The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most prominent photography competitions in the world today. The annual contest comprises four distinct categories: Professional, Student, Youth, and Open. This year, over 170,000 photos from 61 countries were submitted into the Open category.
Related: Stunning Winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2021
“The photographs in this competition each make a coherent visual statement about a situation or particular circumstance in an elegant visual way", says Hideko Kataoka, one of the lead judges for this year’s Open competition.
The winners of the National Awards, a category from the Open competition that aims to highlight the local photography community, were announced earlier this year. The winning images from these awards include an ethereal shot of Seoul covered in clouds, a majestic photo of wild white horses galloping on a beach in France, and a gorgeous Le Mont Saint-Michel at sunset. Scroll on and enjoy these sublime photos.
“Bike with Flowers” by Thanh Nguyen Phuc, Vietnam, Winner, National Awards, Travel
A street vendor cycles past a colorful street mural in Hanoi, Vietnam. The flowers in the vendor's basket beautifully mirror the artwork on the wall.
“White Stallion” by Haider Khan, India, Winner, National Awards, Natural World & Wildlife
A Marwari or Malani horse. This rare breed of horse has an unusual, inward-curving ear shape and is found in the Marwar region of Rajasthan in northwest India.
“Le Mont.Saint-Michel at Sunset” by Cigdem Ayyildiz, Turkey, Winner, National Awards, Landscape
Le Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky islet and famous sanctuary in Normandy, France. It has a Gothic-style abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael over its medieval walls and towers. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is an architectural masterpiece and looks even more stunning at sunset, as you can see in this photo.
“Stars over Yellowstone” by Mazin Alhassan, Saudi Arabia, Winner, National Awards, Landscape
An astrophotography shot at the Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest geyser basin in Yellowstone.
“Born of Fire” by Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Winner, National Awards, Landscape
A photo from the volcanic area of Fagradalsfjall in southwestern Iceland.
“Bondhusvatnet Glacier” by Hans Kristian Strand, Norway, Winner, National Awards, Landscape
The Bondhusbreen Glacier is located near Sundal in Kvinnherad, Norway. It's an offshoot of the Folgefonna glacier and lies inside the Folgefonna National Park.
“Giant Tusker” by Mohammad Mirza, Kuwait, Winner, National Awards, Natural World & Wildlife
Meet Craig, the "Super-tusker" of Amboseli National Park in Kenya. He's the most researched elephant in the country and one of the most famous animals in Africa. Each of his tusks weighs about 50kg (110lb.) and naturalists believe he's one of the last of his kind. Here the elephant's been photographed with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.
"Through the Roof” by Bernardo del Cristo Hernandez Sierra, Colombia, Winner, Motion
A diver jumps from a 10-meter (32ft.) platform during a national diving competition in Medellin, Colombia.
“El Vigia” by Gonzalo Javier Santile, Argentina, 2nd Place, National Awards, Creative,
The combination of the Milky Way and these unique mountain rocks in Cafayate, Argentina, look quite magical.
“Passing By” by Harrie Coehorst, Netherlands, Winner, National Awards, Street Photography
Two passers-by create a perfect composition in this street photograph taken in Antwerp in Belgium at a passage under the railway.
"Wild Horses” by Matjaž Šimic, Slovenia, Winner, National Awards, Natural World & Wildlife
White Camargue horses gallop along the edge of the ocean on a beach in South France.
"Masked Man in Tokyo” by Yasuhiro Takachi, Japan, 2nd Place, National Awards, Street Photography
This intense photograph was taken in front of Tokyo Station during the declaration of a state of emergency related to Covid-19.
“Untitled” by Wookeun Choi, Korea (Republic of), 2nd Place, National Awards, Street Photography
A woman comes through the imposing structure of this building in Jeju, South Korea in the afternoon.
"A City Among the Clouds” by Wonyoung Choi, Korea (Republic of), Winner, National Awards, Architecture
The city of Seoul, South Korea covered in clouds as the sun rises. This photograph was taken from Bukhansan Mountain, located on the northern periphery of Seoul.
“Untitled” by Kazi Arifuzzaman, Bangladesh, Winner, National Awards, Architecture
Laborers working together somewhere in Bangladesh.
“Silence is the Most Powerful Scream” by Sussi Charlotte Alminde, Denmark, Winner, National Awards, Creative
This photo was taken on a cold winter’s day in Denmark. The photographer says that "the idea was purely and simply to create a personal piece of art."
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