The winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards were announced last week at a gala ceremony in London, and the standout images range from poignant black-and-white portraiture to vibrant sports scenes and breathtaking nature shots.
Now in its 16th year, the free-to-enter competition seeks to help support the careers of both established and emerging artists while offering “vital insight” into the state of contemporary photography, according to a press release.
With four separate divisions — professional, open, student, and youth — the awards provide photographers the opportunity to showcase their artistry through a variety of categories, including architecture, creative, lifestyle, landscape, and more. At the annual awards ceremony, one entrant from the professional category is named Photographer of the Year, an honor accompanied by a $25,000 prize.
Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins earned the 2023 title, for a series called “Our War,” put together as an homage to his photojournalist friend Anton Hammerl, who was killed in 2011 during the Libyan Civil War.
Long Jing, from China, won Student Photographer of the Year for his “vivid” photo series that “celebrates the multiculturalism of southwestern China” as seen through performers and spectators at the Yunnan Opera, while 17-year-old Hai Wang from China was named Youth Photographer for his striking image of empty, brightly colored chairs at a school ceremony that had been canceled due to COVID-19.
This year, the organization also handed out a Sustainability Prize to honor the “stories, people, and organizations whose actions highlight one of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals,” according to the news release. Alessandro Cinque of Italy won for his series of shots featuring innovative fog nets used to address water shortages in Lima, Peru.
The winning photos, more than 200 prints and digital displays, are now on exhibit at the Somerset House in the U.K. until May 1. 
See all the winning images and learn more about them here.
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