This is Our World
Once again the Sony World Photography Awards are upon us, giving us a glimpse into the incredible place we call earth. The Open Photographer of the Year is being celebrated in London at a gala event, but the entrants are scattered all over the globe, capturing their small corner of it. Over 419,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted to the Awards. Entrants were invited to submit their strongest single images from 2024, and the winners and shortlists represent some of the most arresting photography from the past year.
​Xuecheng Liu’s Center of the Cosmos got an incredible shot of NYC’s iconic Times Square showing the sprawling mass of human ingenuit while others opted to capture the beauty of nature, like Dan Liao’s picture of Lake Namucuo in Tibet.
Here are some of our picks from the competition, but look out for the photo awards coming live to a city near you soon.
Arun Saha, Floating Market of Myanmar
Image Description: Early in the morning, hundreds of vendors come to sell everyday necessities to both local consumers and tourists at Myanmar’s Inle Lake. These floating markets are a lifeline for the Inle Lake residents who live far from urban centres.
© Arun Saha, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
KunPeng Zhu, A Comet Hits the Earth
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) over the Badain Jaran Desert in Inner Mongolia, China.
Copyright: © KunPeng Zhu, China Mainland, 3rd Place, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Xuecheng Liu, Centre of the Cosmos
This super-wide aerial view of Times Square in New York City has a resolution of 400 million pixels and a viewing angle equivalent to a 5mm focal length on a full-frame camera.
© Xuecheng Liu, China Mainland, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Alessio D’Addato, The Monster
The Monster Building in Hong Kong, photographed on a night walk.
© Alessio D’Addato, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Yoshiaki Kudo, Blossoms in a Dreamscape
Image Description: Bathed in soft pink hues, these weeping plum trees in full bloom create a dreamlike atmosphere. Their elegant branches stretch upwards, forming a magical canopy that transports viewers to a serene and otherworldly setting. The delicate petals, scattered across the ground, form a natural carpet that enhances the beauty of the landscape.
Copyright: © Yoshiaki Kudo, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Vilhelm Gunnarsson, Untitled
The series of 2023–2024 Sundhnúkur eruptions started on 18 December 2023, at the Sundhnúkur crater chain in the Reykjanes volcanic zone, north of GrindavÃk on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. As of 20 November 2024, seven eruptions had occurred, following a period of intense earthquakes.
© Vilhelm Gunnarsson, Iceland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Dan Liao, Nyainqêntanglha
This photograph was captured at Lake Namucuo, in Tibet. The photographer noticed a vast crack in the frozen lake’s surface stretching towards the distant mountains and decided to camp by the lake, patiently waiting for the morning light.
© Dan Liao, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Hajime Hirano, Akihabara
Image Description: The prototype of today’s Akihabara was a gathering of street vendors selling parts for radios. After the late 1950’s, during a period of rapid economic growth, Akihabara grew into ‘Japan’s largest electronics town.’ Nowadays, it is famous worldwide for its anime and cosplay culture. With two different faces, we can say Akihabara is a town that embodies an essence of ‘Japaneseness.’
Copyright: © Hajime Hirano, Japan, Winner, Open Competition, Lifestyle, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Kevin Molano, On the Tightrope
Image Description: Suspended between the sky and the earth, Diego Molano, a highline athlete, rests on the slender rope, having traversed nearly 420 metres. Below him lies the 200-metre-deep abyss of Piedra Colgada, and around him, the vastness of Colombia. This image captures the courage needed to walk into the void and the serenity of finding peace in the seemingly impossible.
Copyright: © Kevin Molano, Colombia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Lifestyle, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Kathryn Mussallem, Winner of the Crab Derby
On the last weekend of August, there is a crab derby in the small seaside vacation town of Birch Bay, USA. People travel from all around to be judged on how many crabs they can catch and how big they are. This was the champion on this particular day.
© Kathryn Mussallem, Canada, Shortlist, Open Competition, Lifestyle, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
Stefano Ruggiero, Marechiaro
This image is part of a project about the photographer’s home city of Naples, Italy, and its relationship with the sea. It was taken on black-and-white film.
