Sony World Photography Awards category winners

The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the 10 category winners and 120 shortlisted photographers of its 2026 Open Competition. The contest, which is in its 19th year, aims to recognize the best single images taken in the past year. The 2026 edition received over 430,000 images from more than 200 countries and territories. The entries showcase a diverse range of imagery, including dramatic landscapes, humorous portraits and more.

The Open Photographer of the Year will be announced at the awards ceremony in London on April 16. The winner will receive a $5000 cash prize along with Sony imaging equipment. A selection of winning and shortlisted images will be on display as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House from April 17 to May 4, 2026.

You can see all of the shortlisted images at the World Photography Organization website.

Architecture

Photographer: Markus Naarttijärvi

Image name: Industrial Layers

Description: Taken on a dark night, this view of the paper mill in Obbola, Sweden, reveals layers of shadows, concrete, clouds and sky.

Technical details: Fujifilm GFX100s II | GF110mm F2 LM WR | F2.8 | 1/18 sec | ISO 3200

Copyright: Markus Naarttijärvi, Sweden, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Creative

Photographer: Siavosh Ejlali

Image name: Lost Hope

Description: In this image the photographer describes how the black plastic covering most of the woman’s face is a sign of ‘dark thoughts and the imposition of beliefs’, while the red balloon falling to the ground could be ‘her lost hope’. The background evokes Iranian urban society, which has been the setting for the recent demonstrations involving Iranian women, noting that 'the red clothes and lips are the bloody price that women have paid.’

Copyright: Siavosh Ejlali, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, Winner, Open Competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Landscape

Photographer: J Fritz Rumpf

Image name: Shapes and Patterns of the Desert

Description: An early morning glow brings out the rich pastel colours of the Sossusvlei dunes in Namibia. The contrast of the green and delicate peach colours almost overwhelms the senses; the patterns and textures emerging from the shadows give the landscape a distinctive, painterly look.

Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikkor Z 180-600mm F5.6-6.3 VR | F13 | 1/400 sec | ISO 200

Copyright: J Fritz Rumpf, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Lifestyle

Photographer: Vanta Coda III

Image name: Charlotte and Dolly

Description: Charlotte lies with her cow Dolly, keeping cool in the cow barn between events at the 100th State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg. Outside, the temperature is upwards of 32°C.

Technical details: Canon EOS R3 | RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM | F2.8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 500

Copyright: Vanta Coda III, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Lifestyle, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Motion

Photographer: Franklin Littlefield

Image name: Sailboat

Description: A punk show in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring the band Sailboat.

Technical details: Fujifilm X-S20 | XF 16mm F2.8 R WR | F2.8 | 1/2 sec | ISO 200

Copyright: Franklin Littlefield, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Natural World & Wildlife

Photographer: Klaus Hellmich

Image name: Arctic Fox in Blizzard

Description: A blue arctic fox in a blizzard, photographed on the Varanger Peninsula, Norway.

Technical details: Nikon Z8 | Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S | F2.8 | 1/50 sec | ISO 1000

Copyright: Klaus Hellmich, Germany, Winner, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Object

Photographer: Robby Ogilvie

Image name: Colour Divides

Description: Taken in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, this image centres on a parked car set against a sharply divided colourful facade. The composition balances geometry and saturation; everyday architecture becomes graphic and deliberate, reflecting how colour and place shape urban identity.

Copyright: Robby Ogilvie, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Portraiture

Photographer: Elle Leontiev

Image name: The Barefoot Volcanologist

Description: On the ash plains of Mount Yasur, on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, Phillip, an internationally recognised, self-taught volcanologist, stands barefoot atop a volcanic rock bomb. Wearing a lava-protection suit gifted to him by some visiting researchers, the volcano smoulders behind him, sending a plume of gas and sulphur into the sky. Phillip grew up beneath the active volcano, and this portrait captures him in his element.

Technical details: Sony a7 III | FE 24mm F1.4 GM | F16 | 1/250 sec | ISO 320

Copyright: Elle Leontiev, Australia, Winner, Open Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Street Photography

Photographer: Giulia Pissagroia

Image name: Between the Lines

Description: A family marvels at the view from Ørnevegen (Eagle Road), Norway, in this candid shot.

Technical details: Sony a7 IV | FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS | F22 | 1/200 sec | ISO 1250

Copyright: Giulia Pissagroia, Italy, Winner, Open Competition, Street Photography, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Travel

Photographer: Megumi Murakami

Image name: Untitled

Description: The Abare Festival has been passed down for 350 years in Japan's Noto region. This image captures the festival’s finale, as men leap into the river amidst fiercely burning torches that send sparks flying everywhere. They rampage wildly, believing the more they rage, the more the deity rejoices.

Copyright: Megumi Murakami, Japan, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

DPReview has been selected as a Global Partner for CP+.

Each year in February, the camera industry gathers in Yokohama, Japan, for CP+ Expo, the industry's official trade show sponsored by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA). What's more, DPReview has been selected as one of the founding Global Partners for CIPA's CP+ partnership program, bringing you exclusive news, insights, and hands-on access to the event.

CP+2026 runs from February 26th to March 1st. We've created a dedicated CP+ show page to help you track all the news from CP+ in one place. This is where you'll find our latest updates – including content that may not appear on our homepage – ranging from breaking news and hands-on impressions to behind-the-scenes looks at the event and more.

Let us know if there's anything specific you want us to watch for, and we'll keep our eye out!

Visit our CP+2026 show page

Photo: Mitchell Clark

Earlier this year, Nikon announced the Nikkor 24-105mm F4-7.1, a new, budget full-frame zoom lens designed to be kitted with its entry-level full-frame offering, the Z5II. We've put in some time with it to see how it performs.

As a note, while we've spent some time with the lens on a Z5II, our sample gallery was produced using the higher-resolution Z8; it's probably not a pairing you'll see often out in the wild, but we want to show the lens's image quality in as much detail as possible.

Jump to Sample Gallery

Speaking of, I'll admit that I had certain expectations coming into shooting with this lens. If you've ever used an inexpensive lens with a wide focal range and a relatively slow, variable aperture, you're probably aware that it's not a formula for great image quality. Despite that, I found the 24-105mm to be decently sharp for most of the frame, even wide open. Vignetting was also quite a bit better than I'd have guessed; it's there at F4, and doesn't fully go away until F8, but even wide open it's not too noticeable unless you're specifically taking comparison shots.

The shooting experience

In good light, the 24-105mm F4-7.1 produces impressive image quality for its price throughout its focal range. Nikon Z8 | Nikkor 24-105 F4-7.1 | 45mm | F5.6 | 1/50 sec | ISO 90

Nikon used a stepper motor to power this lens' autofocus, which is what we'd expect for this price range. It performs well; the lens is quick to focus, even when you're going from close up to near infinity. While it's not lightning fast, it'll get the job done for most types of shooting.

The 24-105mm extends quite a way out when you're zooming in, but despite this, its center of gravity doesn't change that much. It's a small thing, but it's nice not having to adjust your grip as you change focal lengths. I also didn't find that the lens forced me to hold it in a way that made me accidentally activate the customizable control ring.

It's not all sunshine, though. Even with modern cameras with stabilized sensors and decent high ISO performance, F7.1 is still quite slow. You don't get down to it until you're almost entirely zoomed in – even at 85mm, the lens can still maintain F6.3 – but it will limit what you can do with it. You won't want to shoot fast-moving subjects unless they're in bright sunlight, and while its longer focal lengths are theoretically decent for portraiture, you may not be able to get as much subject separation as you'd want.

Still, if you prefer the wide-end, it's worth noting that the maximum aperture stays relatively fast for a while. At 35mm it's F4.2, and it stays at or under F5.6 until around 62mm.

Summary

While these kinds of lenses are rarely the most exciting, Nikon has built a decent selection of kit zooms for its Z mount cameras. Retailing for $550 on its own and adding $350 to the retail price of the Z5II, this is the company's least expensive full-frame offering in that category by a fair margin. The 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR retails for $400 more, and adds an additional $450 onto the price of the Z5II. And while that lens is well-regarded, has stabilization and is faster at its long(er) end, it's also a fair bit heavier and a bit larger, though the size gap between them isn't as big as you might think given its extra reach.

While the 24-105mm isn't the kind of lens that most photographers will keep around forever, it seems like it offers a decent place to start for those who aren't sure yet where their photography journey will take them.

Sample Gallery

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