News

Here are the 2016 Sony World Photo Awards Grand Prize Winners

Chris Gampat
No Comments
04/22/2016
6 Mins read
Empire of Dust

Last Updated on 04/22/2016 by Chris Gampat

Sony just announced the newest winners of their World Photo Awards. All the details and the images are after the jump.

Amelie Labourdette interrogates which is in the landscape is a priori invisible. There is always a blurred zone of concern and a landscape located below the visible landscape, another landscape that is not given at first gaze. This series of photographs, Empire of dust has been realized in south Italy, in the regions of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, where financial crises and embezzlement have made of the incompleteness, an architectural aesthetics. Through this series, she tries jointly through an "archeology of the present" to reflect the contemporary history by the yardstick of these unfinished architectures, while invoking the viewer’s imagination so that there unfolds “a variant of the worldâ€. On each photographs, emanates a disquieting strangeness: unfinished villa, ghost dam or building left as skeleton, all architectures reflect a real estate disaster. Their concrete body, naked and disarmed, accuse also a premature aging, cracks overgrown by vegetation or first signs of crumbling: the ruin threatens, especially palpable, that Amelie Labourdette capture these works in a lush greenery seizing of vitality , coniferous forest erected on a mountainside, palm trees and passion fruits, tall fennels with yellow flowers. In the manner of ancient ruins, these human constructions which seem to getting back to nature, to be reabsorbed by the environment they emerged one day. Concrete skeletons of major projects remained pending, of unfinished buildings, recurring patterns of our time affected by socio-economic upheavals, become also, because of their incompleteness, interstitial spaces of indeterminacy, conducive to a photographic quest, exploring the possibilities of a singular reinvestment of the world: they are proving to be, spaces and indefinite forms that have, due to their incompleteness, a «becoming-other» that the design of the initial project had dedicated them. These indefinite forms, between upcoming ruins and potential scu
Credit: AmÈlie Labourdette, Winner Amelie Labourdette interrogates which is in the landscape is a priori invisible. There is always a blurred zone of concern and a landscape located below the visible landscape, another landscape that is not given at first gaze. This series of photographs, Empire of dust has been realized in south Italy, in the regions of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, where financial crises and embezzlement have made of the incompleteness, an architectural aesthetics. Through this series, she tries jointly through an “archeology of the present” to reflect the contemporary history by the yardstick of these unfinished architectures, while invoking the viewer’s imagination so that there unfolds “a variant of the worldâ€. On each photographs, emanates a disquieting strangeness: unfinished villa, ghost dam or building left as skeleton, all architectures reflect a real estate disaster. Their concrete body, naked and disarmed, accuse also a premature aging, cracks overgrown by vegetation or first signs of crumbling: the ruin threatens, especially palpable, that Amelie Labourdette capture these works in a lush greenery seizing of vitality , coniferous forest erected on a mountainside, palm trees and passion fruits, tall fennels with yellow flowers. In the manner of ancient ruins, these human constructions which seem to getting back to nature, to be reabsorbed by the environment they emerged one day. Concrete skeletons of major projects remained pending, of unfinished buildings, recurring patterns of our time affected by socio-economic upheavals, become also, because of their incompleteness, interstitial spaces of indeterminacy, conducive to a photographic quest, exploring the possibilities of a singular reinvestment of the world: they are proving to be, spaces and indefinite forms that have, due to their incompleteness, a «becoming-other» that the design of the initial project had dedicated them. These indefinite forms, between upcoming ruins and potential scu
Amelie Labourdette interrogates which is in the landscape is a priori invisible. There is always a blurred zone of concern and a landscape located below the visible landscape, another landscape that is not given at first gaze. This series of photographs, Empire of dust has been realized in south Italy, in the regions of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, where financial crises and embezzlement have made of the incompleteness, an architectural aesthetics. Through this series, she tries jointly through an "archeology of the present" to reflect the contemporary history by the yardstick of these unfinished architectures, while invoking the viewer’s imagination so that there unfolds “a variant of the worldâ€. On each photographs, emanates a disquieting strangeness: unfinished villa, ghost dam or building left as skeleton, all architectures reflect a real estate disaster. Their concrete body, naked and disarmed, accuse also a premature aging, cracks overgrown by vegetation or first signs of crumbling: the ruin threatens, especially palpable, that Amelie Labourdette capture these works in a lush greenery seizing of vitality , coniferous forest erected on a mountainside, palm trees and passion fruits, tall fennels with yellow flowers. In the manner of ancient ruins, these human constructions which seem to getting back to nature, to be reabsorbed by the environment they emerged one day. Concrete skeletons of major projects remained pending, of unfinished buildings, recurring patterns of our time affected by socio-economic upheavals, become also, because of their incompleteness, interstitial spaces of indeterminacy, conducive to a photographic quest, exploring the possibilities of a singular reinvestment of the world: they are proving to be, spaces and indefinite forms that have, due to their incompleteness, a «becoming-other» that the design of the initial project had dedicated them. These indefinite forms, between upcoming ruins and potential scu
Credit: Amelie Labourdette. Amelie Labourdette interrogates which is in the landscape is a priori invisible. There is always a blurred zone of concern and a landscape located below the visible landscape, another landscape that is not given at first gaze. This series of photographs, Empire of dust has been realized in south Italy, in the regions of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, where financial crises and embezzlement have made of the incompleteness, an architectural aesthetics. Through this series, she tries jointly through an “archeology of the present” to reflect the contemporary history by the yardstick of these unfinished architectures, while invoking the viewer’s imagination so that there unfolds “a variant of the worldâ€. On each photographs, emanates a disquieting strangeness: unfinished villa, ghost dam or building left as skeleton, all architectures reflect a real estate disaster. Their concrete body, naked and disarmed, accuse also a premature aging, cracks overgrown by vegetation or first signs of crumbling: the ruin threatens, especially palpable, that Amelie Labourdette capture these works in a lush greenery seizing of vitality , coniferous forest erected on a mountainside, palm trees and passion fruits, tall fennels with yellow flowers. In the manner of ancient ruins, these human constructions which seem to getting back to nature, to be reabsorbed by the environment they emerged one day. Concrete skeletons of major projects remained pending, of unfinished buildings, recurring patterns of our time affected by socio-economic upheavals, become also, because of their incompleteness, interstitial spaces of indeterminacy, conducive to a photographic quest, exploring the possibilities of a singular reinvestment of the world: they are proving to be, spaces and indefinite forms that have, due to their incompleteness, a «becoming-other» that the design of the initial project had dedicated them. These indefinite forms, between upcoming ruins and potential scu
The violent act of acid throwing is primarily against women and children.  These attacks are committed with the intent to disfigure, maim and destroy the social life and future of the victim.  The motivation to commit this type of violence is cultural destitution, intolerance and happens in situations such as family conflicts, rejected marriage proposal, revenge and divorce requests. In addition physical and psychological damages, victims are faced with the experience of social stigma ,blame and social unpleasant tags.
Credit: Asghar Khamseh. The violent act of acid throwing is primarily against women and children.  These attacks are committed with the intent to disfigure, maim and destroy the social life and future of the victim.  The motivation to commit this type of violence is cultural destitution, intolerance and happens in situations such as family conflicts, rejected marriage proposal, revenge and divorce requests. In addition physical and psychological damages, victims are faced with the experience of social stigma ,blame and social unpleasant tags.
The violent act of acid throwing is primarily against women and children.  These attacks are committed with the intent to disfigure, maim and destroy the social life and future of the victim.  The motivation to commit this type of violence is cultural destitution, intolerance and happens in situations such as family conflicts, rejected marriage proposal, revenge and divorce requests. In addition physical and psychological damages, victims are faced with the experience of social stigma ,blame and social unpleasant tags.
Credit: Asghar Khamseh. The violent act of acid throwing is primarily against women and children.  These attacks are committed with the intent to disfigure, maim and destroy the social life and future of the victim.  The motivation to commit this type of violence is cultural destitution, intolerance and happens in situations such as family conflicts, rejected marriage proposal, revenge and divorce requests. In addition physical and psychological damages, victims are faced with the experience of social stigma ,blame and social unpleasant tags.
on January 30, 2015 in Xinjiang, China. The Eagle Hunting festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations.
