Susan Meiselas to Receive The Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award at The Sony World Photography Awards 2025

Image credit: Susan Meiselas. Dee and Lisa on Mott Street, Little Italy, New York City, 1976.

Documentary photographer Susan Meiselas has been named the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography title at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025. This honour recognises her extraordinary five-decade career in which she has consistently pushed the boundaries of documentary photography, shedding light on underrepresented human stories across the world. Meiselas’s empathetic approach captures the lives and voices of people often overlooked by mainstream media, particularly focusing on women’s experiences and human rights issues.

The Sony World Photography Awards gala will celebrate Meiselas’s achievements on 16th April 2025 in London. Following this, her work will be showcased in a special exhibition at Somerset House, running from 17th April to 5th May 2025. This exhibition will offer a rare chance for UK audiences to experience her most iconic projects in one place.

The Somerset House exhibition will highlight five key projects from Meiselas’s career, including early works such as 44 Irving Street, Prince Street Girls and Carnival Strippers. These collections provide intimate portrayals of women from diverse backgrounds, ranging from small-town carnival strippers to young girls growing up in Little Italy, New York. Two of Meiselas’s later projects, Pandora’s Box, an exploration of a New York BDSM club and A Room of Their Own, which documents women rebuilding their lives in a UK refuge, will also on display.

Image credit: Susan Meiselas. Roseann on the way to Manhattan Beach, New York City, 1978.

Born in Baltimore in 1948, Meiselas’s career began with documenting carnival performers, leading to a remarkable portfolio of work that has earned international acclaim. Her images from the Nicaraguan revolution in the 1970s remain some of her most enduring work, now seen as iconic representations of that time. These photos continue to shape the world’s understanding of the revolution, providing a firsthand view of its impact on Nicaraguans. Since 2007, Meiselas has served as President of the Magnum Foundation, championing diversity and innovation in documentary photography.

Reflecting on the award, Meiselas shared, ’I am honoured to receive this Award for my contribution to the ever-expanding world of photography. Over the past 50 years, I have had the privilege of witnessing history being made, sharing the often unseen lives of those engaged in its making. The work on display invites reflection not only on the photographs themselves but also on the relationships that shaped and inspired them.’

As the 18th recipient of this award, Meiselas joins a distinguished group of previous honourees, including Sebastião Salgado (2024), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Martin Parr (2017) and Mary Ellen Mark (2014). She will be presented with her award at the annual ceremony in London on 16th April 2025, during an evening celebrating the winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025.

Image credit: Susan Meiselas. The Star, Tunbridge, Vermont, 1975.