The Sony World Photography Awards announced today the 2026 overall winners at a gala ceremony in London, bringing together leading figures in the contemporary photography world to honour this year’s winners and their achievements.
The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2026 title was awarded to Citlali Fabián for the series Bilha, Stories of my Sisters. Citlali Fabián is a visual artist from the Yalalteca Indigenous community in Mexico currently based in London, who uses photography to explore ways of addressing identity and its connections with territory, migration, and community bonds. Fabián receives a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present a solo showcase at the Sony World Photography Awards 2027 exhibition.
Fabián was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced at today’s ceremony, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. The evening’s programme additionally recognised the overall winners of the Awards’ Open, Student and Youth competitions. Also honoured during the course of the evening was this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, celebrated photographer Joel Meyerowitz.
Now in their 19th edition, the Sony World Photography Awards set the standard for international photography recognition; an unmissable moment in the global cultural calendar that continues to discover, celebrate and elevate the photographers shaping our visual world. Across this year’s competitions, over 430,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted. Each edition of the Awards brings into focus stories and images with profound resonance, offering an authoritative perspective on the ever-evolving art of photography.
The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition is on display at Somerset House, London from 17 April – 4 May, presenting over 300 prints and hundreds of images in digital displays, as well as a special presentation by Joel Meyerowitz.
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Citlali Fabián wins for her project Bilha, Stories of my Sisters, which blends carefully crafted photographic portraits with digital illustrations. The series tells the stories of iconic women from Indigenous communities across Oaxaca, Mexico, whose advocacy work generates meaningful impact across a range of spheres: in law, linguistics, the arts and ecology, among others. Conceived as a project to inspire young girls with positive role models, and created through close, sustained collaboration with the women in the photographs, the images in this series highlight their achievements as well as their lived experiences and motivations. The digital drawings applied to the portraits comprise symbols and motifs that reflect the sitters’ personal trajectories and celebrate their cultural heritage.
Commenting on Citlali Fabián’s winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2026 Professional jury says: ‘Through her work, Citlali Fabián reflects on urgent questions of visibility and representation. In many Indigenous cultures, stories are told collectively, shaped by conversation and lived experience rather than by a single voice. Fabián brings this spirit into her photographic practice by working closely with each woman she portrays. Her subjects are not simply photographed, they are active participants in shaping how their stories are told. Through this process, the artist highlights the presence, strength, and achievements of women who have often been overlooked, giving them the visibility and recognition they have long deserved within the wider social and cultural landscape.’
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS
The winning series in the 2026 Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges. Each of the winning photographers displays an original approach to storytelling and outstanding technical ability.
All of the category winners receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and were invited to participate in Insights, a day of specialised sessions with industry experts in London. To learn more about this year’s Professional winners and finalists, please visit worldphoto.org.
This year’s winners are:
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
WINNER: Joy Saha (Bangladesh) for Homes of Haor
Finalists: 2nd place André Tezza (Brazil); 3rd place Chen Liang (China Mainland)
CREATIVE
WINNER: Citlali Fabián (Mexico) for Bilha, Stories of My Sisters
Finalists: 2nd place Pablo Ramos (Mexico); 3rd place Ben Brooks (United Kingdom)
DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS
WINNER: Santiago Mesa (Colombia) for Under the Shadow of Coca
Finalists: 2nd place Colin Delfosse (Belgium); 3rd place Alexandre Bagdassarian (France)
ENVIRONMENT
WINNER: Isadora Romero (Ecuador) for Notes on How to Build a Forest
Finalists: 2nd place Matteo Trevisan (Italy); 3rd place Shane Hynan (Ireland)
LANDSCAPE
WINNER: Dafna Talmor (United Kingdom) for Constructed Landscapes
Finalists: 2nd place Andreas Secci (Germany), 3rd place Michael Blann (United Kingdom)
PERSPECTIVES
WINNER: Seungho Kim (Republic of Korea) for Sunny Side Up: A Portrait of the Most Average K-Parenting Today
Finalists: 2nd place Hayate Kurisu (Japan); 3rd place Fredrik Lerneryd (Sweden)
PORTRAITURE
WINNER: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Italy) for The Faithful
Finalists: 2nd place Marisa Reichert (Germany); 3rd place Federico Borella (Italy)
SPORT
WINNER: Todd Antony (New Zealand) for Buzkashi
Finalists: 2nd place Morgan Otagburuagu (Nigeria); 3rd place Rob Van Thienen (Belgium)
STILL LIFE
WINNER: Vilma Taubo (Norway) for Talking Without Speaking
Finalists: 2nd place Gargi Sharma (India); 3rd place Daniele Vita (Italy)
WILDLIFE & NATURE
WINNER: Will Burrard-Lucas (United Kingdom) for Crossing Point
Finalists: 2nd place Anita Pouchard Serra (Argentina); 3rd place Wolfgang Duerr (Germany)
OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The Open competition is a celebration of the photographic image in all its power; standout images are chosen for the way they distil a moment into something that resonates far beyond it. The Open Photographer of the Year 2026 is Elle Leontiev (Australia), who receives a $5,000 (USD) cash prize and Sony Digital Imaging equipment.