Credit: Kevin Frayer. on January 30, 2015 in Xinjiang, China.
The Eagle Hunting festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations.
on January 30, 2015 in Xinjiang, China. The Eagle Hunting festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations.
on January 30, 2015 in Xinjiang, China.
Credit: Kevin_Frayer. The Eagle Hunting festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations.
A country named after a desert. One of the least densely populated places on earth. Defined by its rich variety of colors yet in a forever changing, yet completely barren landscape. Namibia's landscape draws you in, through a vast brown plain of scorched earth, and steers you over the white surface of a salt pan to finally arrive in the gold tones of the sand dunes. Patience is required to discover the wide range of Namibia's subtle scenery. It literally takes you hours, driving though nothing, to at long last arrive at...more of nothing. The sight of other people is rare and only the strategically located gas stations are a reminder of the world beyond. This country is in another time zone—time seems to move slower but it feels more logical, somehow. Captivated by these washed out yet delicately colored landscapes, you can drive for hours. Chaperoned by herds of giraffes or zebras, shadowed by flocks of flamingos, suddenly stumbling upon a family of elephants. The animals look up curiously, but soon forget about you and slowly continue their journey, unhurried by your presence, at their own pace. - Maroesjka Lavigne
Credit: Maroesjka Lavigne. A country named after a desert. One of the least densely populated places on earth. Defined by its rich variety of colors yet in a forever changing, yet completely barren landscape. Namibia’s landscape draws you in, through a vast brown plain of scorched earth, and steers you over the white surface of a salt pan to finally arrive in the gold tones of the sand dunes. Patience is required to discover the wide range of Namibia’s subtle scenery. It literally takes you hours, driving though nothing, to at long last arrive at…more of nothing. The sight of other people is rare and only the strategically located gas stations are a reminder of the world beyond. This country is in another time zone—time seems to move slower but it feels more logical, somehow. Captivated by these washed out yet delicately colored landscapes, you can drive for hours. Chaperoned by herds of giraffes or zebras, shadowed by flocks of flamingos, suddenly stumbling upon a family of elephants. The animals look up curiously, but soon forget about you and slowly continue their journey, unhurried by your presence, at their own pace. – Maroesjka Lavigne
A country named after a desert. One of the least densely populated places on earth. Defined by its rich variety of colors yet in a forever changing, yet completely barren landscape. Namibia's landscape draws you in, through a vast brown plain of scorched earth, and steers you over the white surface of a salt pan to finally arrive in the gold tones of the sand dunes. Patience is required to discover the wide range of Namibia's subtle scenery. It literally takes you hours, driving though nothing, to at long last arrive at...more of nothing. The sight of other people is rare and only the strategically located gas stations are a reminder of the world beyond. This country is in another time zone—time seems to move slower but it feels more logical, somehow. Captivated by these washed out yet delicately colored landscapes, you can drive for hours. Chaperoned by herds of giraffes or zebras, shadowed by flocks of flamingos, suddenly stumbling upon a family of elephants. The animals look up curiously, but soon forget about you and slowly continue their journey, unhurried by your presence, at their own pace. - Maroesjka Lavigne
Credit: Maroesjka Lavigne. A country named after a desert. One of the least densely populated places on earth. Defined by its rich variety of colors yet in a forever changing, yet completely barren landscape. Namibia’s landscape draws you in, through a vast brown plain of scorched earth, and steers you over the white surface of a salt pan to finally arrive in the gold tones of the sand dunes. Patience is required to discover the wide range of Namibia’s subtle scenery. It literally takes you hours, driving though nothing, to at long last arrive at…more of nothing. The sight of other people is rare and only the strategically located gas stations are a reminder of the world beyond. This country is in another time zone—time seems to move slower but it feels more logical, somehow. Captivated by these washed out yet delicately colored landscapes, you can drive for hours. Chaperoned by herds of giraffes or zebras, shadowed by flocks of flamingos, suddenly stumbling upon a family of elephants. The animals look up curiously, but soon forget about you and slowly continue their journey, unhurried by your presence, at their own pace. – Maroesjka Lavigne
August 5, 2015 in Yushu, China. Tibetan nomads face many challenges to their traditional way of life including political pressures, forced resettlement by China's government, climate change and rapid modernization. The Tibetan Plateau, often called "the Roof of the World," is the world's highest and largest plateau.
