The Finalists of the Professional Sony World Photography Awards

Feb 25, 2025

Matt Growcoot

From left to right: A close-up of a person with red hair and a thoughtful expression, a person in a kitchen holding a large spatula, and two people wearing traditional clothing standing in a field with mountains in the background. — Photo credit: Alex Bex, Tom Franks, and Michael Dunn.

The Sony World Photography Awards has today revealed the 30 finalists and shortlisted photographers in the 2025 Professional competition.

There are 10 categories in total with three photographers selected to be finalists in each category. The 10 winners will be announced at a special ceremony in London on April 16. The Photographer of the Year title will be chosen from the category winners and announced on the same night. In addition to receiving a $25,000 cash prize and a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, the Photographer of the Year is offered the opportunity to show their work in a solo presentation at next year’s Sony World Photography Awards London exhibition.

The 2025 Awards also marks the first edition of the Japan Professional Award to “underscore the creativity and dynamism of Japan’s contemporary photography scene.”

A split image features two individuals. On the left, a person with dark hair in a blue jacket holds a space-themed object in front of flags. On the right, a person in a suit with short hair holds a similar object in front of a NASA emblem and a flag. — Photographer Rhiannon Adams recreates Bill Anders’s portrait, the astronaut who shot ‘Earthrise’. Part of Adam’s ‘Rhi-Entry’ series. | © Rhiannon Adam, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Creative, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A tall rocket stands on a launch pad at night, illuminated by bright lights. The surrounding area is dusted with snow, and a set of railroad tracks leads up to the pad. Structures and equipment are visible nearby under a foggy sky. — Soyuz MS-20 on the pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, 7 December 2021. Part of Rhiannon Adam’s ‘Rhi-Entry’ series. | © Rhiannon Adam, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Creative, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A modern, symmetrical building with a geometric design, featuring square windows and an elevated base. The structure stands against a clear blue sky, with an empty parking area in the foreground. — The former Armstrong Rubber building in New Haven, Connecticut. | Owen Davies, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A brutalist-style multistory parking garage with two circular ramp towers. The structure is made of concrete and appears weathered. Yellow barriers and faded lines mark the parking areas. A bare tree stands near the entrance under a clear blue sky. — Queen Place Mall, New York City. | Owen Davies, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A black and white photo shows a young person walking away from large plumes of smoke and small fires near a row of houses. Nearby, a few other people stand amidst scattered debris and an overturned trailer on a wet street. — From the Divided Youth of Belfast series. | © Toby Binder, Germany, Finalist, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A person in a hooded jacket stands on a rooftop overlooking a blurred urban landscape with rows of houses and parked cars. The sky is overcast, and the setting is in black and white. — From the Divided Youth of Belfast. | © Toby Binder, Germany, Finalist, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Two people at a rodeo setting. One person, wearing a white cowboy hat and sunglasses, has bandages on their shoulder. The other, in a striped shirt, is adjusting the bandages. Ropes and cattle pens are visible in the background. — From a series exploring cowboys, masculinity, and the modern world. | © Alex Bex, France, Finalist, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A person with curly red hair and blue eyes is staring off to the side, their hand partially covering their mouth. They are wearing a light blue shirt. The background is blurred with shades of blue and white. — From a series exploring cowboys, masculinity, and the modern world. | © Alex Bex, France, Finalist, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A person stands against a textured wall. They are wearing a colorful hat and traditional clothing. A bright, horizontal light leak effect runs across the image, adding vibrant strips of red, orange, and blue. The ground appears dusty. — From ‘Alquimia Textil’, a series looking at natural dyeing techniques practiced by the artisans of Pumaqwasin in Chinchero, Cusco, Peru. | © Nicolás Garrido Huguet, Peru, Finalist, Professional competition, Environment, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Three women stand by a lakeshore, washing clothes. Two are bent over, scrubbing with determination. Tall grasses surround them, with mountains visible in the distance under a cloudy sky. — From ‘Alquimia Textil’, a series looking at natural dyeing techniques practiced by the artisans of Pumaqwasin in Chinchero, Cusco, Peru. | © Nicolás Garrido Huguet, Peru, Finalist, Professional competition, Environment, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Close-up of a dark-colored animal, possibly a primate, behind a wire fence. The face is partially obscured by the grid, with eyes partly visible, conveying a sense of confinement. The lighting is low, creating a somber mood. — Olaf, a howler monkey, was rescued from a farm. He is waiting to be transferred from the Foundation to a reserve – he will never be released back into his natural habitat. | © Maria Portaluppi, Ecuador, Finalist, Professional competition, Environment, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A small, spotted wild cat with distinctive patterns on its fur is lying down inside a metal enclosure. The environment appears dimly lit. The cat's ears are perked up and it seems to be looking towards the left side. — Pumira was rescued as a baby and now waits in a cage to be transferred to the rehabilitation center. There, the Foundation has cages for the rehabilitation and release of margays like Pumira. | © Maria Portaluppi, Ecuador, Finalist, Professional competition, Environment, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A child is perched on a graffiti-covered, arched concrete structure, wearing a red beanie and denim jeans. Two other children stand nearby, looking away. The sky is clear and houses are visible in the background. — From the series ‘The Journey Home From School’ which explores the tumultuous public lives of young people in the gang-governed Cape Flats area of Cape Town, South Africa, where their daily commute carries the risk of death. | © Laura Pannack, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Perspectives, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A young boy holds a stick, with a cloth draped over his shoulder, wearing a red and black top and blue floral shorts. Beside him, a girl wears a leopard print outfit with blue lipstick. They stand on a street with a soft evening sky in the background. — From the series ‘The Journey Home From School’ which explores the tumultuous public lives of young people in the gang-governed Cape Flats area of Cape Town, South Africa, where their daily commute carries the risk of death. | © Laura Pannack, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Perspectives, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Five people in traditional attire sit and stand on large rock formations. The scene depicts a relaxed, natural setting with rugged, textured rocks as the backdrop, and a clear sky above. — Sons of Omani entrepreneurs pose for a portrait in their neighborhood, which is reserved for local investors. Qantab, Sultanate of Oman. | © Valentin Valette, France, Finalist, Professional competition, Perspectives, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Two photos side by side. Left: A person in traditional attire stands beside an orange Mustang car. Mountains in the background. Right: A person in orange work attire and a turban sits on construction equipment, city backdrop with distant mountains. — Left: A company director in front of his GT Mustang sports car after inspecting a building site he is financing. Mahalil, Sultanate of Oman.
Right: An Indian driver from the Sikh community poses on his backhoe while awaiting new instructions from his Omani employer. Al Ansab, Sultanate of Oman. | © Valentin Valette, France, Finalist, Professional competition, Perspectives, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A woman with long hair, wearing a patterned dress and boots, holds a toddler in one arm and a handgun in the other. They stand outside a house next to a white vehicle, with a desert landscape in the background. — The photographer spent over two weeks in Prescott, Arizona, visiting the homes of the city’s residents to learn about the normalization of gun ownership in the USA. | © Tom Franks, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A person stands in a kitchen, holding a Fortnite-themed Nerf gun. The kitchen features white cabinets, a tiled backsplash, and hanging lights. They are wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, standing on a wooden floor. — The photographer spent over two weeks in Prescott, Arizona, visiting the homes of the city’s residents to learn about the normalization of gun ownership in the USA. | © Tom Franks, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A woman in a blue, intricately patterned dress stands on a chair at the beach, holding flowers. Her dress extends with a lace-like cape held by two people dressed in white, one on each side. The ocean and sky are visible in the background. — ‘M’kumba’ is an ongoing project that illustrates the resilience of Afro-Brazilian communities in the face of local religious intolerance. | © Gui Christ, Brazil, Finalist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A person wearing a white bikini and ornate silver headdress stands in the ocean. They hold a fish in one hand and an intricate silver object resembling a mirror in the other. The sky is clear and the water is calm. — ‘M’kumba’ is an ongoing project that illustrates the resilience of Afro-Brazilian communities in the face of local religious intolerance. | © Gui Christ, Brazil, Finalist, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

