The winners of this year’s SWPA were selected in London last night. The overall winner of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 is called Z Nelson. With his socially significant contribution, “The Anthropocene confusion” for which he traveled to the world for six years, Britain won the world. In his photos, he reflects the impact of people on nature and animal houses. It is once a monkey that appears eagerly through the car’s window pane, or a pipe that disturbs the peaceful vision of a group of fish. Z Nelson has described the influence of animals in his paintings such as actors for whom we allow humans to be present there.
The photographer wins a prize money of $ 25,000, Sony Photo Equipment and a place in a place and competition.
An award for the work of his photographic life went to American photographer Susan Meiselus, who has documented everyday life in various societies for decades.
Category winner
The winning jury of individual categories in the professional region was able to explain the jury with its extraordinary and sometimes staggering concepts:
Architecture and Design: Yulana Swamcha, with its own series of “The Tokyo Toilet Project” from Canada, which belongs to unknown aesthetics of a public toilet of a Japanese architectural project.
Creative: Ryanon Adam from Great Britain with his contribution “rye-entry”, in which it processes the final failure of his application and private moon mission for artists.
Documentation: Tobby Binder from Germany with its series “split Youth of Belfast” that wants to sympathize for young people in torn societies.
Environment: Nicholas Garido Hugate from Peru with its route “Alqualimia Textil”, which shows that cloth color is also possible in harmony with nature.
Landscape: Sido Kino from Japan with its route “The Strade of Time”, which shows uneven population distribution based on various collages from old and new pictures in Japan.
Perspective: Laura Pannak from Great Britain, with its project “The Journey Home from School”, belongs to the dangerous school home path of young people in Cape Town.
Portrait: GUI Christ from Brazil with “M’Kumba” series, which creates awareness about the oppressed culture and religion of African stock Brazilians
Sport: Chantal Pini from Italy with her long project “Shred the patriarch”, in which she depicts courageous skates in patriarchal societies.
Still Life: Peter Frank from Germany with “Still Waiting”, a collage chain that belongs to small moments between two events.
Wildlife: Jade Nelson from Great Britain with “The Anthroposine confusion”, a socially important, people who take the environment for themselves and let animals and local people down
You can see the winning pictures of various categories in our image series:
Anthropocene’s confusion
© Z Nelson, United Kingdom, Photographer of the Year, Professional Competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
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Open submission
“Open photographer of the year” is French photographer Olivier Unia. He was selected from the first locations of individual categories in the non-professional region and assured with his motifs of a traditional Morocco ride group. Unlike other photographers, he does not show the riders in his glorious moment, but one of the riders ran away from the horse when he caught a scene of necklace and pain. The picture reminds of a painting of the highly dynamic view and the composition Reeramant.
Many photos taken during a traditional Morocco show rifle shoots to rifle shoots. With this picture, the photographer wanted to show another side of the incident and tells how dangerous it can be if a rider is thrown from the horse.
(Image: © Olivier Unia, France, Open Photographer of the Year, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2025)
In ten categories from architecture to travel photography, individual winners were already chosen and announced: Xuecheng LIU (Architecture), Jinell Francisco (Creative), NG Guang Zee (Landscape), Hazim Hirano (Lifestyle), Olivere Unia, Estabane Rizklah (Wildlie Life) Khairizal Maris (Street), Matjaz IC (Travel Photography).
Young talents
The winner of the “Student Competition” is from Peru to Mikela Waldivia Medina, who along with their victory, also get photo equipment for your university. Medina dealt with dynamics about environment and women’s prisons San Miguel, San Joquin and Walparso in her photo series.
In the field of young photographers up to 19 years, sixteen -year -old Daniel Dion -G Wu from Taiwan assured the jury. His design shows a group of skaters in action. This picture was taken in the Golden Evening Sun of California.
Skator during the summer holidays at Venice Beach Skatepark in LA during golden hours.
(Image: © Daniel Witch-G Wu, Taiwan, Youth Photographer, Youth Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025)
German finalist
There were also two well known faces among the finalists from Germany. Photographer Toby Binder won the documentary category with his Black and White Series “Youth of Belfast”. In his photos, he gives a monotonous insight into the lives of young people in Northern Ireland. Photographer tries to create sympathy for young people who have to bend under the pressure of society.
The second German finalist, Peter Frank, was able to explain the jury in the creative category with his collage, captured moments of waiting. The artist deliberately leaves space for interpretations.
Competition
Since 2007, the gamblers of the Sony World Photo Awards have been depicted by professional photographers, but also have free entries and pictures of young artists in various categories. This year the jury had an election of about 420,000 photos – the largest number of pictures sent to date since the beginning of the competition. In addition to money and non-cash prizes, the main winner receives his exhibition in London next year.
All selected motifs will be made from 17 April to 5 May 2025 Summerset House in London Before they are displayed as hiking exhibitions in other cities around the world.
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