August 5, 2015 in Yushu, China.
Credit: Kevin Frayer Tibetan nomads face many challenges to their traditional way of life including political pressures, forced resettlement by China’s government, climate change and rapid modernization. The Tibetan Plateau, often called “the Roof of the World,” is the world’s highest and largest plateau.
MADOU, CHINA - JULY 24:Tibetan nomads put up a string of Buddhist prayer flags near a government resettlement community on July 24, 2015 on the Tibetan Plateau in Madou County, Qinghai, China. Tibetan nomads face many challenges to their traditional way of life including political pressures, forced resettlement by China's government, climate change and rapid modernization. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Credit: Kevin Frayer MADOU, CHINA – JULY 24:Tibetan nomads put up a string of Buddhist prayer flags near a government resettlement community on July 24, 2015 on the Tibetan Plateau in Madou County, Qinghai, China. Tibetan nomads face many challenges to their traditional way of life including political pressures, forced resettlement by China’s government, climate change and rapid modernization. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Monjama Moussa, 25, married mother of 4 children, from Goderich. She had a coal shop and she contracted ebola from a supplier. After being treated by Emergency, she got back home, but she was refused by her family, that considered her healing as a sign of deamon possession. She has lost her family and her job. She now works as cleaner at the Emergency surgical hospital in Goderich.
Credit: Marcello Bonfanti Monjama Moussa, 25, married mother of 4 children, from Goderich. She had a coal shop and she contracted ebola from a supplier. After being treated by Emergency, she got back home, but she was refused by her family, that considered her healing as a sign of deamon possession. She has lost her family and her job. She now works as cleaner at the
Emergency surgical hospital in Goderich.
Fatmata Kamara, 25, with her son Koday, 1. She has lost her husband and her aunt. She contracted ebola together with her son. They both survived the infection thanks to the cures given by Emergency. They live in Waterloo, a village developed from a refugee camp, heavely stroke by ebola in December 2014.
Credit: Marcello Bonfanti Fatmata Kamara, 25, with her son Koday, 1. She has lost her husband and her aunt. She contracted ebola together with her son. They both survived the infection thanks to the cures given by Emergency. They live in Waterloo, a village developed from a refugee camp, heavely stroke by ebola in December 2014.
Portraits of the silver medal winners just after loosing their final at the Zealand boxing Championships held in Copenhagen in March.
Credit: Nikolai Linares, Portraits of the silver medal winners just after loosing their final at the Zealand boxing Championships held in Copenhagen in March.
Portraits of the silver medal winners just after loosing their final at the Zealand boxing Championships held in Copenhagen in March.
Credit: Nikolai Linares, Portraits of the silver medal winners just after loosing their final at the Zealand boxing Championships held in Copenhagen in March.
In this project, Alberto Alicata, traces the history of photography, image iconic realized by the great masters, resorting to the use of a symbol of contemporary Western culture: Barbie. Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin, David Lachapelle, Mario Testino are some of the names which Alicata honors, studying carefully chosen shots and recreating a set to measure Barbie rebuilt in detail the limits of the obsessive precision, the original that inspired it, in order to strengthen the authenticity and strength of timeless images, now become part of our visual memory and intended to be timeless. Intuition playful operate this simulation, using one of the most imitated, idolized, collected and studied which is renewed in every historical period, this production puts in a dimension in the making, is intended to be enriched with new images, and more opportunity to quote unexpected suggestions.
Credit: Alberto Alicata. In this project, Alberto Alicata, traces the history of photography, image iconic realized by the great masters, resorting to the use of a symbol of contemporary Western culture: Barbie. Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin, David Lachapelle, Mario Testino are some of the names which Alicata honors, studying carefully chosen shots and recreating a set to measure Barbie rebuilt in detail the limits of the obsessive precision, the original that inspired it, in order to strengthen the authenticity and strength of timeless images, now become part of our visual memory and intended to be timeless. Intuition playful operate this simulation, using one of the most imitated, idolized, collected and studied which is renewed in every historical period, this production puts in a dimension in the making, is intended to be enriched with new images, and more opportunity to quote unexpected suggestions.
An Afghan refugee carries his child as he arrived on a beach on the Greek island of Kos, after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece, on May 27, 2015.
