The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the 2025 Open category winners and shortlists. And once again, the contest has delivered an incredible showcase of talent. With over 419,000 images submitted from more than 200 countries and territories, it was tough to select the best ones. But hey, it has to be done, and we bring you this year’s winners.
The Sony World Photography Awards Open Contest winners
Now in its 18th year, the competition highlights the power of a single image—one that can capture a fleeting moment and tell a much larger story. From the neon chaos of New York’s Times Square to the intimacy of a quiet bedroom portrait, the 2025 winners take us on a journey across landscapes, cultures, and moments in time.
Xuecheng Liu from China Mainland claimed the Architecture category with Center of the Cosmos, a dizzying wide-angle shot looking down on Times Square. Meanwhile, in the Creative category, Jonell Francisco from the Philippines won for Kem the Unstoppable, a stunning collage portrait inspired by Renaissance traditions.
© Xuecheng Liu/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
© Jonell Francisco/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
The Landscape category winner, Ng Guang Ze from Singapore, transported us to Wenhai, Lijiang. His black-and-white photo of a winding stream flowing into a distant lake. In the Lifestyle category, Japan’s Hajime Hirano captured a nostalgic slice of history with an image of an Akihabara street vendor selling electronic parts.
© Ng Guang Ze/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
© Hajime Hirano/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Olivier Unia from France dominated the Motion category with Tbourida La Chute, freezing the chaotic moment a rider is thrown from their horse during a Moroccan equestrian performance. The Natural World & Wildlife winner, Estebane Rezkallah from France, stunned judges with The Whale Raft. This dramatic image shows polar bears feasting on a whale carcass in East Greenland.
© Olivier Unia/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
© Estebane Rezkallah/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
In the Object category, Denmark’s Sussi Charlotte Alminde showcased Octopuses in the Sky, a display of handmade kites at the Fanø International Kite Fliers Meeting. In Portraiture, Gabon’s Yeintze Boutamba delivered Encounter, a tender moment shared between two people in a bedroom, brimming with quiet emotion.
© Sussi Charlotte Alminde/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
© Yeintze Boutamba/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
In Street Photography, Khairizal Maris from Indonesia captured the energy of the streets. Celebrating Football Club Victories showcases fans lighting flares in a euphoric scene in Bandung, West Java. last but not least, the Travel category brings us Ask a Shaman, a photo by Matjaž Šimic from Slovenia. It shows an intimate portrait of Bolivian shamans against the colorful backdrop of La Paz.
© Khairizal Maris/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
© Matjaž Šimic/Sony World Photography Awards 2025
What’s Next?
The category winners will now compete for the ultimate title: Open Photographer of the Year. The $5,000 and Sony gear grand prize will be awarded during a ceremony in London on April 16, 2025.
Selected winning and shortlisted images will also be part of the prestigious SWPA’s exhibition at Somerset House from April 17 to May 5, 2025, before traveling to other locations.
With just over a month until the big reveal, we can only wait in anticipation. Until then, enjoy this year’s winning images in the Open contest. Make sure to visit the contest’s website for the complete gallery and more information.
More from Sony World Photography Awards
- 2020 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition Winners Will Take You On an Incredible Photographic Journey
- These Are the Breathtaking Winners Of Sony World Photography Awards 2020
- Sony World Photography Awards Announces Stunning Winners of Its National Award
- Sony World Photography Awards Announces Stunning 2021 Contest Category Winners
- Sony World Photography Awards Announces 2021 Contest Winners
- Get Inspired by Sony World Photography Awards 2022 Open Contest Winners and Shortlists
- These Are the Winners of Sony World Photography Awards 2022
- Sony World Photography Awards’ National Award Shows Breathtaking Images from All Over the World
- You’ll love the stunning winners of Sony World Photography Awards 2023 open competition
- Take a Trip Around the World with 2023 Sony World Photography Awards’ National Award Winners
- Emotional Tribute to Killed Photojournalist Wins Sony World Photography Awards 2023
- Photos on Greenland’s forced sterilization program win Sony World Photography Awards 2024
- Sony World Photography Awards 2025 celebrates stunning regional winners