Sony World Photography Awards 2027 Opens Entries for Landmark 20th Edition

The internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards has officially launched its 2027 competition, marking the prestigious event’s 20th anniversary. Organized by the World Photography Organisation and supported by Sony, the awards continue to serve as one of the world’s most influential platforms for contemporary photography, celebrating outstanding visual storytelling and photographic excellence across the globe.

Open for submissions from 1 June 2026, the competition is completely free to enter and welcomes photographers of all levels, from emerging talents and students to established professionals.

Over the past two decades, the Sony World Photography Awards has become a benchmark for photographic achievement, providing unparalleled international exposure, exhibition opportunities, and career-defining recognition for photographers worldwide.

Major Changes for the 2027 Edition

To mark its 20th edition, the Awards introduce significant updates across its competitions.

The long-running Professional Competition has been renamed the Series Competition, while the Open Competition becomes the Single Image Competition. The new names better reflect the nature of each category and provide greater clarity for participants.

Photographers can submit different projects to multiple competitions, allowing them to showcase both long-form photographic storytelling and striking standalone images.

New Series Category: Histories

A major addition to the 2027 Awards is the introduction of Histories, a new category within the Series Competition.

This category encourages photographers to examine how personal, cultural, and collective histories continue to shape contemporary life. Projects may explore traditions, rituals, historical events, social memory, archives, found photographs, and new interpretations of the past.

The category welcomes work that revisits history through a modern lens and re-contextualizes historical narratives for contemporary audiences.

New Single Image Category: Animal Portraits

The Single Image Competition introduces Animal Portraits, celebrating the beauty, personality, and character of animals.

From household pets and farm animals to wildlife, marine species, reptiles, and insects, photographers are invited to create compelling portraits that reveal the individuality and diversity of the animal kingdom.

Four Global Competitions

Photographers worldwide are invited to enter one of four main competitions:

Series Competition

Recognizing outstanding photographic projects and narrative excellence across ten categories.

Single Image Competition

Celebrating the impact and storytelling power of a single photograph across ten categories.

Youth Competition

Dedicated to photographers aged 19 and under.

Student Competition

Open to photography students worldwide.

Additional award programs include:

• National & Regional Awards
• Alpha Female Award
• Sustainability Prize

All submissions are judged anonymously by a panel of leading international photography experts.

Student Competition Theme: “Journeys”

For 2027, photography students are invited to respond to the theme “Journeys.”

Participants are encouraged to interpret the concept broadly, exploring movement, transformation, migration, personal growth, cultural change, urban development, community evolution, or any other form of journey meaningful to their experience.

Entries should consist of a photographic series of five to ten images.

Submission Deadlines

The Sony World Photography Awards 2027 accepts entries from 1 June 2026.

Competition Deadlines (GMT):

• Series Competition: 12 January 2027 – 13:00 GMT
• Single Image Competition: 5 January 2027 – 13:00 GMT
• Youth Competition: 5 January 2027 – 13:00 GMT
• Student Competition: 27 November 2026 – 13:00 GMT

Awards and Prizes

The Sony World Photography Awards offers some of the most valuable prizes in the photography industry.

Photographer of the Year

• $25,000 USD cash prize
• Sony Digital Imaging equipment
• Solo exhibition presentation at the following year’s London exhibition
• International media exposure

Single Image Competition Winner

• $5,000 USD cash prize
• Sony Digital Imaging equipment

Sustainability Prize

• $5,000 USD cash prize

All category winners in the Series, Single Image, Student, and Youth competitions will receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment.

Winning and shortlisted photographers will also benefit from:

• Exhibition at the annual Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London
• International touring exhibitions
• Publication in the official Sony World Photography Awards book
• Global press coverage and promotional opportunities

A Global Platform for Contemporary Photography

Produced by Creo through the World Photography Organisation, the Sony World Photography Awards has become one of the most prestigious events in the international photography calendar.

Since its launch, the Awards have honored some of the most influential photographers of our time through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award, including William Eggleston, Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Parr, Graciela Iturbide, Sebastião Salgado, Susan Meiselas, and Joel Meyerowitz.

As the competition enters its landmark 20th year, photographers worldwide are once again invited to share their vision, creativity, and stories with a global audience.

Official Website

https://www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards