newly re-launched website gives a greater visual platform to the awards’ photographers and makes the entry process simpler than before.

The 2017 edition also sees new categories introduced across the all competitions aimed at challenging photographers to push their creative boundaries. Please see notes to editors for competition definitions and categories or click here.

The Sony World Photography Awards offer a wide range of benefits for its winning photographers, including:
  • The latest Sony digital imaging equipment
  • Inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London
  • Inclusion in the annual Sony World Photography Awards winners book
  • USD$25,000 for the winner of the Photographer of the Year title
  • USD$5,000 for the winner of the Open competition
  • Worldwide media exposure and increased recognition

Scott Gray, CEO of World Photography Organisation, comments: "We are extremely proud to reach our 10th anniversary. Since launching in 2007 the Sony World Photography Awards has grown consistently in both size and credibility. Across the years the awards have discovered and celebrated a huge variety of photography. I am honored that emerging photographers across the world have been able to use the awards to launch their careers, and established photographers can use us to extend their networks. We are committed to challenging photographers to push their creative boundaries in the years to come."

The 2017 Sony World Photography Awards shortlist will be announced on 28 February 2017, Open and National Awards winners will be revealed on 28 March 2017, and the overall winners will be announced on 20 April 2017. This includes an exhibition at Somerset House, London, running from 21 April to 7 May 2017.

Winning and shortlisted images from the 2016 awards are available to download at press.worldphoto.org.  

For all press enquiries please contact:
Press Department, World Photography Organisation
+ 44 (0) 20 7886 3043 / press@worldphoto.org

Notes to Editors
2017 COMPETITION CATEGORIES – see full category descriptions here
  • Professional – Judged on a body of work
  • Art categories: Architecture, Conceptual, Landscape, Natural World, Portraiture, Still Life
  • Documentary categories: Current Affairs & News, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Sport
  • Open – Judged on a single shot
    • Categories: Architecture, Culture, Enhanced, Motion, Nature, Wildlife, Portraits, Still Life, Street Photography, Travel
  • Youth – For photographers aged 12 to 19, judged on a single image responding to the brief of 'Beauty'
  • Student Focus – For photography students, judged on a single image responding to a brief

KEY DATES

  • 5 December 2016 – Student Focus competition closes
  • 5 January 2017 – Open and Youth competitions close
  • 10 January 2017 – Professional competition closes
  • 28 February 2017 – Shortlist for Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus competitions revealed
  • 28 March 2017 – Open, Youth and National Award winners revealed
  • 20 April 2017 – Photographer of the Year plus Professional category winners and Open, Youth and Student competition winners revealed at ceremony held in London
  • 21 April to 7 May 2017 – Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London
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