In a celebration of photography, the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 announced its winners during a gala ceremony held at London’s Somerset House on the evening of 18 April. This year marked the 17th annual awards, underlining the event’s longstanding commitment to the photographic community by spotlighting exceptional talent and diverse narratives from around the globe.
The gala, hosted by the World Photography Organisation, revealed Juliette Pavy as the Photographer of the Year. Pavy was recognized for her impactful series “Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women,” a poignant exploration of historical injustices faced by Greenlandic Inuit women. Her award includes a $25,000 prize, cutting-edge Sony digital imaging equipment, and an exhibition slot at next year’s awards.
The winners of the Professional, Open, Student, and Youth competitions were also announced. Each demonstrates unique perspectives and creativity. The Professional category winners spanned various themes—from architecture and design to environmental issues—each presenting a series reflecting technical skills and narrative depth.
The ceremony also honoured Sebastião Salgado with the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award. Salgado’s prolific career spanning over five decades has left an indelible mark on the field with his evocative black-and-white imagery that captures the human condition and global issues.
The Open Photographer of the Year was awarded to Liam Man for his dramatic capture of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye, titled “Moonrise Sprites over Storr.” This image, notable for its composition and atmospheric conditions, earned Man a $5,000 prize and further global recognition.
The Student and Youth competitions highlighted the next generation of photographers. Kayin Luys from LUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas Brussels won the Student Photographer of the Year with his intimate portrayal of domestic life in “Don’t Trust Pretty Girls.” At the same time, 15-year-old Daniel Murray from the UK was named Youth Photographer of the Year for his serene depiction of an English seaside.
Furthermore, Kathleen Orlinsky was awarded the Sustainability Prize, part of the “Creators for the Planet” initiative, for her series on the Gila Wilderness, underscoring the importance of environmental conservation.
These awards celebrate artistic achievement and encourage a broader dialogue on important global issues through the powerful medium of photography. The exhibition featuring winners and shortlisted entries will be open at Somerset House until 6 May 2024, offering a profound insight into the current state of global photography.
URL: Sony World Photography Awards
Professional Competition Finalists and Shortlists by Category
Documentary Projects
- Winner: Juliette Pavy, France
- Finalists:
- 2nd Place: Brent Stirton, South Africa
- 3rd Place: Davide Monteleone, Italy
- Shortlist:
- Raphael Alves, Brazil
- Ernesto Benavides, Peru
- Natalia Garbu, Moldova
- Eddo Hartmann, Netherlands
- Jens Juul, Denmark
- Frankie Mills, United Kingdom
- Renaud Philippe, Canada
Architecture & Design
- Winner: Siobhán Doran, Ireland
- Finalists:
- 2nd Place: Karol Pałka, Poland
- 3rd Place: Yaser Mohamad Khani, Islamic Republic of Iran
- Shortlist:
- Francesco Amorosino, Italy
- Maciej Czarnecki, Poland
- Joseph Horton, United Kingdom
- Marc Koegel, Canada
- Julia Mustonen-Dahlkvist, Finland
- Nick Ng, Malaysia
- Albrecht Voss, Germany
Environment
- Winner: Mahé Elipe, France
- Finalists:
- 2nd Place: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy
- 3rd Place: Maurizio Di Pietro, Italy
- Shortlist:
- Javier Arcenillas, Spain
- Aletheia Casey, Australia
- Sachin Ghai, India
- Jonas Kakó, Germany
- Maximilian Mann, Germany
- Kathleen Orlinsky, United States
Portraiture
- Winner: Valery Poshtarov, Bulgaria
- Finalists:
- 2nd Place: Adali Schell, United States
- 3rd Place: Drew Gardner, United Kingdom
- Shortlist:
- Liang Chen, China Mainland
- Owen Harvey, United Kingdom
- Jiatong Lu, China Mainland
- Michael O. Snyder, United States
Wildlife & Nature
- Winner: Eva Berler, Greece
- Finalists:
- 2nd Place: Haider Khan, India
- 3rd Place: Jasper Doest, Netherlands
- Shortlist:
- Steven Begleiter, United States
- Kathryn Cooper, United Kingdom
- Massimo Giorgetta, Italy
- Kathleen Orlinsky, United States
- Jen Osborne, Canada
- Jacques Smit, South Africa
- Lukas Zeman, Czech Republic