The Sony World Photography Awards has announced the shortlists for the 2026 Student and Youth competitions. The shortlists recognize ten photography students from universities around the world and ten photographers age 19 or younger.
These competitions honor exceptional photographic talent at the beginning of a career. The Student Competition shortlist features moving series exploring the theme Together, while the Youth Competition shortlist presents the best individual images by photographers age 19 or younger.
Student Shortlist
The 19th Sony World Photography Awards received more than 430,000 entries from over two hundred countries and territories. For the 2026 Student Competition, photography students were invited to explore the theme Together through a series of five to ten images.
Chanel Grobler - Togetherness in Family Environments
Sammy Marks was one of South Africa’s first entrepreneurs. Grobler photographed the house where his family once lived, now the Sammy Marks Museum. This image shows the kitchen where the family’s shared meals were prepared, a space that still bears traces of family life.
The selected series offer varied interpretations of togetherness, from intimate stories within close-knit communities to everyday places where human connection emerges. Each nominated student presents a compelling, distinctive approach and an individual perspective.
The theme Together primarily inspires interpretations centered on human connection. Several nominated projects approach the theme Together by focusing on shared experiences that connect communities. The selected projects also reach into the heart of communities through shared spaces.
The winner of Student Photographer of the Year will be selected from the ten nominees and announced at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony in London on April 16, 2026. The winning educational institution will receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment valued at €30,000.
Laura Anna Rossa - In the Valley, Flowers Remain
One spring morning, Patrick taught Rossa to dance beneath a canopy of leaves near the Chapel of Jesus. They sang Laura Pausini’s ‘La Solitudine,’ a song about being lonely together.
Series: Patrick has lived for more than thirty years in The Valley, a psychiatric ward for people with chronic psychosis in the Belgian countryside. He walks in the woods, and since 2024 Rossa has accompanied him, sometimes with her camera, as a gesture that says, ‘We are here.’
Every photograph grew out of their time together, which she describes as ‘sharing shadows, sadness, light, and flowers.’ When he asked Rossa whether he was still human, she replied, ‘You are the most human person I have ever met.’
Youth Shortlist
The Youth Competition shortlist consists of individual photographs by ten photographers age 19 or younger. Participants were invited through an open call to submit their best photograph.
Riley Shickle - Autumn's Frame Around Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji, framed by the autumn foliage around Lake Kawaguchi, with an admirer looking on.
The shortlisted photographers present serene images of nature, ranging from mountain landscapes to underwater scenes. Others turned their lenses toward inhabitants of the natural world. The nominees also explored the art of capturing movement and stillness.
The Youth Photographer of the Year will receive a selection of Sony Digital Imaging equipment to further develop their vision. The winners of the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards Student, Youth, Open, and Professional competitions will be announced on April 16, 2026.
More information is available at worldphoto.org.
