430,000 images later, these 30 pro photographers compete for one of the industry's top honors

Selected from more than 430,000 submissions across 200+ countries and territories, the finalists of this year's Sony World Photography Awards Professional competition have been revealed – and the quality of work is staggering.

With nearly two decades behind it, the internationally acclaimed competition continues to showcase not just technical excellence, but photography's evolving role as a powerful storytelling medium.

From the 30 finalists, 10 category winners will be chosen, with one receiving the prestigious overall Photographer of the Year title and the top prize of US$25,000.

The winners will be announced on April 16 in London, UK, with selected works going on display at Somerset House from April 17 to May 5, 2026.

For further details and to discover all finalists, please visit the World Photography Organisation website.

2026 Finalists highlights

Finalist in Wildlife & Nature
Photographer: Will Burrard-Lucas
Series: Crossing Point

This series was produced using a remote camera trap installed at a forested river crossing in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. The camera was set up in collaboration with rhino rangers to monitor endangered black rhinoceroses moving through a key corridor and was left running continuously for three months.

While its primary purpose was conservation monitoring, the system also allowed nocturnal scenes to be lit creatively, revealing the wildlife and habitat in dramatic ways that are rarely seen. The location was chosen for its striking scenery, enabling the images to document both animal movements and the ecological diversity and beauty of an area largely closed to tourism.

Finalist in Architecture & Design
Photographer: Joy Saha
Series: Homes of Haor

Homes of Haor documents the vernacular architecture of Ashtagram, Kishoreganj, in Bangladesh’s Haor region. Here, homes are built on naturally raised mounds that become islands during the monsoon, surrounded by seasonal floodwater, and boats become the primary means of travel.

From above, the settlements form distinct patterns shaped by elevation, water and function. Elevated roads, clustered dwellings, and carefully arranged livestock spaces reveal how rural communities design and adapt their built environment to a landscape defined by water.

Finalist in Creative
Photographer: Ben Brooks
Series: The Palm, On Piru

The Palm, On Piru is a photographic series exploring the spiritual connections and collective identities of rappers from South Los Angeles with Pirus/Bloods gang affiliations.

The work focuses on the people and places central to the origins of West Coast hip-hop's G-funk music genre, and California's parallel gang culture, examining the interplay of their environment, community and artistic expression.

The series was shot on colour infrared film, with its distinctive red and pink tones creating links between the environment and the artists, members, and families that form the Red side of the cultural divide, and the backbone of West Coast Hip Hop.

Finalist in Documentary Projects
Photographer: Santiago Mesa
Series: Under the Shadow of Coca

In the southern Colombian department of Putumayo, coca cultivation remains one of the few economic options for rural families in this neglected border region. This project follows farmers and families whose livelihoods depend on an illicit economy shaped by poverty, weak state presence, and armed control, as well as members of Comandos de la Frontera, the armed group that controls the territory and the cocaine trade.

While some families try legal alternatives, coca often provides the only stable income. Under the Shadow of Coca shows that many of the local producers are not traffickers, but campesinos (farmers), and that it is usually armed groups who profit from the trade of coca.

Finalist in Sport
Photographer: Todd Antony
Series: Buzkashi

Buzkashi (literally meaning 'goat pulling' in Persian) is the fierce, ancient sport of Tajikistan. It is similar to polo, but there are no teams and no boundaries. The ball is the eviscerated, headless carcass of a goat and the aim is brutally simple: seize it, hold it, break free.

The game was born among the nomadic horse cultures of Central Asia, where strength and horsemanship were measures of identity. For centuries, chapandaz (riders) have hurled themselves into this churning mass of hooves and bodies, fighting for honour and a moment of clear sky among the dust.

Finalist in Landscape
Photographer: Michael Blann
Series: Mountain Roads

Mountain Roads is a series of photopolymer etchings of iconic European mountain roads. This ongoing project aims to document the greatest cycling roads spanning the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Dolomites, the Picos and the Spanish Islands.

It celebrates the permanence of mountains and the feats of engineering and construction required to navigate and build a route through and over these formidable climbs.

Finalist in Portraiture
Photographer: Marisa Reichert
Series: be:longing

'be:longing' documents the lives of older Muslim trans people in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. Religion plays a central role in Indonesian society, and nearly 90 per cent of the population is Muslim. People of the queer community are faced with the challenge of reconciling their faith, their identity and society's expectations.

Although trans women, known as waria (a mixture of the words wanita (woman) and pria (man)), have long been part of Javanese culture, they are not recognised by conservative Muslims, are usually excluded from formal employment opportunities, and many lose the support of their families after coming out.

Over generations, a strong trans community has established its own safe spaces in Yogyakarta. At Pondok Pesantren Al-Fatah they meet with friends to study the Quran and pray, while the Waria Crisis Centre (WCC) provides a home in old age, through illness or at difficult phases of life.

You might like...

Browse the best Sony cameras and the best Sony lenses.