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis. An Afghan refugee carries his child as he arrived on a beach on the Greek island of Kos, after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece, on May 27, 2015.
TransBrasil is an ongoing project, which aims deepen about gender identities issues from documentary photography perspective. It proposes to approach different social and cultural expressions that question the binary schemes masculine/feminine to understand the gender and identity process. Also, this project pursuit thinks about the possibility of multiples identities. For that reason, the proposal adopt the transgender concept, understanding the trans as a dynamic space without fix tags; as a border with an identity traffic which enable plurality and freedom to choose who each person wants to be, creating a gender hybridity. Transgender people express their gender identities in many different ways. Some people use their dress, behavior and mannerisms to live as the gender that feels right for them. Some people take hormones and may have surgery to change their body so it matches their gender identity. Some transgender people reject the traditional understanding of gender as divided between just "masculine" and "feminine" so they identify just as transgender, or gender queer, gender fluid, or something else.
Credit: Jetmir Idrizi. TransBrasil is an ongoing project, which aims deepen about gender identities issues from documentary photography perspective. It proposes to approach different social and cultural expressions that question the binary schemes masculine/feminine to understand the gender and identity process. Also, this project pursuit thinks about the possibility of multiples identities. For that reason, the proposal adopt the transgender concept, understanding the trans as a dynamic space without fix tags; as a border with an identity traffic which enable plurality and freedom to choose who each person wants to be, creating a gender hybridity. Transgender people express their gender identities in many different ways. Some people use their dress, behavior and mannerisms to live as the gender that feels right for them. Some people take hormones and may have surgery to change their body so it matches their gender identity. Some transgender people reject the traditional understanding of gender as divided between just “masculine” and “feminine” so they identify just as transgender, or gender queer, gender fluid, or something else.
TransBrasil is an ongoing project, which aims deepen about gender identities issues from documentary photography perspective. It proposes to approach different social and cultural expressions that question the binary schemes masculine/feminine to understand the gender and identity process. Also, this project pursuit thinks about the possibility of multiples identities. For that reason, the proposal adopt the transgender concept, understanding the trans as a dynamic space without fix tags; as a border with an identity traffic which enable plurality and freedom to choose who each person wants to be, creating a gender hybridity. Transgender people express their gender identities in many different ways. Some people use their dress, behavior and mannerisms to live as the gender that feels right for them. Some people take hormones and may have surgery to change their body so it matches their gender identity. Some
Credit: Jetmir Idrizi. TransBrasil is an ongoing project, which aims deepen about gender identities issues from documentary photography perspective. It proposes to approach different social and cultural expressions that question the binary schemes masculine/feminine to understand the gender and identity process. Also, this project pursuit thinks about the possibility of multiples identities. For that reason, the proposal adopt the transgender concept, understanding the trans as a dynamic space without fix tags; as a border with an identity traffic which enable plurality and freedom to choose who each person wants to be, creating a gender hybridity. Transgender people express their gender identities in many different ways. Some people use their dress, behavior and mannerisms to live as the gender that feels right for them. Some people take hormones and may have surgery to change their body so it matches their gender identity. Some
The series WAITING FOR THE CANDYMEN is study of Cuban idiosyncrasy; an allegory of waiting: Waiting the right moment, waiting for tomorrow, waiting for something or someone who brings redemption - mayb (candid documentary photography / fine art / lonterm-project since 2014 / 3:2 / a selection - 10 of 30 images / Cuba / all rights by Kirstin Schmitt)
Credit: Kirstin Schmitt. The series WAITING FOR THE CANDYMEN is study of Cuban idiosyncrasy; an allegory of waiting: Waiting the right moment, waiting for tomorrow, waiting for something or someone who brings redemption – mayb (candid documentary photography / fine art / lonterm-project since 2014 / 3:2 / a selection – 10 of 30 images / Cuba / all rights by Kirstin Schmitt)
https://www.julienmauve.com/greetings-from-mars
Credit: Julien Mauve https://www.julienmauve.com/greetings-from-mars
Greetings fro Mars
Credit: Julien Mauve

