The Sony World Photography Awards, founded by the World Photography Organization, are an authoritative institution in the photography scene. Each year, they honor the best photographs of the past year and provide photographers from around the world with an opportunity to present themselves to a broad audience. Sony supports the Awards to provide a global platform for today's talent and to promote the ongoing development of photographic culture.

Participation in the awards is free of charge. Entries will be judged anonymously by a panel of judges made up of leaders in the photography scene.

Photographers around the world are invited to enter the Awards' four competitions: the Professional Competition, which recognizes outstanding series of five to ten images in ten categories; the Open Competition, which recognizes the world's best individual images in ten categories; the Youth Competition, which recognizes images by emerging talent under the age of 19; and the Student Competition, which spotlights the work of photography students from around the world. Other programs within the Awards include the National & Regional Awards, the Latin America Professional Award and the Alpha Female Award.

New to the 2023 Awards is the Sustainability Award for photography projects on topics related to one of the United Nations Environmentally Sustainable Development Goals. These can be depictions of climate change, images that shine a spotlight on environmentally friendly technologies and innovations, or a tribute to dedicated individuals and groups.

The winning image in the Sustainability Award will receive US$5,000 in prize money, and the project will be featured in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London. All participants in the professional competition are eligible for this prize. The winner will be selected from a large number of photographers - 30 in each category of the professional competition.

In 2023, a new component will also be added to the Photographer of the Year award. In addition to the prize money of US$25,000, photographic equipment from Sony, and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and photo book, there will also be a solo exhibition of the Photographer of the Year's work.

The youth competition will also have a new format. For this competition, all photographers under the age of 19 can submit up to three images on the theme "Your Everyday." Within this theme, participants should show scenes from their everyday lives and those of the people around them. Whether it's busy streets, idyllic landscapes or captivating portraits - regardless of genre, technique or subject matter, the competition aims to convey an individual's unique view of the world. Judges will select a shortlist of ten individuals who will then have the chance to become Youth Photographer of the Year.

In this year's student competition, participants are asked to explore the theme "In a Changing World." Our world is changing rapidly, and photographers are being sought who can tell positive stories of development and progress. They can touch on a wide range of topics, from the environment and technology to our ways of working and living.

The full announcement of the competition and each category is listed at the following link:

www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards