20 Exceptional National Winners Of Sony World Photography Awards

Aimed at supporting the best regional photographers around the globe, the Sony World Photography Awards has released its list of this year’s National winners from a record number of more than 415,000 images from more than 200 countries and territories.

The winners per country for the National Awards program are selected from entries to the different categories of the Open Competition and represent an incredible and diverse range of images from across the planet.

Expert judges uncover the best single images from each of the countries entered into the National & Regional Awards. Winners are awarded Sony digital imaging equipment as well as global and local exposure.

The Sony contest is the leading competition for photographers and artists working in photography. Comprising four categories (Professional, Open, Student and Youth), all entries are free to submit and the top prize is $25,000.

“The Awards are regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions by elevating photographers’ careers – from established to emerging – since it started 16 years ago,” the organization explains.

One photographer from each nation has been honored for a single, standalone image and all will showcase their work to a global audience, along with the overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions to be announced on April 13 at the renowned Sony World Photography Awards 2023 exhibition at London’s Somerset House from April 14 to May 1.

This spotted owlet was photographed from a hide at the National Botanical Garden of Bangladesh. During the day, these amazing birds tend to hide in nests made in the holes of tree trunks, but they sometimes peep out to observe their surroundings with their captivating yellow eyes.

The National Awards program is an initiative established by the World Photography Organisation and sponsored by Sony and the diverse selection of winning photos range from wildlife and landscape to portraiture and sports.

The Sony World Photography Awards have been running for 15 years.

It was a peaceful fog-shrouded November morning at Nara Park in Nara, Japan, when Jeong shot the autumn leaves and grazing deer.

A young ‘knight’ demonstrates his horsemanship, while simultaneously looking at the assembled photographers waiting to take a picture of him. This photograph was taken in the Sultanate of Oman.

A young girl climbs the stairs through Eleftheria Square in Nicosia, Cyprus, in a building designed by Zaha Hadid.

Rajeev Abeysekara explains that “during a game drive in Sri Lanka’s Kumana National Park, I came across this magnificent Sri Lankan leopard resting in a tree, staring at us through the branches. It was an unforgettable encounter.”

A lonely rider plies a bike path next to the Yangjaecheon, a small river in Seoul. The path was surrounded by trees that were so dense that the road could not be seen, creating the illusion he was riding into a deep forest.

A red-eyed tree frog walks slowly through the rainforest in northern Costa Rica.

“Phare” performers tell Cambodian historical and folklore stories through theater, music, dance and circus techniques.

“What the world might see as imperfections are what make us unique,” photographer Angela Perez says. “For this portrait, I wanted to strip my subject to their most basic self, removing the color and background distractions to show them in their true form.”

“The majestic peak of Illimani stands like a guardian of La Paz city,” San Martin describes. “I took this photograph at sunset to capture the beautiful contrast of blacks and oranges.”

This portrait of Nastea in Varancau, Moldova, is part of a series entitled Homeland, exploring the connections between young people from the northern part of Moldova and their surroundings. One -third of Moldova’s population has emigrated and the number of citizens leaving increases every year.

All the winning images can be seen here.