After a record-breaking 230,103 images were entered into the competition, Sony has released the shortlists for the World Photography Awards 2016, and as you may expect they are nothing short of spectacular, breathtaking, unusual, and everything in between.
The Sony World Photography Awards is the world’s biggest photography competition and its aim is simple: to recognise and reward the best contemporary photography in the world.
The awards have brought untold reward and recognition to those involved and each year offers an incredible $30,000 in cash prizes plus the latest Sony digital imaging equipment.
Free to enter, photographers of all abilities are invited to submit either their best single shots or series of work. The images are judged by the World Photography Organisation and a specially selected jury from the World Photographic Academy which is made up on the photographic industry’s most esteemed individuals.
The awards offer an unparalleled opportunity for exposure for photographers at all stages of their career and are known worldwide by industry leaders.
The annual awards gala and ceremony takes place in London, welcoming an international attendance of industry leaders to celebrate the recognition of the best in contemporary photography and each year also pays tribute to one of our masters with the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award. Supporting the celebration is an exhibition of the winners and shortlist, comprising of hundreds of photographs expertly curated inside the historic London landmark, Somerset House from the 22nd April to 8th May.
The Sony World Photography Awards has five competitions:
• Professional - 14 categories, judged on a series of images, aimed at serious photographers
• Open - 10 categories, judged on a single image, open to all
• Youth - 3 categories, for photographers aged 12-19
• Student Focus - for those studying photography
• National Award - finding the best single image taken by a local photographer in over 50 countries
The awards offer categories across all genres of photojournalism, fine art and commercial photography, and the 2015 edition attracted over 173,000 entries from 171 countries. You can see some of our favourite winning pics from last year here.
In addition to cash prizes for the overall Professional and Open Photographers of the Year, category winners also receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony and Sony Mobile to help them continue their photographic journeys and many will be flown to London to attend the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony on the 22nd April.
Take a look below at some of our favourite photographs from the winners list, and for the full collection please head on over to their website here.