See our interview with Julien!

Coal used to be the gold of West Virginia, US. But then Obama came and new environmental regulations. Together with lower price on coal, it led to huge redundancies and the coal became a curse for many of the coal-cities in West Virginia. In 1940, 140.000 worked in the mountains, today only about 15.000 are left in the coal business. Town like Beckley and Mullens does not have many other sources of income. Drugs, pills, alcohol and violence is dominant many places, and young people are struggeling to find work, forcing many to move.
Credit: Espen Rasmussen. Coal used to be the gold of West Virginia, US. But then Obama came and new environmental regulations. Together with lower price on coal, it led to huge redundancies and the coal became a curse for many of the coal-cities in West Virginia. In 1940, 140.000 worked in the mountains, today only about 15.000 are left in the coal business. Town like Beckley and Mullens does not have many other sources of income. Drugs, pills, alcohol and violence is dominant many places, and young people are struggeling to find work, forcing many to move.
Coal used to be the gold of West Virginia, US. But then Obama came and new environmental regulations. Together with lower price on coal, it led to huge redundancies and the coal became a curse for many of the coal-cities in West Virginia. In 1940, 140.000 worked in the mountains, today only about 15.000 are left in the coal business. Town like Beckley and Mullens does not have many other sources of income. Drugs, pills, alcohol and violence is dominant many places, and young people are struggeling to find work, forcing many to move.
Credit: Espen Rasmussen. Coal used to be the gold of West Virginia, US. But then Obama came and new environmental regulations. Together with lower price on coal, it led to huge redundancies and the coal became a curse for many of the coal-cities in West Virginia. In 1940, 140.000 worked in the mountains, today only about 15.000 are left in the coal business. Town like Beckley and Mullens does not have many other sources of income. Drugs, pills, alcohol and violence is dominant many places, and young people are struggeling to find work, forcing many to move.

