The Sony World Photography Awards has unveiled the 10 category winners and shortlisted photographers for the 2025 Open Competition, showcasing powerful single images that capture defining moments from the past year. Now in its 18th year, the competition celebrates photography’s ability to tell compelling stories in a single frame.
This year, the Awards received over 419,000 submissions from more than 200 countries and territories, solidifying its reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions. The Open Photographer of the Year, set to be announced at the London Awards Ceremony on 16 April 2025, will receive a $5,000 (USD) cash prize and Sony digital imaging equipment. Winning and shortlisted images will be exhibited at Somerset House, London (17 April – 5 May 2025) before traveling globally.
2025 Open Competition Category Winners
Architecture – Xuecheng Liu (China Mainland)
Center of the Cosmos presents an awe-inspiring aerial view of New York’s Times Square, using a dramatic wide-angle perspective to highlight the city’s vastness.
Creative – Jonell Francisco (Philippines)
Kem the Unstoppable is a collage portrait blending Renaissance-inspired portraiture with contemporary elements.
Landscape – Ng Guang Ze (Singapore)
A breathtaking black-and-white image of a stream winding through grasslands in Wenhai, Lijiang, evoking a sense of tranquility and depth.
Lifestyle – Hajime Hirano (Japan)
A meticulously composed portrait of a street vendor in Akihabara, capturing the spirit of Japan’s former electronics capital.
Motion – Olivier Unia (France)
Tbourida La Chute freezes the exhilarating moment when a rider is thrown from their mount during a traditional Moroccan equestrian performance.
Natural World & Wildlife – Estebane Rezkallah (France)
The Whale Raft documents a gripping scene of polar bears feasting on a whale carcass in East Greenland, a stark portrayal of nature’s raw reality.
Object – Sussi Charlotte Alminde (Denmark)
Octopuses in the Sky showcases the vibrancy of the Fanø International Kite Fliers Meeting, one of the world’s largest kite festivals.
Portraiture – Yeintze Boutamba (Gabon)
Encounter captures an intimate moment between two people, immortalizing their connection in a bedroom setting.
Street Photography – Khairizal Maris (Indonesia)
Celebrating Football Club Victories captures the euphoria of fans in Bandung, West Java, as they light flares in celebration.
Travel – Matjaž Šimic (Slovenia)
Ask a Shaman portrays shamans in La Paz, Bolivia, against the backdrop of the city’s vividly painted architecture.
The 2025 Open Competition was judged by Claudia Grimaldi Marks, Senior Manager of New Creator Strategy at Getty Images. The overall winners across all categories, including Student, Youth, Open, and Professional, will be announced on 16 April 2025.
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