This Year’s Spectacular Sony World Photography Awards Winners

A triptych image featuring an x-ray of human intestines, a portrait of an elderly woman in a blue scarf, and a snowy landscape with small red houses by a frozen shoreline.

After announcing the finalists last month, the World Photography Organization has unveiled the winners of the annual Sony World Photography Awards.

French photographer Juliette Pavy earned the prestigious title of “Photographer of the Year” for her documentary project Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilization of Greenlandic Women. Pavy has won $25,000, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and a solo show at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition next year.

Portrait of an elderly woman with curly gray hair, wearing a blue scarf and a black shirt, looking solemnly at the camera in a dimly lit room.
© Juliette Pavy, France, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A hand holds a worn, vintage photograph of a woman standing in front of a wooden backdrop, against a dark floral patterned background.
© Juliette Pavy, France, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

The photo story explores the significant, long-lasting impacts of an involuntary birth control campaign waged against Greenlandic women by Danish authorities in the 1960s and 70s.

The initiative, spiralkampagnen, subjected several thousand Inuit women, some as young as just 12 years old, to the implanted intrauterine devices without consent. Pavy’s project puts the perspective of these women at the forefront and uses various photographic techniques to tell their stories.

A snowy coastal village with colorful houses overlooking a serene bay, under a dusky blue sky, with rugged mountains in the background.
© Juliette Pavy, France, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Pavy uses landscape shots, portraits, archival film shots, and even X-ray imagery to tell their story. The series looks at the victims of the government program, the doctors who participated, and the Danish lawmaker investigating the project now.

“I am truly honored to be named the Photographer of the Year and for my work to be recognized among such a remarkable selection of projects and stories celebrated here tonight. With this Award I hope to give a voice to those who were silenced for almost half a century, and to all the women in the world who are constantly fighting for their rights. By telling this story, I want to raise awareness of the violence against Inuit women and the social and psychological repercussions of this forced contraception campaign, and the unintended sterilization of many of its victims,” Pavy says.

X-ray image showing a pelvic area with a visible intrauterine device (iud) in position.
© Juliette Pavy, France, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

“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 marginalized 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,” adds Monica Allende, the chair of the 2024 Professional Competition Jury.

Professional Category Winners

Alongside Pavy’s victory as “Photographer of the Year,” the Sony World Photography Awards include winners across 10 categories, plus 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Pavy won the Documentary Projects category for her effort.

All Professional Category winners win a Sony digital imaging kit, and each photographer submitted a series of five to 10 images.

