Sony World Photography Awards 2024: Photographer of the Year Announced

The World Photography Organisation announced today the overall winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 at a special gala ceremony held in London. Now in its 17th year, the Awards’ ceremony is a major annual moment recognising the best photography in the world today, and celebrating the images and stories that have resonated with global audiences over the past year. The winning, finalist and shortlisted images are on view at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition at Somerset House, London from 19 April.

The prestigious Photographer of the Year title was awarded to Juliette Pavy for her series Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women. Pavy won a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present a new body of work at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition.

Pavy was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced today alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. From urgent stories documenting our changing climate and our relationship with the natural world, to intimate portrayals of individuals and communities, this year’s Professional competition winners and finalists represent an extraordinary range of photographic practices from across the globe.

Notably, the ceremony also honoured this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, the internationally acclaimed photographer Sebastião Salgado, whose distinctive black-and-white works have captured imaginations over the past five decades of his career. Salgado was recognised for his indelible contribution to the visual language of photography.

Additionally recognised at the gala ceremony were the overall winners of the Awards’ Open, Student and Youth competitions and this year’s Sustainability Prize winner. Championing photographers at different junctures of their careers, the Awards’ Open competition celebrates the power of a single image, whilst the Student and Youth Competitions spotlight the work of the next generation. Established last year, the Sustainability Prize platforms photographers highlighting a positive change for our planet.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition is on view at Somerset House, London from 19 April – 6 May 2024. Among the most exciting photography events in London’s spring cultural calendar, this major exhibition features over 200 prints, and hundreds of additional images in digital displays from the winning and shortlisted photographers and includes a retrospective of works by this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, Sebastião Salgado.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women by Juliette Pavy (France) is a documentary project exploring the severe and lasting impacts of the involuntary birth control campaign led by Danish authorities in Greenland in the 1960s and 1970s. This series examines the spiralkampagnen, in which several thousand Inuit women, some as young as 12, were implanted with intrauterine devices without their consent. The project traces the programme’s origins through to the present day, including the ongoing investigation by the Danish government.

Placing the victims’ perspectives at the forefront, the narrative structure of Pavy’s project is shaped by these difficult and important reflections on the collective trauma experienced by a community. The series uses a variety of photographic formats; from situating shots of the city of Nuuk and its clinical spaces, to X-ray imagery and archival photographs of the young women involved, alongside recent portraits of victims and of doctors who worked in Greenland during and after the programme, to the Danish parliamentarian investigating the spiralkampagnen in the present day.

Placing the victims’ perspectives at the forefront, the narrative structure of Pavy’s project is shaped by these difficult and important reflections on the collective trauma experienced by a community. The series uses a variety of photographic formats; from situating shots of the city of Nuuk and its clinical spaces, to X-ray imagery and archival photographs of the young women involved, alongside recent portraits of victims and of doctors who worked in Greenland during and after the programme, to the Danish parliamentarian investigating the spiralkampagnen in the present day.

Commenting on Pavy’s winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2023 Professional Competition Jury says: ‘The Sony World Photography Awards jury lauded Juliette Pavy's empathetic portrayal of her subjects, capturing them in a manner that is both dignified and profoundly intimate, thereby highlighting her exceptional talent. Pavy's dedication to exposing the stark realities faced by marginalised communities, coupled with her compelling narrative approach, has not only earned her the prestigious recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards but also underscores the jury's belief in her potential and the importance of supporting her career trajectory.’

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS

The winning photographers in the Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges for submitting an outstanding series of five to 10 images, displaying technical mastery and a strong approach to narrative. 

All category winners receive Sony’s digital imaging kit. This year’s winners are:

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

WINNER: Siobhán Doran (Ireland) for her series Sala Mayor (Living Room)

Finalists: 2nd place Karol Pałka (Poland); 3rd place Yaser Mohamad Khani (Islamic Republic of Iran)

CREATIVE

WINNER: Sujata Setia (United Kingdom) for her series A Thousand Cuts

Finalists: 2nd place Mackenzie Calle (United States); 3rd place Tine Poppe (Norway)

DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS

WINNER: Juliette Pavy (France) for her series Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women

Finalists: 2nd place Brent Stirton (South Africa); 3rd place Davide Monteleone (Italy)

ENVIRONMENT

WINNER: Mahé Elipe (France) for her series Echoes of the Hive

Finalists: 2nd place Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Italy); 3rd place Maurizio Di Pietro (Italy)

LANDSCAPE

WINNER: Eddo Hartmann (Netherlands) for his series The Sacrifice Zone

Finalists: 2nd place Jim Fenwick (United Kingdom); 3rd place Fan Li (China Mainland)

PORTFOLIO

WINNER: Jorge Mónaco (Argentina) for his series Portraits and Landscapes

Finalists: 2nd place Aly Hazzaa (Egypt); 3rd place Angelika Kollin (Estonia)

SPORT

WINNER: Thomas Meurot (France) for his series Kald Sòl (Cold Sun)

Finalists: 2nd place Angelika Jakob (Germany); 3rd place Tommaso Pardini (Italy)

