Sony World Photography Awards Series 2027

The Sony World Photography Awards Series competition is the part of the world's best-known photography awards that judges a body of work rather than a single frame. For 2027, photographers anywhere in the world can enter a series of five to ten images, with a short description, in one of ten categories. Entry is free, and the deadline is 12 January 2027 at 16:00 GMT. One overall winner receives the title of Photographer of the Year and $25,000.

This competition was previously known as the Professional competition. The new name reflects what it actually asks for: a coherent series, whatever your career stage.

Categories

• Architecture & Design
• Creative
• Documentary Projects
• Environment
• Histories
• Landscape
• Perspectives
• Portraiture
• Sport
• Wildlife & Nature

You can enter several categories, but the same series cannot be entered in more than one.

Who Can Enter the Sony World Photography Awards Series Competition?

Photographers of any nationality and level. It is particularly relevant to:

• Documentary photographers and photojournalists with a finished project
• Landscape, wildlife and architecture photographers working in sequences
• Portrait photographers with a series built around one idea
• Artists using photography in a conceptual or creative way

Entry Fees

Free to enter.

What Do Winners Receive?

• Photographer of the Year: the title and $25,000 (USD)
• A solo presentation as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London the following year
• Category recognition for winners and shortlisted photographers, with publication and exhibition
• Digital imaging equipment may be part of the prizes, according to the rules

Submission Requirements

Each entry is a series of five to ten images with a series description, submitted through the World Photography Organisation website. Read the full rules on the official page before you upload, including the requirements on image files and editing.

Why Enter?

The Sony World Photography Awards are among the most visible photography competitions in the world, with a major exhibition in London and wide press coverage. Because the Series competition is free, the only cost is your time, and a shortlisting is a strong credential for grant applications, galleries and editors.

How to Build a Strong Series

A strong series works like a short essay: each image adds something new, and the sequence has a clear beginning and end. Edit tightly; five strong pictures beat ten uneven ones. Keep a consistent visual language (light, colour, distance from the subject) so the work reads as one project. The description matters more than many photographers think: in two or three sentences, say what the project is about and why it matters, without repeating what the images already show.

Choose the category with care. A documentary project about a landscape may fit Environment better than Landscape; read the category descriptions and enter where your intention is clearest.

About the Organiser

The awards are run by Creo, the organisation behind the World Photography Organisation, and sponsored by Sony. Alongside the Series competition there are separate competitions for single images, students and young photographers.

Things to Consider

• Free entry: no fee, so there is no reason to miss the deadline.
• Five to ten images: fewer, stronger images are usually better.
• One category per series: decide where your project fits best.
• Write the description: explain the idea, not the technique.
• Deadline: 12 January 2027 at 16:00 GMT.

Enter the Competition

Ready to enter your series?

Enter the Sony World Photography Awards

For the full rules and entry form, visit the official World Photography Organisation website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 28, 2026