Elegant colonial-style living room with open green shutters showing a view of a tropical exterior. room features dark wooden furniture, intricate chandelier, and framed pictures on mint green walls.
© Siobhán Doran, Ireland, Winner, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A traditional, elegant interior of a colonial-style room with wooden furniture, patterned ceiling, and large draped windows, featuring dark wooden armchairs and decorative wall panels.
© Siobhán Doran, Ireland, Winner, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A traditional wooden interior featuring ornately carved wall panels and doors, vintage wooden furniture, framed photographs on the walls, and a potted red plant on a small table.
© Siobhán Doran, Ireland, Winner, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A woman wearing a bold, flowing red dress, stands ominously with her dark hair obscuring part of her face, against a textured blue background, evoking a mysterious and artistic feel.
© Sujata Setia, United Kingdom, Winner, Professional competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A person stands enveloped in a swirling red and black patterned texture, creating a hypnotic visual effect around their silhouette.
© Sujata Setia, United Kingdom, Winner, Professional competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A surreal black and white photograph of a person sitting, wearing a detailed patterned headdress with octopus-like tendrils and intricate designs, giving an artistic and mysterious vibe.
© Sujata Setia, United Kingdom, Winner, Professional competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Four beekeepers care for beehives in a forest, inspecting and managing the structures surrounded by trees and underbrush.
© Mahé Elipe, France, Winner, Professional competition, Environment, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Close-up portrait of a person's face covered with various grains of corn arranged in patterns, with closed eyes. the image is dark and moody, focusing on the unique corn decoration on their skin.
© Mahé Elipe, France, Winner, Professional competition, Environment, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A close-up image of a bustling bee colony with numerous bees hovering around their dark, textured hive consisting of multiple rounded chambers.
© Mahé Elipe, France, Winner, Professional competition, Environment, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
© Eddo Hartmann, Netherlands, Winner, Professional competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A serene landscape featuring a small pond surrounded by rolling hills covered in vibrant orange grass under a bright blue sky with sun flares.
© Eddo Hartmann, Netherlands, Winner, Professional competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A close-up black and white portrait of a man with a serious expression, prominent facial features, and a short beard, set against a dark background.
© Jorge Mónaco, Argentina, Winner, Professional competition, Portfolio, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
An elderly woman dressed in a traditional robe and hat stands confidently on a snowy street, with colorful apartment buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
© Jorge Mónaco, Argentina, Winner, Professional competition, Portfolio, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Two men stand in front of an ornately decorated church entrance, wearing traditional long, shaggy wool garments. the wall behind them features vibrant religious frescoes.
© Valery Poshtarov, Bulgaria, Winner, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A young man in a sweater and an older man in a bathrobe standing hand in hand on a snowy path, with tall pine trees and a light snowfall around them.
© Valery Poshtarov, Bulgaria, Winner, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
An elderly man and a young man hold hands, standing next to a brown horse in a natural setting with trees and a hill in the background. they both face the camera with subtle smiles.
© Valery Poshtarov, Bulgaria, Winner, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A surfer rides a wave in a cold, misty sea with snow-capped mountains in the background under an overcast sky.
© Thomas Meurot, France, Winner, Professional competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Two surfers in wetsuits walking on a snowy road towards a setting sun, with snow-covered hills on either side.
© Thomas Meurot, France, Winner, Professional competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A surfer rides a wave in a wintery landscape, with snow-covered mountains in the background and shore visible. the image captures a moment of contrast between the snowy environment and the aquatic activity.
© Thomas Meurot, France, Winner, Professional competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A minimalist illustration featuring delicate yellow flowers with green stems and leaves on a soft pastel green background.
© Federico Scarchilli, Italy, Winner, Professional competition, Still Life, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Four columns of white oval tablets, with each column containing five tablets, arranged on a uniform light blue background.
© Federico Scarchilli, Italy, Winner, Professional competition, Still Life, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A spider crawls along a delicate strand of web stretched between two curved twigs against a dark background.
© Eva Berler, Greece, Winner, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
© Eva Berler, Greece, Winner, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
An image displaying various debris like leaves and twigs caught in a spider web in a dimly lit setting, creating a mysterious and cluttered appearance.
© Eva Berler, Greece, Winner, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Sustainability Prize

American photographer Kathleen Orlinsky won this year’s Sustainability Prize for her America’s First Wilderness series. Orlinsky won a $5,000 cash prize.

A young woman stands in a field at twilight, wearing camouflage pants and a green shirt with a skull design, looking confidently at the camera with a serene sky behind her.
© Kathleen Orlinsky, United States, Winner, Sustainability Prize, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
Wildlife rescue team members, wearing masks and gloves, carefully lift a sedated wolf from a wooden crate outdoors, preparing to transport it to a new location.
© Kathleen Orlinsky, United States, Winner, Sustainability Prize, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A cowboy on horseback leading another horse across a shallow river in a rugged canyon landscape with wooded slopes and rocky terrain.
© Kathleen Orlinsky, United States, Winner, Sustainability Prize, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Her series looks at the landscape, wildlife, and people of the Gila Wilderness in southeastern New Mexico, focusing on the conservation efforts in effect to protect the environment and its rich biodiversity.

Reindeer graze in a snowy landscape at sunset, with pastel skies and distant mountains. the ground shows patches of snow and grass.
© Kathleen Orlinsky, United States, Winner, Sustainability Prize, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
A woman and a toddler in a cluttered kitchen, where the woman is reading a recipe and the child is sitting among scattered groceries and a large pile of raw meat on cardboard.
© Kathleen Orlinsky, United States, Winner, Sustainability Prize, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

“I am thrilled and honored 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,” says Orlinsky.

Open Photographer of the Year

Whereas the Professional competition in the Sony World Photography Awards celebrates photo series, the Open competition highlights the power of a single image. This year, Liam Man from the United Kingdom won “Open Photographer of the Year,” earning a $5,000 cash prize and a Sony digital imaging equipment kit.

A stunning landscape featuring sharp, snowy mountain peaks under a night sky with a bright orange sun setting on the horizon and three comets streaking through the sky above a serene lake.
© Liam Man, United Kingdom, Open Photographer of the Year, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Man’s image, Moonrise Sprites Over Storr, was selected from the 10 Open category winners. The photo shows a well-known rock formation on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, lit by drone lights. Man shot the striking photo during a powerful blizzard.

“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!” Man says.

Student Photographer of the Year

Belgian student Kayin Luys took home the top prize in the student category, earning him the coveted “Student Photographer of the Year” title, Sony camera gear, and €30,000 for his university.

A woman wearing glasses and a pink blazer sings passionately into a microphone, eyes closed, in a room with a white wall and subtle decor.
© Kayin Luys, Belgium, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Luys’s winning series, Don’t Trust Pretty Girls, is an intimate portrait series focused on his in-laws and how he has grown to know them and their family traditions and culture.

A close-up photo of a person wearing a plain white t-shirt with a golden chain and cross pendant. there's a visible tattoo with numbers on the forearm. the background features a leopard print fabric.
© Kayin Luys, Belgium, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
An elderly man with gray hair, wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and a belt, stands with red boxing gloves on, posing confidently in front of a neutral curtain backdrop.
© Kayin Luys, Belgium, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

“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 honored that those big and small stories are reaching a wider audience and gaining further recognition, due to the Sony World Photography Awards,” Luys explains.

Youth Photographer of the Year

Chosen from a shortlist of 10 photographers aged 19 and younger, 15-year-old Brit Daniel Murray is this year’s “Youth Photographer of the Year.”

A lone surfer walks along a sunlit beach towards the water, with large rocks scattered along the shoreline, under a soft golden haze.
© Daniel Murray, United Kingdom, Youth Photographer of the Year, Youth Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Murray’s photograph of a surfer on a nearly empty Cornish beach encapsulates the quiet moments symbolic of the end of summer.

“I’m very happy and proud of myself, as this is a great achievement as a young photographer,” Murray says. “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

Iconic and esteemed photographer Sebastião Salgado has been awarded this year’s “Outstanding Contribution to Photography” prize.

A firefighter in protective gear walks past a foreground of spraying water with a large, fiery explosion in the background, creating thick smoke that forms a dramatic contrast.
© Sebastião Salgado

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Salgado has made a lasting impact on photography and the world at large.

A black and white photo depicting four figures draped in cloaks on a barren landscape. their expressions are somber, and the cloudy sky adds a dramatic effect to the scene.
© Sebastião Salgado
Close-up photo of an iguana claw grasping a rocky surface, showcasing detailed scales and sharp nails in black and white.
© Sebastião Salgado

More than 40 of his images will be on exhibit as part of this year’s Sony World Photography Awards 2024 show in London. The selections, made by Salgado himself, highlight key themes and images from his lengthy career. Salado retired from field work earlier this year.

Edgar Martins Solo Exhibition

In addition to this year’s awarded images and Salgado’s exhibit, the 2023 Photographer of the Year, Edgar Martins, will have a solo show as part of this year’s competition. The presentation, Our War showcases Martins’ long-term project that commemorates the loss of his friend and photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was murdered during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

A surreal black and white photograph depicting a person in a long coat bending backward dramatically to merge with a large, dense bush in a barren landscape.
© Edgar Martins, Portugal, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2023
A person wearing a camouflage jacket is partially covered by a green m&s plastic bag fashioned as a veil, with only their eyes visible, against a neutral background.
© Edgar Martins, Portugal, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2023
A man with long hair stands beside a palm tree in a desert landscape, holding a wooden staff, dressed in traditional robes. the background features arid hills and sparse vegetation.
© Edgar Martins, Portugal, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2023

More From the Sony World Photography Awards

The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition is on view now at Somerset House in London until May 6. The major exhibition features more than 200 photographic prints. For complete details, visit the Sony World Photography Awards website.


Image credits: All images provided courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards and the World Photography Organization. Individual photographers are credited in the photo captions.

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