The Sony World Photography Awards bring us the most amazing photos from around the globe every year, and 2017's freshly announced winners are sure to leave you speechless.
The photo contest hands award out to 4 different categories; Professional photographers (body of work), open (single images), youth (photographers aged 12-19), and student focus. National Awards are also presented to one beautiful photo from each participating country. Depending on the category, winners of the photography contest take home cash prizes, Sony digital imaging equipment, and the opportunity the have their stunning pictures featured in an exhibition. Sony's 2017 exhibition for best photos is set to take place in London.
See if your favourites from the shortlist ended up winning below, and vote for the ones that deserved it most. You can also check out our posts about the winners from 2013, 2014, and the 2015 shortlist.
More info: Sony World Photography Awards 2017
This post may include affiliate links.
Khalid Alsabat, Saudi Arabia National Award
Alsabat captured this image of an elderly fisherman casting his net in Yangzhou, China.
Homare Hamada, Japan National Award
Hamada captured the full trajectory launch of the Stork rocket by using long exposure.
Camilo Diaz, Colombia National Award
Submerged field. Everyday aims towards a collective goal. The Colombian national team is immersed in white, grey, and black, fighting together for the ultimate position. With accredited prestige, an invitation was sent to participate in the European Junior Championship, as a guest team. Ana Maria and her team are constantly fighting, pushing their lungs to the limit and transforming their everyday lack of resources to an idea of opportunity. The volume of water suggests a calm while the surface gives constant chaos. It is in this scenario that the South American team is named youth world champion winners in Norway.
Peter Svoboda, Slovakia National Award
Light from above. The picture "Light from above" was taken in September 2016 in Santa Maddalena, Dolomiten, Italy. Beautiful light and humidity stood behind the nice play of light and shadows that morning. I was waiting as the small church was illuminated by the very first rays of Sun.
Andreas Hemb, Sweden National Award
A herd of cape Buffaloes drink at a watering hole at Zimanga Private Games Reserve, South Africa. Taken on tripod with first exposure lit for buffaloes and without changing camera position second exposure without light and focused on the stars instead of the buffaloes.
Shashanka Chitrakar, Nepal National Award
Jelena Jankovic, Serbia National Award
EXIST. The year 2016. reminds me the time in which selfie culture determines our existence if we were somewhere or doing something. The photo was taken at a concert Massive Attack in Pula/Croatia.
Petar Sabol, Croatia National Award
This image titled Swirl was shot at the beginning of 2016. at local pond near Palovec. It shows the moment a small bird kingfisher flies out of water with a little fish in his beak.
Luis Godinho, Portugal National Award
OMG that is so intense. These people are desperate! Where? Who? When? Why? My mind wants answers, but also doesn't want to hear them. Strong evocative photography. My up-vote for sure!
Jonatan Banista, Central America National Award
Cautelosa / Cautious. Taken on June 12, 2016, while working in the field, this iguana was near a small creek had done several reptile shots until I got this one.
Jim Chen, Taiwan National Award
Katerina Annenkova, Latvia National Award
Simona Nalepkova, Czech Republic National Award
Shabir Mian, Pakistan National Award
Deveni Nishantha Manjula, Sri Lanka National Award
Sleeping beauty. During a game drive in Lake Nakuru national park in September 2016 we noticed this lioness on a tree. With the reputation of tree climbing lions in Lake Nakuru we were not surprised to see this lioness on the tree. With the light levels depleting quickly due to adverse weather conditions I made this picture to show the environment of the subject.
Alessandra Meniconzi, Switzeland National Award
Meniconzi captured this image of a flock of flamingos in the shallow waters of Walvis Bay, on the Namibian coast in Summer 2016.
Jianguo Gong, China National Award
Tai Chi. December 10, 2016. Wuhan city in Hubei Province, the Yangtze River, more than 1 thousand and 300 people practicing taijiquan.
Kyaw Win Hlaing, Myanmar National Award
This image was taken at Sadan Cave, Pahan township, Karin State in Myanmar.
Ewa Cwikla, Netherlands National Award
Ales Komovec, Slovenia National Award
Ivan Miladinov, Bulgaria National Award
Josselin Cornou, France National Award
Tabular iceberg. In March 2016, I headed to the Antarctic Peninsula, as part of an expedition with explorer Robert Swan. On our way to the 66th parallel south, our boat was navigating in silence through 30 meter (100 feet) high tabular icebergs that were once part of the Larsen Ice Shelf. Those mesmerizing structures were displaying subzero icy corridors, forming a highly photogenic gargantuan maze. The scene was magnificent, but also incredibly scary. I took my camera, I had to show the world the impact that global warming has had. Equipped with a 70-200mm, I started to play with the magnificent landscape around me, trying to display the geometric magnificence of those structures. After envisioning the shot, I had to wait the right moment, and had only a few seconds to get it right.
