Sony World Photography Awards 2026 National and Regional Winners Are Out – and They’re Worth Your Time

The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 National and Regional winners have been announced. I’m going to be a little biased here, but this is one of my favorite stages of the competition. It’s because the spotlight shifts away from one global winner and lands on individual countries and regions instead. The result never leaves me indifferent with the mix of cultures, perspectives, and stories that might otherwise get swallowed up in a massive international competition.

[Related Reading: Sony World Photography Awards 2025 celebrates stunning regional winners]

Over 430,000 images from more than 200 countries and territories were submitted this year, which is absolutely staggering. The National Awards are selected from images in the Open contest, with winners from across the globe. Some images are sweeping landscapes, others are quiet portraits or fleeting everyday moments. A few stop you in your tracks with something unexpected from the natural world. There’s a variety in styles and subjects just like there is a variety in nationalities. National and Regional section of the contest reminds us that, no matter where we’re from, we all speak the same language: photography.

In the Latin America Professional Award, Mexican photographer Citlali Fabian takes first place with a project blending portraiture and digital illustration to highlight the stories of women from Indigenous communities.

Stories of Loss and Resilience

Some of the most memorable work this year carries real weight.

Avijit Ghosh, the first winner of the India National Award, documents women in the Sundarbans who lost their husbands to tiger attacks and are now involved in restoring mangrove ecosystems. It’s the story that shows how inseparable environmental issues and human lives are – and how tragedies sometimes create space for becoming a part of something bigger than ourselves.

In Japan, Hayate Kurisu’s winning series captures grief and connection following the stillbirth of a child. If it sounds familiar, it’s the same project that stopped me in my tracks when I covered the contest finalists.

A New Generation Steps Forward

An exciting addition this year is the European Student Award, introduced to highlight emerging photographers from across the continent. The inaugural winner, Teresa Halbreiter, explores identity and femininity within the structured environment of the German Armed Forces. We can see discipline, individuality, and belonging, all tangled together.

The overall winners will be announced on April 16, 2026, with the exhibition opening at Somerset House in London from April 17 to May 4. While we impatiently wait for the big moment, take a look at the National and Regional winners. And then, head to the contest website to see the shortlists and enjoy even more stunning photos.

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