GB · Free entry · 2027
· verified
Sony World Photography Awards 2027
World Photography Organisation (in partnership with Sony) worldphoto.org ↗
Closes Jan 12, 2027
·
D − 190
Worth entering? Free to enter against a $25.0K top prize — the cost is your rights, not your money: read the licence terms below before you submit. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓
Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee
Read the fine print
Read the fine print first — Sony World Photography Awards 2027 has 4 hard disqualifiers and demanding rights terms.
What this contest takes
Standard terms — you keep copyright and full control; the licence is limited to promoting the contest.
- Non-exclusive worldwide right to use submitted and winning images for the promotion of the Awards, the touring exhibition, the yearbook, and Sony marketing materials. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration: Perpetual for the specified promotional purposes.
- You keep your copyright
- Credited when used
What disqualifies you
Generative fill is out; AI denoise / sharpen / upscale are fine — but “excessive manipulation” is judged subjectively, so keep the edit honest.
- Age minimum Series and Single Image entrants must be 18+. Youth competition: under 19. “All entrants to the Series and Single Image competitions must be over 18. The Youth competition is for photographers aged under 19.”
- Capture date after Series work must have been published between 1 Jan 2026 and 12 Jan 2027; Single Image work must have been taken in 2026. “Series: published between 1 January 2026 and 12 January 2027. Single Image: images must be taken in 2026.”
- Image format You may enter BOTH the Single Image and Series competitions, but each must use a different body of work — submitting the same work to both is not permitted. (The 2026-cycle cross-track exclusivity was removed for 2027.) “Entrants choosing to submit work across both Single Image and Series competitions must choose work originating from different bodies of work.”
- Ai generation Manipulation permitted but must be disclosed; the origin must be an analogue or digital photograph (no CGI / computer-generated origin). “All Entries must originally be from either an analogue or digital photograph which may have then been manipulated. Computer generated content cannot be the origin of the Entry.”
Closes Jan 12, 2027 · D−190
Free to enter
Upload spec:
Files: JPGMin 3000px long edgeUnder 5 MBsRGB colour profileCaption requiredNo watermarks
Check your photo against these exact rules — free →
No account · reads the editing line, the AI clause and the file spec · rules human-verified
The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.
Categories
Series
5–10 image series · closes 12 Jan 2027 · 10 categories
- Architecture & Design
- Creative
- Documentary Projects
- Environment
- Histories new
- Landscape
- Perspectives
- Portraiture
- Sport
- Wildlife & Nature
Single Image
one image · closes 5 Jan 2027 · 10 categories
- Animal Portraits new
- Architecture
- Creative
- Landscape
- Lifestyle
- Motion new
- Natural World & Wildlife
- Portraiture
- Street Photography
- Travel
Youth Competition (under 19)
Single
Single image, open call, for photographers under 19. Closes 5 Jan 2027.
Student Competition — Journeys
Portfolio · up to 10 photos (min 5)
Themed brief ('Journeys') for accredited photography students. Closes 27 Nov 2026.
F Format requirements 1 spec
sony_high_res
- File types: jpg
- Min long edge: 3000px
- Min size: 1.0 MB
- Max size: 5.0 MB
- Color profile: sRGB
- DPI: 300
- No watermarks
- Caption required (max 1000 chars)
E Eligibility 4 rules
-
Series and Single Image entrants must be 18+. Youth competition: under 19.
hard
“All entrants to the Series and Single Image competitions must be over 18. The Youth competition is for photographers aged under 19.”
-
Series work must have been published between 1 Jan 2026 and 12 Jan 2027; Single Image work must have been taken in 2026.
hard
“Series: published between 1 January 2026 and 12 January 2027. Single Image: images must be taken in 2026.”
-
You may enter BOTH the Single Image and Series competitions, but each must use a different body of work — submitting the same work to both is not permitted. (The 2026-cycle cross-track exclusivity was removed for 2027.)
hard
“Entrants choosing to submit work across both Single Image and Series competitions must choose work originating from different bodies of work.”
-
Manipulation permitted but must be disclosed; the origin must be an analogue or digital photograph (no CGI / computer-generated origin).
hard
“All Entries must originally be from either an analogue or digital photograph which may have then been manipulated. Computer generated content cannot be the origin of the Entry.”
Jury context
World Photography Organisation panel chaired typically by a senior curator or museum director; rotating panel of editors, curators, and renowned photographers across the 10 Series categories. WPO emphasizes industry credibility and global reach.
Priorities: series cohesion documentary or conceptual depth technical craft subject access personal narrative
Tone: sustained cohesive accessible subject aware patient
Avoid: single image only generative origin undisclosed manipulation hype
Past winners — text notes
Recent Photographer of the Year winners (Citlali Fabián 2026, Juliette Pavy 2024) share sustained documentary projects with strong personal narrative and access. Sony's Series competition values series cohesion over single-image bravado. Single Image winners often have a single arresting frame with strong graphic composition. Largest contest by volume — historically 400,000+ entries per cycle.
These are text-only curatorial observations, never images of past winners.
Prizes
Photographer of the Year (Series overall): $25,000 + Sony imaging kit + solo exhibition + London ceremony. Single Image Photographer of the Year: $5,000 + Sony kit. Category winners: Sony equipment + flights + networking day. Shortlisted (up to 7 per category): certificate, press exposure, book inclusion.
Exhibition Publication Gear
R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
- What you grant
- Non-exclusive worldwide right to use submitted and winning images for the promotion of the Awards, the touring exhibition, the yearbook, and Sony marketing materials. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration
- Perpetual for the specified promotional purposes.
- Exclusivity
- none
- Attribution
- Required
- Copyright retained by photographer
- Yes
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Before you enter — quick answers
- Is Sony World Photography Awards 2027 free to enter?
- Yes — Sony World Photography Awards 2027 is free to enter.
- Are AI-generated images allowed in Sony World Photography Awards 2027?
- AI-assisted editing is permitted at Sony World Photography Awards 2027, but the image must originate from a real photograph and manipulation may need to be disclosed. A fully AI-generated image is not eligible as a photograph.
- When is the Sony World Photography Awards 2027 deadline?
- Sony World Photography Awards 2027 closes on Jan 12, 2027 (in 190 days).
- How do I know if my photo is eligible for Sony World Photography Awards 2027?
- Read your photograph against Sony World Photography Awards 2027's published rules — the editing line, the AI clause, and the file requirements — free and without an account with WinPhoto's eligibility check. It tells you whether your image is eligible before you pay the entry fee.