Alexander Vinogradov, Russian Federation
Mathilda. Inspired by the movie Leon. Model: Anastasiya Marinina.
Constantinos Sofikitis, Greece National Award
Halloween Protagonists. Halloween in NYC, one of the world's most unique parades and the spookiest holiday in the fall.
Firos Syed, Qatar National Award
Lester Koh, Singapore National Award
Lester has captured this image of one of Singapore's Oldest Public housing buildings. He shot the picture at dawn on Singapore's 51st National Day in August 2016.
Tadas Kazakevicius, Lithuania National Award
Mustafa Jindi, Uae National Award
Transportation. I took this photo in Abu Dhabi, at one of past September morning days, a painting on the wall grabbed my attention, due to it represents UAE past culture. It made me bring my son, dress him with the Local traditional outfit that he loves the most, and made him play around with his tiny car under; the paint, which reflects the great progress and innovation, that UAE witnessed in saving its own precious culture background.
Wow..... The photograph is beautiful, but that artwork is truly magnificent.
Annela Samuel, Estonia National Award
Polpich Komson, Thailand National Award
Chun Kin Tong, China National Award
Mark Vicente, Philippines National Award
Mohammad Amir Hamja, Bangladesh National Award
Antti Hallakorpi, Finland National Award
Mohamed Roushdy El Dor, Egypt National Award
Francisco Ubilla, Chile National Award
Shot from above Ubilla captured this woman at the central post offices of Chile.
Zani Arkadina, Ukraine National Award
Tim Cornbill, Uk National Award
Concrete Circle. Having just arrived in Berlin on a bright summer's day, my wife and I decided to take a morning walk along the River Spree. We soon came across a large concrete building, and I was immediately struck by its geometry and scale. Across the river, I positioned myself for a single point perspective and waited for the right moment to capture it. A couple came into the viewfinder and I noticed the cyclist out of the corner of my eye. I waited for them to move into the frame and hit the shutter to try and balance the composition.
Alex Andriesi, Romania National Award
Santos Moreno Villar, Spain National Award
Nikunj Rathod, India National Award
Edina Csoboth, Hungary National Award
Ngoc Mai Nguyen, Vietnam National Award
Miriam Strong, New Zealand National Award
Ralph Graf, Germany National Award
Gassing Up At Roy's. Roy's Cafe, gas station and motel in Amboy, California. Part of my series "Roadside America". This photo was taken at the Historic Route 66.
Notice the gas prices. Must have been during that Summer when people in the U.S. had to stop driving cars.
Arek Rataj, Poland National Award
Ly Min, Cambodia National Award
Very film-like photo. No bright colors of Cambodia. Reminds me of the documentary film Les Pépites. It is about how children working on a garbage dump of Phnom-Penh were helped by a man and his wife who created a school for them.
Carloman Macidiano Cespedes Riojas, Peru National Award
Algo casual 2. This image is a criticism of modern relationships and the distance between human beings in their daily interactions.
Jose Maria Perez Nunez, Argentina National Award
Henning S. Pettersen, Norway National Award
Emrah Karakos, Turkey National Award
Alexander Vinogradov, Russian Federation National Award
ERROR: This picture is amazing but the photographer is Salvatore Mazzeo, ITALIA
Austin Odunga, Kenya National Award
Julian Walkner, Austria National Award
Tania Franco Klein, Mexico National Award
Jian Seng Soh, Malaysia National Award
Seung Jong Lee, Republic Of Korea National Award
Los Angeles 2016. Los Angeles Street Photography.
Lise Johansson, Denmark National Award
The series Hearth explores what it means to feel at home. The inspiration for the work came from the personal experience of Johansson returning to Denmark after many years of living abroad and realising he had lost the warm sense of belonging I once he had. This feeling of loss can be felt when viewing the photograph.
Evan George, Australia National Award
Katrijn Van Giel, Belgium National Award
Argus Paul Estabrook, Usa National Award
Bernard Ward, Ireland National Award
Harley Yang, Canada National Award
Fajar Kristianto, Indonesia National Award
Some of these, I am sorry, but I really feel are just photos. Anybody could have taken them.I feel that "award-winning photography" should be, award-worthy photography. In ANY way shape, or form.
Some of these, I am sorry, but I really feel are just photos. Anybody could have taken them.I feel that "award-winning photography" should be, award-worthy photography. In ANY way shape, or form.