Leontiev wins for The Barefoot Volcanologist, a striking portrait of Phillip Yamah, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcano scientist, standing atop a volcanic rock bomb on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
Commenting on her win, Elle Leontiev says: ‘In 2018 I stood in a London gallery at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and dreamed of being featured. Years later, my dream has become real. Seeing my work win has filled me with overwhelming gratitude and tears of joy. It’s a reminder that quiet dreams, nurtured and pursued with heart, can come true.’
STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The brief for this year’s Student competition was Together, inviting students of photography across the world to enter a series on the theme of togetherness, looking at the concept in its broadest sense. The Student Photographer of the Year 2026 is Jubair Ahmed Arnob (Bangladesh, Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts). His series The Place Where I Used To Play, visually narrates the changing landscape of the Green Model Town in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where urban development is altering daily life and the suburban topography.
Commenting on his win, Jubair Ahmed Arnob says: ‘Winning the Sony World Photography Award feels like a dream come true — years of passion, memories, and stories finally being seen and recognised. It fills me with gratitude, joy, and a renewed drive to keep capturing the world through my lens.’
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The 2026 Youth competition invited all photographers aged 19 and under to respond to the Open Call and share their best images of the past year. The Youth Photographer of the Year 2026 is Philip Kangas (Sweden, 16 years old). He receives the award for Saving History from the Flames, a remarkable image of two firefighters as they carry an artwork out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm during a fire, capturing the action and collaboration of the moment.
Commenting on his win, Philip Kangas says: ‘I was very surprised when I heard that I was a winner in this year’s Sony World Photography Awards. I am very happy, as it gives confirmation to my hard work.’
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2026 is awarded to acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz. Meyerowitz’s practice is marked by his observant eye, finely tuned to the currents and textures of life. His work shows a fascination with life happening around him, and a remarkable instinct for framing images that are at once revealing and enigmatic, imbued with beauty and wit.
A selection of works by Meyerowitz, including excerpts from his series Europa (1966-1967) and two new artist videos, are on view at Somerset House as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, offering an insight into the spirit and curiosity that has characterised his practice for the past six decades.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETITION CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST
| ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN | CREATIVE | DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS |
| Category WinnerJoy Saha, Bangladesh2nd Place André Tezza, Brazil3rd Place Chen Liang, China Mainland | Photographer of the YearCitlali Fabián, Mexico2nd Place Pablo Ramos, Mexico3rd Place Ben Brooks, United Kingdom | Category WinnerSantiago Mesa, Colombia2nd Place Colin Delfosse, Belgium3rd Place Alexandre Bagdassarian, France |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| Cristopher Rogel Blanquet Chavez & Daniel Ochoa de Olza, MexicoFarshid Rahimi Kalahroudi, Iran, Islamic Republic OfJean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, ItalyMathieu Moindron, FrancePeter Lipton, NetherlandsStephan Zirwes, GermanyTomasz Kawecki, Poland | Abbey Hepner, United StatesArmin Graca, Bosnia And HerzegovinaDaniela Balestrin, BrazilPersia Campbell, MexicoSarah Ketelaars, United KingdomSergio Meléndez Cava, PeruZula Rabikowska, United Kingdom | Anne Mocaër, FranceDong Wei, China MainlandMário Cruz, PortugalSandile Ndlovu, South AfricaSeamus Murphy, IrelandYe Hyun Kim, Korea, Republic OfYris Pablo, Venezuela |