STILL LIFE

WINNER: Federico Scarchilli (Italy) for his series Flora

Finalists: 2nd place Peter Franck (Germany); 3rd place Beth Galton (United States)

WILDLIFE & NATURE

WINNER: Eva Berler (Greece) for her series Suspended Worlds

Finalists: 2nd place Haider Khan (India); 3rd place Jasper Doest (Netherlands)

To find out more about this year’s winning and finalist projects please visit our online winners galleries

SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE

Kathleen Orlinsky (United States) was announced as this year’s Sustainability Prize winner for her series America’s First Wilderness and won a $5,000 cash prize (USD)

Orlinsky’s series looks at the landscape, wildlife and people of the Gila Wilderness of southeastern New Mexico, exploring the conservation efforts which have gone into maintaining the untouched natural environment and protecting the biodiversity of the area. Orlinsky’s project looks at the ways in which the people inhabiting the wilderness peacefully coexist with the nature around them, and promote the conservation of this space.

Commenting on her win, Orlinsky says: ‘I am thrilled and honoured to be awarded, and especially excited to be able to raise awareness about pressing environmental and conservation issues right now in the throes of the climate crisis.

The Sustainability Prize is part of Creators for the Planet, a global year-round engagement programme set by Creo and developed in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation and Sony Pictures, which recognises the stories, people and organisations whose actions highlight one of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals

OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

The Open competition celebrates the power and dynamism of a single image. Winning photographs are chosen for their ability to communicate a remarkable visual narrative combined with technical excellence. Chosen from the 10 Open category winners, Liam Man (United Kingdom) is Open Photographer of the Year 2024 and the recipient of the $5,000 (USD) cash prize, Sony digital imaging equipment and international exposure.

Liam Man won for his photograph Moonrise Sprites over Storr, depicting the well-known rock formation of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lit by drone lights and the rising orange moon. Taken late at night, during a powerful blizzard, this image highlights the vast mountainous landscape and the striking winter sky.  

Speaking of his win, Man says: ‘Every year, I admire the winning photographs and envision my work being displayed amongst them. Being selected as Open Photographer of the Year in the Sony World Photography Awards is a dream turned reality, and leaves me feeling deeply grateful, overjoyed and absolutely speechless!

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

For this year’s Student competition, photography students were invited to submit a series of five to 10 images responding to the brief of Home, highlighting their personal perspectives on place, community, identity and belonging. 

Kayin Luys (Belgium) of LUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas Brussels has been awarded the title of Student Photographer of the Year, winning Sony digital imaging equipment worth €30,000 for his university. Luys’s series Don’t Trust Pretty Girls is an intimate portrait of his in-laws, highlighting the ways in which he has come to know his partner’s family, and has become part of their day-to-day traditions and rituals.

Commenting on his win Luys says: ‘Photography has been an important way for me to further explore my surroundings. In my work, I relate to and take inspiration from the stories confided in me. I am touched and honoured that those big and small stories are reaching a wider audience and gaining further recognition, due to the Sony World Photography Awards.’

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

This year entrants to the Youth competition were invited to respond to the theme Through Your Eyes and share their unique understanding of the world around them. Selected from a shortlist of 10 photographers aged 19 and under, Daniel Murray (United Kingdom, 15 years-old) is the Youth Photographer of the Year, receiving Sony digital imaging kit and global exposure.

Murray’s photograph of a solitary surfer on an empty Cornish beach captures the quiet atmosphere of the end of the summer season, and the expansive beach landscapes of the English seaside. Through its soft tones, the image captures the warm light of late summer. 

Commenting on his win, Murray says: ‘I'm very happy and proud of myself, as this is a great achievement as a young photographer. This motivates me to keep going and improve as a photographer. Thanks to the Sony World Photography Awards for this opportunity!’

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY

This year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize has been awarded to the esteemed photographer Sebastião Salgado. One of the most accomplished photographers working today, Sebastião Salgado has achieved international acclaim for his remarkable black-and-white compositions captured over a career spanning more than 50 years.

More than 40 images by the photographer will be on view at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition at Somerset House. The selection, made by the photographer, highlights the key themes and milestones over the last five decades of his career, featuring works from his iconic early projects such as Gold (1986) and Workers (1993), and more recent bodies of work like Genesis (2011) and Amazônia (2019).

EDGAR MARTINS | SOLO PRESENTATION

In addition to the work of this year’s overall and category winners, the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition features a solo presentation by the 2023 Photographer of the Year winner Edgar Martins (Portugal).

The acclaimed photographer presents a selection of images from his series Anton’s hand is made of Guilt. No muscle or bone. He has a Gung-ho Finger and a Grief-stricken Thumb. Building on his winning project from 2023, Our War, this presentation showcases a long-term project of Martins’, commemorating the loss of his close friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETITION FINALISTS AND SHORTLIST

OPEN COMPETITION 2024 WINNERS AND SHORTLIST

STUDENT & YOUTH COMPETITION 2024 WINNERS AND SHORTLIST