2021 Sony World Photography Awards

About the Sony World Photography Awards

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Now in its 14th year, the Awards consist of four competitions: Professional (for photographers entering a body of work or portfolio), Open (for photographers entering a single image), Student (for academic institutions) and Youth (for 12-19 year-olds).

Always free to enter, there is a competition and a category for everyone – from Architecture, Documentary, Landscape, Portraiture, Sport, Street Photography, Wildlife, Travel, Culture and more. New categories for the 2021 Awards include Object and Lifestyle in the Open competition and Portfolio in the Professional competition. The Architecture category in the Professional competition has been expanded to Architecture and Design.

All images are judged by industry experts from across the world, who come together each year in London to reward standout works. A total prize fund of $60,000 (USD) plus the latest Sony digital imaging equipment is shared between the winning photographers.

With the power to kickstart and shape careers, the Awards provide those working in photography a global stage to showcase their work. Previous winning and shortlisted photographers have gone on to be represented by renowned galleries and institutions worldwide, as well as their work being featured in major international publications.

In addition, the Awards recognise the world’s most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; previous recipients include Mary Ellen Mark, Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Candida Höfer, Nadav Kander and, most recently, Gerhard Steidl.

Prizes:

Professional Competition:
Photographer of the Year receives $25,000 (USD), a range of Sony digital imaging equipment and inclusion of their work in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London
Ten category winners receive flights and accommodation to the Awards ceremony in London, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, publication in the Sony World Photography Awards book, inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London
Second and third place winners receive Awards ceremony ticket, publication in the Sony World Photography Awards book, inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London
Shortlisted photographers have works shown on digital screens at Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London

Open Competition:
Open Photographer of the Year receives $5,000 (USD), a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, flights and accommodation to the Awards ceremony in London and inclusion in Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London
10 category winners receive a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, publication in Sony World Photography Awards book and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London
Shortlisted photographers - works shown on digital screens at Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London

Youth Competition:
Youth Photographer of the Year receives flights and accommodation to the Awards ceremony in London, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment and inclusion at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London
Monthly judges’ selection - showcased on the World Photography Organisation website and Instagram account

Student Competition:
Student Photographer of the Year receives €30,000 worth of Sony digital imaging equipment for his or her institution and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London
10 shortlisted photographers receive flights and accommodation to the Awards ceremony in London, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, publication in Sony World Photography Awards book and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London

Eligibility:

Open to all

Copyrights & Usage Rights:

All Entrants understand that any image submitted to the Competition may be used by the World Photography Organisation, and its Event Partners, for marketing and promotional purposes of You the author and the Event only, for a maximum of three years after the Awards Ceremony in April 2019. Please refer to clause 7.4. You hereby grant the World Photography Organisation a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence in each Entry throughout the world for three years in all media for any use connected to the promotion of You the author and the Sony World Photography Awards Event and/or Competition, including, but not limited too:
(a) judging the Competition
(b) displaying the winning and shortlisted entries at public exhibitions promoting the World Photography Organisation and organised by the World Photography Organisation
(c) inclusion within the Website, a World Photography Awards book, magazine or similar
(d) inclusion within any materials promoting of the Competition and / or any exhibition organised by the World Photography Organisation, in the promotion of the the World Photography Organisation
(e) inclusion on Competition- and exhibition-related products to be sold by the the World Photography Organisation or any third party following the individual agreement by the author
(f) sub-licensing the Entries to the press for reproduction in connection with the Competition and any exhibition
(g) allowing viewers of the Website to view images on a computer screen, PDA or mobile telephone and store such pages in electronic form on disk or on a PDA or mobile telephone (but not on any server or other storage device connected to a network) for their personal, non-commercial use only.
Please see our website for full terms & conditions.

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