| ENVIRONMENT | LANDSCAPE | PERSPECTIVES |
| Category WinnerIsadora Romero, Ecuador2nd Place Matteo Trevisan, Italy3rd Place Shane Hynan, Ireland | Category WinnerDafna Talmor, United Kingdom2nd Place Andreas Secci, Germany3rd Place Michael Blann, United Kingdom | Category WinnerSeungho Kim, Korea, Republic Of2nd Place Hayate Kurisu, Japan3rd Place Fredrik Lerneryd, Sweden |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| Borja Abargues, SpainEduardo Valenzuela, EcuadorHossein Sadri Nobarzad, Iran, Islamic Republic OfJacob Paley, United StatesMahé Elipe, FranceTommy Trenchard, United KingdomYi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan | Daniel Clavería, ChileDavid Baxter III, United StatesFlorian Ruiz, FranceJulia Mustonen-Dahlkvist, SwedenLiam Man, United KingdomNathalie Ericson, SwedenPeter Franck, Germany | Brian Mena Laureano, MexicoCamille Nivollet, FranceDara Petrova, UkraineKanyuan Li, China MainlandMaría Fernanda García Freire, EcuadorMaria Fynsk Norup, Denmark |
| PORTRAITURE | SPORT | STILL LIFE |
| Category WinnerJean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy2nd Place Marisa Reichert, Germany3rd Place Federico Borella, Italy | Category WinnerTodd Antony, New Zealand2nd Place Morgan Otagburuagu, Nigeria3rd Place Rob Van Thienen, Belgium | Category WinnerVilma Taubo, Norway2nd Place Gargi Sharma, India3rd Place Daniele Vita, Italy |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| Caroline Gutman, United StatesEd Alcock, United KingdomHans-Juergen Burkard, GermanyJános Bődey, HungaryRon Timehin, United KingdomShaohan Fang, China MainlandWei Kuai, China Mainland | Alain Schroeder, BelgiumDelfina Pignatiello, ArgentinaIrina Werning, ArgentinaLuis Henry Agudelo Cano, ColombiaMariusz Śmiejek, PolandQiu Yan, China MainlandYi Xiao, China Mainland | Alessandro Gandolfi, ItalyAndrzej Pilichowski-Ragno, PolandCarlos Espinosa, EcuadorFrancesco Amorosino, ItalyMd Harun Or Rashid, BangladeshRuston Banal, PhilippinesYi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan |
| WILDLIFE & NATURE | ||
| Category WinnerWill Burrard-Lucas, United Kingdom2nd Place Anita Pouchard Serra, Argentina3rd Place Wolfgang Duerr, Germany | ||
| Shortlist |
| Benjamin Pawlica, FranceFei Xin, China MainlandHugo Hebbe, FranceJames Ross, United KingdomLoren Elliott, United StatesMarcus Westberg, SwedenSunita Mandal, United States |
OPEN COMPETITION CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST
| ARCHITECTURE | CREATIVE | LANDSCAPE |
| Winner | Winner | Winner |
| Markus Naarttiijärvi, Sweden | Siavosh Ejlali, Iran, Islamic Republic Of | J Fritz Rumpf, United States |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| Carlo Yuen, Hong KongCatherine Wang, United StatesEng Tong Tan, MalaysiaFalkmar Ameringer, AustriaHanjun Zhang, China MainlandHui Liang, China MainlandKlaus Lenzen, GermanyKong Zhongxiang, China MainlandMD Tanveer Hassan Rohan, United StatesQingsheng Sun, China MainlandRamatis Haywanon da Costa, BrazilUtshaho Gupta, United States | Abdulla AL-Mushaifri, OmanAli Zolghadri, Iran, Islamic Republic OfAnne-Marie Etienne, FranceBen Mozafari, CanadaCameron Wilcox, United StatesChen Zijun, China MainlandChukwudebelu Ojekwe, NigeriaClaudia Behrensen, ArgentinaJay Tang, NetherlandsMaja Schubert, GermanyMarie-Line Dentler, FranceSai Ma, China MainlandShabnam Maleki, Iran, Islamic Republic OfToshio Ishido, Japan | Cong Lin, CanadaDimitry Papkov, United StatesFrancisco Lima Saraiva, BrazilJassen Todorov, United StatesJim Guerard, United StatesKibong Nam, Korea, Republic OfLisa K. Kuhn, United StatesManuel Ortiga Castillo, SpainMatteo Redaelli, ItalySascha Schernthaner, AustriaScott Portelli, Australia |
| LIFESTYLE | MOTION | NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE |
| Winner | Winner | Winner |
