Shortlist revealed for Sony World Photography Awards, the world s biggest photography competition

Professional, Open and Youth competitions

Record number of entries - 173,444 from 171 countries, 24% increase on 2014

Shortlisted images to be shown at Somerset House, London 24 April - 10 May

Overall winners revealed 23 April

Images available at press.worldphoto.org or Image.net

London, 24 February: The 2015 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, today announces the shortlists for its Professional, Open and Youth categories.

Recognising and rewarding the world's best contemporary photography from the last year, the 2015 competition received the highest number of entries in its eight year history - 173,444 images from 171 countries - and a 24% increase on 2014.

The judging, which is done anonymously by a panel of experts from the World Photographic Academy, has uncovered inspiring, arresting and thought-provoking work by a wide range of professional photographers and enthusiasts from around the world. See full list of judges and bios here.

Across the 13 Professional, 10 Open and 3 Youth categories the judges were refreshed by the bold approach of the shortlisted photographers to familiar topics and the ability of these photographers to surprise the judges with images and stories they have not previously seen.

Speaking about the shortlisted images, Astrid Merget Motsenigos, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation and organiser of the awards said:

The sole purpose of the Sony World Photography Awards is to celebrate and appreciate the talented artists working in the photographic industry. Once again, the shortlist demonstrates the vibrancy, diversity and skill of both today's established photographers and, as importantly, the growing army of citizen photographers for whom the awards offer unpreceded exposure and opportunity.

The record number of entries gave our expert panel of judges a monumental task but we are incredibly proud to present to you a shortlist which truly showcases some of the world's best photography.

The shortlisted photographers for all categories are listed below and names included are both new and familiar to the competition. Those recognised again by the awards include: Peter Franck (Germany); Donald Webber (Canada); Amit Madheshiya (India); Brent Stirton (South Africa); Simon Norfolk (UK), Fan Li (China) and Massimo Siragusa (Italy). New names include Julia Fullerton-Batten (UK) and Sebastian Gil Miranda (France).

Those in the awards' Professional categories will now compete for a $25,000 prize and the coveted L'Iris d'Or/ Photographer of the Year title. The recipient, along with the winners of the Professional categories, overall Youth and Student winners plus the Open Photographer of the Year, who receives a $5,000 prize, will all be announced at the Sony World Photography Awards Gala Ceremony on Thursday 23 April. All winners will receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony.

The winning and shortlisted images will go on show at Somerset House, London from 24 April - 10 May and published in the 2015 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book. The images will be printed by theprintspace, our Official Exhibition Printer. Tickets can be booked at www.worldphoto.org/2015exhibition. The exhibition will also include an intimate display of still images, books and films by Elliott Erwitt, recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award.

Images from the shortlist are available to download at press.worldphoto.org or via Image.net

Please note, only Open and Youth images can be used on social media platforms and all photographs must have credits overlaid

If using on Twitter please #SWPA and tag @WorldPhotoOrg

For further information please contact:

Jill Cotton, Senior Press Manager, World Photography Organisation

+44 (0) 20 7886 3043/ jill@worldphoto.org

Kristine Bj rge, PR Manager, World Photography Organisation

+44 (0) 20 7886 3049 / kristine@worldphoto.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

173, 444 images were entered in total to the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards:

87,505 Professional entries; 79,264 Open entries and 6,675 Youth entries images

139,554 images were entered to the 2014 awards

Sony World Photography Awards forthcoming announcements

3 March - Student Focus shortlist revealed

17 March - National Award winners revealed (best single shot taken by a photographer of that country, 47 countries involved)

31 March - Open and Youth category winners announced

23 April - Professional/Open/Student/Youth Photographers of the Year announced plus Professional category winners

24 April - 10 May - exhibition at Somerset House, London

2015 Honorary Jury

Taken from the World Photographic Academy, the judges of the professional category were:

Sasha Erwitt, Photography Editor and Researcher, US

Xingxin Guo, Vice Director of New Media, Xinhua News Agency, China

Jocelyn Bain Hogg, Photographer, VII Photo, UK

Matthew Leifheit, Photo Editor, VICE Magazine, US

Joanna Milter, Deputy Photo Editor, New York Times Magazine, US

Maria Pieri, Editorial Director, National Geographic Traveller, UK

Oliver Schmitt, Deputy Director of Photography, Spiegel Online, Germany

Sue Steward: writer and photography curator, UK

Enrica Vigan , Curator and Writer, Italy

Shortlisted photographers

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES

Photographers were invited to enter a series of between 3 and 10 images into any of the following 13 categories. Judges were asked to select up to 10 photographers for the shortlist. Photographers are listed alphabetically

Architecture

Joanna Ba a , Poland

Cosmin Bumbutz, Romania

Jonathan Carvajal, Colombia

Antonio La Grotta, Italy

Massimo Siragusa / Agenzia Fotogiornalistica Contrasto Galleria del Cembalo, Italy

Vadim Sivak, Ukraine

Arts & Culture

Alessandra Bello, Italy

Maurizio Beucci / Leica Camera Italia, Italy

Ar

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