Two women in traditional attire and bowler hats stand on a golf course holding clubs. They are on a green with mountainous scenery and cloudy skies in the background. — Teresa and Martha pose with their golf clubs at the famous ‘Moon Hole,’ one of the most iconic holes at La Paz Golf Club. From the series ‘High Altitude Golf’. | © Michael Dunn, Bolivia, Finalist, Professional competition, Sport, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A woman in traditional attire swings a golf club on a lush green course. Her colorful, layered skirt billows around her, and she wears a bowler hat. Tall trees are visible in the background. — Teresa’s swing is in perfect harmony with the movement of her skirt, a characteristic outfit of the Bolivian chola. From the series ‘High Altitude Golf’. | © Michael Dunn, Bolivia, Finalist, Professional competition, Sport, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A young person in a white dress performs a skateboard trick mid-air in a skatepark, with buildings and graffiti visible in the background under a clear blue sky. — India, the world’s most populous country with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, only has a handful of female skaters. From the series ‘Shred the Patriarchy.’ | © Chantal Pinzi, Italy, Finalist, Professional competition, Sport, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A group of five women in saris stand and sit on a set of concrete steps next to yellow railings. Each holds a skateboard. The background shows a building and some trees. The scene has a serene and empowering vibe. — India, the world’s most populous country with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, only has a handful of female skaters. From the series ‘Shred the Patriarchy.’ | © Chantal Pinzi, Italy, Finalist, Professional competition, Sport, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards

A selection of works by finalists and shortlisted photographers will go on display as part of an exhibition at the Somerset House in London from April 17 until May 5.

Image credits: Photographs courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards. All photographers are credited in the individual image captions.