The Sony World Photography Awards announced today the 2026 overall winners at a gala ceremony in London, bringing together leading figures in the contemporary photography world to honour this year’s winners and their achievements. The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2026 title was awarded to Citlali Fabián for the series Bilha, Stories of my Sisters. Citlali Fabián is a visual artist from the Yalalteca Indigenous community in Mexico currently based in London, who uses photography to explore ways of addressing identity and its connections with territory, migration, and community bonds. Fabián receives a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present a solo showcase at the Sony World Photography Awards 2027 exhibition.
Fabián was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced at today’s ceremony, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. The evening’s programme additionally recognised the overall winners of the Awards’ Open, Student and Youth competitions. Also honoured during the course of the evening was this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, celebrated photographer Joel Meyerowitz.
Now in their 19th edition, the Sony World Photography Awards set the standard for international photography recognition; an unmissable moment in the global cultural calendar that continues to discover, celebrate and elevate the photographers shaping our visual world. Across this year’s competitions, over 430,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted. Each edition of the Awards brings into focus stories and images with profound resonance, offering an authoritative perspective on the ever-evolving art of photography.
The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition is on display at Somerset House, London from 17 April – 4 May, presenting over 300 prints and hundreds of images in digital displays, as well as a special presentation by Joel Meyerowitz.
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Citlali Fabián wins for her project Bilha, Stories of my Sisters, which blends carefully crafted photographic portraits with digital illustrations. The series tells the stories of iconic women from Indigenous communities across Oaxaca, Mexico, whose advocacy work generates meaningful impact across a range of spheres: in law, linguistics, the arts and ecology, among others. Conceived as a project to inspire young girls with positive role models, and created through close, sustained collaboration with the women in the photographs, the images in this series highlight their achievements as well as their lived experiences and motivations. The digital drawings applied to the portraits comprise symbols and motifs that reflect the sitters’ personal trajectories and celebrate their cultural heritage.
Commenting on Citlali Fabián’s winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2026 Professional jury says: ‘Through her work, Citlali Fabián reflects on urgent questions of visibility and representation. In many Indigenous cultures, stories are told collectively, shaped by conversation and lived experience rather than by a single voice. Fabián brings this spirit into her photographic practice by working closely with each woman she portrays. Her subjects are not simply photographed, they are active participants in shaping how their stories are told. Through this process, the artist highlights the presence, strength, and achievements of women who have often been overlooked, giving them the visibility and recognition they have long deserved within the wider social and cultural landscape.’
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS
The winning series in the 2026 Professional competition have been selected by a panel of expert judges. Each of the winning photographers displays an original approach to storytelling and outstanding technical ability.
All of the category winners receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and were invited to participate in Insights, a day of specialised sessions with industry experts in London. To learn more about this year’s Professional winners and finalists, please visit worldphoto.org.
This year’s winners are:
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
WINNER: Joy Saha (Bangladesh) for Homes of Haor
Finalists: 2nd place André Tezza (Brazil); 3rd place Chen Liang (China Mainland)
CREATIVE
WINNER: Citlali Fabián (Mexico) for Bilha, Stories of My Sisters
Finalists: 2nd place Pablo Ramos (Mexico); 3rd place Ben Brooks (United Kingdom)
DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS
WINNER: Santiago Mesa (Colombia) for Under the Shadow of Coca
Finalists: 2nd place Colin Delfosse (Belgium); 3rd place Alexandre Bagdassarian (France)
ENVIRONMENT
WINNER: Isadora Romero (Ecuador) for Notes on How to Build a Forest
Finalists: 2nd place Matteo Trevisan (Italy); 3rd place Shane Hynan (Ireland)
LANDSCAPE
WINNER: Dafna Talmor (United Kingdom) for Constructed Landscapes
Finalists: 2nd place Andreas Secci (Germany), 3rd place Michael Blann (United Kingdom)
PERSPECTIVES
WINNER: Seungho Kim (Republic of Korea) for Sunny Side Up: A Portrait of the Most Average K-Parenting Today
Finalists: 2nd place Hayate Kurisu (Japan); 3rd place Fredrik Lerneryd (Sweden)
PORTRAITURE
WINNER: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Italy) for The Faithful
Finalists: 2nd place Marisa Reichert (Germany); 3rd place Federico Borella (Italy)
SPORT
WINNER: Todd Antony (New Zealand) for Buzkashi
Finalists: 2nd place Morgan Otagburuagu (Nigeria); 3rd place Rob Van Thienen (Belgium)
STILL LIFE
WINNER: Vilma Taubo (Norway) for Talking Without Speaking
Finalists: 2nd place Gargi Sharma (India); 3rd place Daniele Vita (Italy)
WILDLIFE & NATURE
WINNER: Will Burrard-Lucas (United Kingdom) for Crossing Point
Finalists: 2nd place Anita Pouchard Serra (Argentina); 3rd place Wolfgang Duerr (Germany)
OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The Open competition is a celebration of the photographic image in all its power; standout images are chosen for the way they distil a moment into something that resonates far beyond it. The Open Photographer of the Year 2026 is Elle Leontiev (Australia), who receives a $5,000 (USD) cash prize and Sony Digital Imaging equipment.
Leontiev wins for The Barefoot Volcanologist, a striking portrait of Phillip Yamah, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcano scientist, standing atop a volcanic rock bomb on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.
Commenting on her win, Elle Leontiev says: ‘In 2018 I stood in a London gallery at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and dreamed of being featured. Years later, my dream has become real. Seeing my work win has filled me with overwhelming gratitude and tears of joy. It’s a reminder that quiet dreams, nurtured and pursued with heart, can come true.’
STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The brief for this year’s Student competition was Together, inviting students of photography across the world to enter a series on the theme of togetherness, looking at the concept in its broadest sense. The Student Photographer of the Year 2026 is Jubair Ahmed Arnob (Bangladesh, Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts). His series The Place Where I Used To Play, visually narrates the changing landscape of the Green Model Town in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where urban development is altering daily life and the suburban topography.
Commenting on his win, Jubair Ahmed Arnob says: ‘Winning the Sony World Photography Award feels like a dream come true — years of passion, memories, and stories finally being seen and recognised. It fills me with gratitude, joy, and a renewed drive to keep capturing the world through my lens.’
YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The 2026 Youth competition invited all photographers aged 19 and under to respond to the Open Call and share their best images of the past year. The Youth Photographer of the Year 2026 is Philip Kangas (Sweden, 16 years old). He receives the award for Saving History from the Flames, a remarkable image of two firefighters as they carry an artwork out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm during a fire, capturing the action and collaboration of the moment.
Commenting on his win, Philip Kangas says: ‘I was very surprised when I heard that I was a winner in this year’s Sony World Photography Awards. I am very happy, as it gives confirmation to my hard work.’
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
The prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2026 is awarded to acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz. Meyerowitz’s practice is marked by his observant eye, finely tuned to the currents and textures of life. His work shows a fascination with life happening around him, and a remarkable instinct for framing images that are at once revealing and enigmatic, imbued with beauty and wit.
A selection of works by Meyerowitz, including excerpts from his series Europa (1966-1967) and two new artist videos, are on view at Somerset House as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, offering an insight into the spirit and curiosity that has characterised his practice for the past six decades.