Iranian photographer Asghar Khamseh wins L’Iris d’Or Photographer of the Year and $25,000 prize for powerful portraits of acid attack victims

Kei Nomiyama, Japan, wins Open Photographer of the Year for best single shot

Fourteen Professional category winners announced

RongRong & inri honored with Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize

Winners selected from a record-breaking 230,103 entries from 186 countries

All winners and shortlist to be exhibited at Somerset House, London 22 April – 8 May
Images available for publication at press.worldphoto.org or Image.net

“The Jury were united in their admiration of the Photographer of the Year’s work and the light it sheds on the tragic practice it exposes.” -Dominique Green, Chair, Documentary Jury

London, 21st April 2016: The overall winners of the world’s largest photography competition, the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, are named today by the World Photography Organisation. An exhibition of all the winning and shortlisted work will run at Somerset House, London from 22nd April – 8th May.

Following a record-breaking 230,103 submissions to its ninth edition, the awards’ Honorary Judging Committee has selected Iranian photojournalist Asghar Khamseh as the recipient of its most coveted prize, the L’Iris d’Or Photographer of the Year.

Chosen from the winners of the awards’ fourteen Professional categories, the winning work, ‘Fire of Hatred’, is a powerful portrait series tackling the social issues around the violent act of acid throwing. Khamseh was announced as the winner of the $25,000 (USD) prize at an awards ceremony in London in front of industry leaders. The winners and finalists of all fourteen Professional categories were also announced at the ceremony.

At the ceremony, the World Photography Organisation announced Kei Nomiyama, Japan, as the Open Photographer of the Year and recipient of $5,000 (USD). In addition, the organisation announced the winners of the Youth and Student Focus Photographer of the Year titles. All winners of the night received the latest Sony digital imaging equipment.

Scott Gray, CEO, World Photography Organisation comments: “The awards consistently provide an incredible array of work, from a multitude of countries, and most importantly provide the chance for photographers to be discovered and extend their careers. I hope that the winning work this year can provide an inspiration to other photographers, helping to push their creative boundaries, whilst also serving to build the wider appreciation of photography.”

The Sony World Photography Awards annually recognises the world’s best photography. Free to enter and open to all photographers, the awards are an authoritative voice in the photographic industry that has the power to shape the careers of its winning and shortlisted photographers.

L’IRIS D’OR PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – ASGHAR KHAMSEH

Born in Tehran in 1963, Asghar Khamseh is a photojournalist with Mehr News Agency, Iran, whose work focuses on social issues.

The winning series ‘Fire of Hatred’ is a powerful series of portraits of the victims of acid attacks. This beautiful yet thought-provoking work examines the social issues around this violent crime – looking past the physical and psychological damages suffered, and towards the social stigma and blame the victims, who are mainly women and children, suffer.

Dominique Green, Chair, Documentary Jury said of the work: “Portraits of disfigurement resulting from social violence are undoubtedly a hard-hitting subject, and one which the longstanding tradition of documentary photography does not shy away from. The power of Asghar Khamseh’s imposing series ‘Fire of Hatred’ is such that he enables the viewer to face head-on intimate images, which could be testing to examine closely, with empathy and respect which in turn allows the viewer to become a witness and not just a spectator. The Jury were united in their admiration of this work and the light it shed on the tragic practice it exposes.”

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

The winners of the seven Documentary and seven Art categories hail from 10 countries and, for the first time, two Professional categories have been won by one photographer in the same year. Photographers were judged on a body of work.

ART CATEGORIES

Architecture winner: Amélie Labourdette, France
2nd – Hui Zhang, China / 3rd – Stephan Zirwes, Germany

Candid winner – Kirstin Schmitt, Germany
2nd – Nick Ng, Malaysia / 3rd – Andrea Rossato, Italy

Conceptual winner – Julien Mauve, France
2nd – Alejandro Beltran, Venezuela / 3rd – Barbaros Kayan, Turkey

Landscape winner: Maroesjka Lavigne, Belgium
2nd Maoyuan Cui, China / 3rd Stefan Schlumpf, Switzerland

o Portraiture winner: Marcello Bonfanti, Italy

2nd Fauzan Ijazah, Indonesia / 3rd Rubén Salgado Escudero, Spain

o Staged winner: Alberto Alicata, Italy

2nd Cristina Vatielli, Italy / 3rd Kristoffer Eliassen, Norway

Still Life winner: Francesco Amorosino, Italy
2nd Oliver Schwarzwald, Germany / 3rd Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan

DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES

Campaign winner: Jetmir Idrizi, Kosovo
2nd – David Chancellor, UK / 3rd – Antoine Repessé, France

Contemporary Issues winner – Asghar Khamseh, Iran
2nd – Kevin Frayer, Canada / 3rd – Simona Ghizzoni, Italy

Current Affairs winner – Angelos Tzortzinis, Greece
2nd – Andrea and Magda, Italy & France / 3rd – Andrew Burton, USA

o Daily Life winner: Espen Rasmussen, Norway

2nd Sandra Hoyn, Germany / 3rd Stephanie Sinclair, USA

Environment winner: Kevin Frayer, Canada
2nd Li Feng, China / 3rd Lucy Nicholson, UK

People winner: Kevin Frayer, Canada
2nd Filippo Venturi, Italy / 3rd Alessandro D’Angelo, Italy

Sport winner: Nikolai Linares, Denmark
2nd Jens Juul, Denmark / 3rd Annick Donkers, Belgium

OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – KEI NOMIYAMA, JAPAN

“Enchanted Bamboo Forest” by Kei Nomiyama was selected as the single best image in the world by a panel of judges chaired by Jael Marschner, former picture editor Time Out London / Sunday Times Travel. The photographer was awarded $5,000 (USD) at the London ceremony.

A Ph.D. Associate Professor in Environmental Chemistry at Ehime University, Japan, Nomiyama is keen wildlife and underwater photographer. His photograph was shot in the mountains of Shikoku Island and captures the Luciola parvula firefly at the beginning of the rainy season.

The photograph was selected from 10 Open category winners announced on 29th March. The Open competition asks for a single image and is open to all photographers.

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – SAM DELAWARE, US

A beautiful portrait of the photographer’s sister won 18 year old student Sam Delaware the Youth Photographer of the Year title. Born in Freeport, Maine and currently attending school in Angwin, California, Delaware is a self-taught photographer who has been shooting since the aged of 12. The photographer was flown to London to attend the awards ceremony as part of his prize.

The winning image was selected from three Youth category winners announced on 29 March, the Youth competition is open to all photographers aged 12-19.

STUDENT FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Sofia Jern, aged 23 of Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland, secured the Student Focus Photographer of the Year title. She collected €30,000 worth of Sony photography equipment for her university at the awards ceremony in London. Jern’s winning work follows the lives of ‘glue boys’, young male drug users escaping reality on the streets of Kitale, Kenya.

Student Focus works worldwide with over 400 educational institutions with photography courses and is one of the world’s leading programmes for photography students. It is supported by the British Journal of Photography. www.worldphoto.org/student-focus

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY – RONGRONG & INRI

RongRong & inri, the influential photographic husband and wife team who have shaped contemporary photography in China and beyond, collected their Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize at the London awards ceremony. They were recognised by the World Photography Organisation for both their careers as artists and their significant impact on Asian photography.

RongRong & inri’s photography reflects the intimate world that they have created together and pushes the boundaries of traditional black-and-white darkroom techniques. Together they founded China’s first contemporary art space dedicated to the medium, the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, and the 2015 Jimei x Arles Photo Festival in partnership with Les Recontres d’Arles.

The first major European showing of RongRong & inri’s work, celebrating their careers will be presented at Somerset House as part of the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.

The Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize has previously been awarded to Mary Ellen Mark, William Eggleston, Eve Arnold, Bruce Davidson, Marc Riboud, William Klein, Elliott Erwitt and Phil Stern.

EXHIBITION AND BOOK

All the winning and shortlisted images will be exhibited at Somerset House, London from 22nd April – 8th May. The exhibition will also include a special dedication to Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipients, RongRong & inri.

Shares
Written by

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.