The global photography community turned its eyes to London as the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 announced its winners, celebrating the 18th iteration of this esteemed competition. In a special gala ceremony, the World Photography Organisation honoured the exceptional photographers whose work has captivated, challenged, and inspired over the past year. These awards are a landmark event, offering a powerful lens into contemporary photography and providing invaluable exposure for both established names and rising stars.
Across the Professional, Open, Student, and Youth competitions, the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 winners showcase an incredible breadth of talent, technical mastery, and narrative depth. They reflect the stories and images shaping our visual culture today. Let’s explore the achievements of this year’s outstanding photographers before you return to our complete list of photography competitions.
Zed Nelson: Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Photographer of the Year
British photographer Zed Nelson has been crowned the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Photographer of the Year for his significant and thought-provoking series, The Anthropocene Illusion. This top honour includes a $25,000 (USD) prize, Sony digital imaging gear, and a platform at the 2026 awards exhibition.
Nelson’s six-year project across four continents confronts the complex and often troubled relationship between humanity and the natural environment in the Anthropocene age. The Anthropocene Illusion delves into the artificial spaces – safari parks, resorts, museums, zoos – created by humans to interact with a simulated version of nature. It masterfully highlights the conflict between our desire for connection with the wild and the persistent environmental damage caused by human activity.
Zed Nelson shared his thoughts: “I’m very honoured for my work to be recognised by the Sony World Photography Awards… Over the last six years, I have explored how we immerse ourselves in choreographed and simulated environments to mask our destructive impact on the natural world… the recognition of this Award really helps to now get the work out into the world and to be able to tell this vital story.”
Monica Allende, the 2025 Professional jury Chair, remarked on the project’s impact: “The jury applauded Nelson’s urgent topic and his ability to translate complex environmental issues into striking visual narratives… This timely body of work tells one of the most important stories of our age, and is now more critical than ever.”
Nelson emerged as the overall winner from the ten Professional category victors.
Olivier Unia: Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Open Photographer of the Year
Celebrating the power of a single, striking image, the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Open Photographer of the Year title goes to Olivier Unia (France). He receives $5,000 (USD) and Sony equipment for his dynamic photograph, Tbourida La Chute.
Unia’s winning shot captures a heart-stopping moment of drama during a traditional Moroccan tbourida, an equestrian display known for its synchronized charges and gunfire. The image freezes the instant a rider is unseated, perfectly conveying the blend of danger, skill, and cultural pageantry.
“I’m very proud to be the Open Photographer of the Year in this major competition,” said Unia. “I entered Tbourida La Chute, one of the photographs from a project I’ve been working on for the past two years about the Moroccan equestrian art form of tbourida, and I am pleased to see this image recognised.”
Student Photographer of the Year 2025: Micaela Valdivia Medina
Responding to the brief “In the Beginning,” photography students worldwide submitted series exploring the nascent stages of a story. Micaela Valdivia Medina (Peru), from Chile’s Instituto Profesional Arcos, was named the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Student Photographer of the Year.
Her winning project, The Last Day We Saw the Mountains and the Sea, provides a sensitive and insightful look into female prisons in Chile, examining the lives of incarcerated women and their family connections.
Youth Photographer of the Year 2025: Daniel Dian-Ji Wu
Recognising talent aged 19 and under, the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Youth Photographer of the Year is Daniel Dian-Ji Wu (Taiwan, 16 years old).
His winning single image is a visually stunning silhouette of a skateboarder performing a trick against a dramatic sunset sky in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, capturing the essence of youth culture and urban energy.
Wu expressed his gratitude: “It’s an incredible honour to be named Youth Photographer of the Year… Photography has been a huge part of my life for the past seven years, so this means so much to me… I’m really thankful to the Sony World Photography Awards for selecting me and can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Category Winners at a Glance
Here’s a quick overview of the first-place winners across the Professional and Open competition categories for the Sony World Photography Awards 2025:
Professional Competition Category Winners
Architecture & Design:
Ulana Switucha (Canada) for The Tokyo Toilet Project
Creative:
Rhiannon Adam (United Kingdom) for Rhi-Entry
Documentary Projects:
Toby Binder (Germany) for Divided Youth of Belfast
Environment:
Nicolás Garrido Huguet (Peru) for Alquimia Textil
Landscape:
Seido Kino (Japan) for The Strata of Time
Perspectives:
Laura Pannack (United Kingdom) for The Journey Home from School
Portraiture:
Gui Christ (Brazil) for M’kumba
Sport:
Chantal Pinzi (Italy) for Shred the Patriarchy
Still Life:
Peter Franck (Germany) for Still Waiting
Wildlife & Nature:
Zed Nelson (United Kingdom) for The Anthropocene Illusion
Open Competition Category Winners
Architecture:
Xuecheng Liu (China Mainland)
Creative:
Jonell Francisco (Philippines)
Landscape:
Ng Guang Ze (Singapore)
Lifestyle:
Hajime Hirano (Japan)
Motion:
Olivier Unia (France) – Also overall Open Photographer of the Year
Natural World & Wildlife:
Estebane Rezkallah (France)
Object:
Sussi Charlotte Alminde (Denmark)
Portraiture:
Yeintze Boutamba (Gabon)
Street Photography:
Khairizal Maris (Indonesia)
Travel:
Matjaž Šimic (Slovenia)
These inspiring photographs are just a small part of the different works that have stood out in this call. On the official website you can enjoy all the photographs of the winners and finalists.
Susan Meiselas: Honoured for Outstanding Contribution to Photography
The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 also paid tribute to the influential American documentary photographer Susan Meiselas, bestowing upon her the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award. Known for her long-term, collaborative projects and her focus on human rights, cultural identity, and underrepresented stories (particularly in Latin America), Meiselas has profoundly impacted documentary photography.
Attendees of the London exhibition can view a dedicated selection of over 60 images showcasing the key themes and narrative threads from Meiselas’s remarkable five-decade career.
Experience the Winning Works: The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Exhibition
The exceptional works from all the winners and shortlisted photographers of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 are now on display at the prestigious Somerset House in London. This must-see exhibition runs from 17 April to 5 May 2025.
Visitors can immerse themselves in over 300 stunning prints, complemented by hundreds more images showcased digitally. It’s a powerful journey through contemporary photography, featuring Zed Nelson’s The Anthropocene Illusion, the special tribute to Susan Meiselas, and the diverse winning and finalist works from every category.
A Vibrant Snapshot of Global Photography
The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 deliver a powerful statement on the health and diversity of contemporary photography. The winners and shortlisted artists provide compelling insights into our world, showcasing extraordinary talent, dedication, and unique visual storytelling. From the critical environmental commentary of Zed Nelson to the dynamic cultural captures of Olivier Unia, and the promising futures heralded by the Student and Youth winners, the awards celebrate photography in all its forms.
We congratulate every photographer recognized in this year’s awards. Their work not only earns accolades but also enriches our collective visual landscape and inspires creativity worldwide.