| Vanta Coda III, United States | Franklin Littlefield, United States | Klaus Hellmich, Germany |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| Andreas Kanellopoulos, GreeceAnita Clark & Paul Wenham-Clarke, United KingdomBrian Arancibia, ChileCamila de Medeiros Fantinel, BrazilCharlie Clift, United KingdomEthan Parker, United KingdomHernan Jaramillo, ColombiaMustafa Shorbaji, EgyptSebastian Szczepanowski, PolandTomek Kozlowski, Poland | Andre Magarao, BrazilAxel Schmidtke, GermanyChristoph Oberschneider, AustriaEaselyn Pineda, PhilippinesHe Lu, China MainlandJohn Winkopp, United StatesLee Jongkee, Korea, Republic OfLorea Hausheer, SwitzerlandMartin Schmid, AustriaOscar Seguel Mangiola, ChileTakeru Marui, JapanVishal Naveen, IndiaZdeněk Vošický, Czechia | Chung Cheong Wong, SingaporeDaichi Shimada, JapanElizabeth Yicheng Shen, TaiwanGiacomo Marchione, ItalyHuajin Sun, China MainlandJuan Jacobo Castillo Barrerra, ColombiaKevin Shi, United StatesLisa Skelton, AustraliaSamuel Round, United KingdomScott Portelli, AustraliaStan Bouman, NetherlandsTim Munsey, United KingdomVishal Naveen, IndiaWouter van Hofwegen, Netherlands |
| OBJECT | PORTRAITURE | STREET PHOTOGRAPHY |
| Winner | Open Photographer of the Year | Winner |
| Robby Ogilvie, United Kingdom | Elle Leontiev, Australia | Giulia Pissagroia, Italy |
| Shortlist | Shortlist | Shortlist |
| David Hoekje, United StatesGlen Serbin, United StatesGuglielmo Mangilli, ItalyHanhoon Lee, Korea, Republic ofJan Goeke, GermanyLeonel Costa, AngolaLesley Ormrod, United KingdomOlivier Koestel, FranceSarah Barlow, United KingdomSoomin Park, Korea, Republic OfYuliy Vasilev, Bulgaria | Alejandra Valenzuela, ChileCharlie Clift, United KingdomDuncan Elliott, United KingdomJaylon Cooper, United StatesKalista Kemp, South AfricaKamil Hendrych, PolandKatarzyna Lakocy, PolandLivier Miroslava Ultreras, MexicoLuis Alejandro Dávila López, SpainMaria Gutu, Moldova, Republic OfMondo Love, United KingdomShuyang Zhuang, China MainlandTim Pearse, United Kingdom | Andre Gaspar, PortugalArun Saha, IndiaBijoy Krishna Paul, BangladeshFrance Leclerc, United StatesKathryn Mussallem, CanadaMaciej Lubomski, PolandMariana Zilbershteyn, AustraliaMattia Massaiu, ItalyOtto David Ramírez Villa, MexicoPaolo Dellepiane, ItalyRodrigo Paredes, ArgentinaRudi Uran, Slovenia |
| TRAVEL |
| Winner |
| Megumi Murakami, Japan |
| Shortlist |
| ChenYu Hsieh, TaiwanDavid Sykes, United KingdomFilip Hrebenda, SlovakiaJet Huynh, VietnamJohn Edwards, United StatesLiping Jiang, China MainlandMarie-Line Dentler, FranceMegan Tavarez, United StatesSawyer Alcázar-Hagen, United StatesSwati Biswas Guha, India |
STUDENT & YOUTH COMPETITIONS CATEGORY WINNERS AND SHORTLIST
| STUDENT COMPETITION | YOUTH COMPETITION |
| Student Photographer of the YearJubair Ahmed Arnob, Bangladesh Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts, Bangladesh | Youth Photographer of the YearPhilip Kangas, Sweden |
| Shortlist Aakash Gulzar, India MERC, University of Kashmir, India | Shortlist Abdallah Islam, Egypt |
| Chanel Grobler, South AfricaOpen Window Institute, South Africa | Ayden Feagle, United States |
| Ci Song, China MainlandDrexel University, United States | Doğa Ergün, Türkiye |
| Julian Cabral, ArgentinaUniversidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina | Jane Mozzi, Argentina |
| Laura Anna Rossa, BelgiumLUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas Brussels, Belgium | Jeirin Anton, Sri Lanka |
| Matte Dixon, Australia Griffith University, Australia | Keira Pereira, Canada |
| Teresa Halbreiter, GermanyHamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany | Riley Shickle, United Kingdom |
| Yulai Xu, China MainlandUniversity of the Arts London, United Kingdom | Ruohan Wang, China Mainland |
| Zifan Zhang, China MainlandDanish School of Media and Journalism (DJMX), Denmark | Victor Reichert, France |
NOTES TO EDITORS
For press inquiries, please contact:
Polly Brock, Vanda Ivančić – media@creoarts.com
A selection of press images is available to download on press.creoarts.com.
SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Produced by Creo under its photography strand the World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed
Sony World Photography Awards are one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in
its 19th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into
contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class
opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world’s most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; the acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz is the 2026 recipient of this award, joining a distinguished list of iconic names including William Eggleston (2013), Mary Ellen Mark (2014), Martin Parr (2017), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Sebastião Salgado (2024) and Susan Meiselas (2025). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. worldphoto.org/exhibition
2026 JUDGES
Professional Competition: Monica Allende, Independent Curator and Photography Consultant, Chair of
the Jury; Daniel Brena, Director, Centro de las Artes de San Agustín, Mexico; Yumi Goto, Independent Curator, Editor, Researcher and Publisher, Japan; Zack Hatfield, Managing Editor, Aperture magazine, USA; Paul Ninson, Founder and Executive Director, Dikan Center, Ghana; Bindi Vora, Artist and Senior Curator, Autograph, UK
Open & Youth Competitions: Ruby Rees-Sheridan, Assistant Curator, Photography, National Portrait Gallery, UK
Student Competition: Tess Raimbeau, Photo Editor, Libération, France
CITLALI FABIÁN
Citlali Fabián is a visual artist from the Yalalteca Indigenous community in Mexico. Her work has been awarded by the Bertha Foundation, Magnum Foundation, National Geographic Society and Arts Council England. She uses photography to explore ways of addressing identity and its connections with territory, migration, and community bonds.
ELLE LEONTIEV
Elle Leontiev is a practicing photographer of 10 years, working across digital and fine art darkroom techniques. She believes in photography’s power to influence society, exploring humanity, nature and our place in the universe through her images.
JUBAIR AHMED ARNOB
Jubair Ahmed Arnob is a Bangladeshi documentary photographer exploring overlooked socio-environmental stories through research-driven practice. He creates work that preserves what is fading, questions what is changing, and reveals the emotions shaped by shifting environments.
PHILIP KANGAS
Philip Kangas is 17 years old and lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden. The main focus of his practice is photojournalistic work, with his coverage mainly centering around sports, news events and portraiture.
JOEL MEYEROWITZ
Joel Meyerowitz (b. New York, 1938) Is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in over 350 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. Celebrated as a pioneer of colour photography, he is a two-time Guggenheim Fellow, a recipient of both National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities awards, and a recipient of The Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal. He has published 57 books. Joel Meyerowitz is represented by Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York, Polka Galerie in Paris and Huxley-Parlour Gallery in London. He lives and works in New York and in London.
WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION
World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of
photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working
in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work. The Sony World Photography Awards is the
World Photography Organisation’s principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world’s biggest and
most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and
attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide. World Photography Organisation is the
photography strand of Creo, which initiates events and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art. worldphoto.org
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