The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 winners have been announced, with female photographers leading several of the most notable categories and taking the top honour.
At the centre of this year’s awards is Photographer of the Year, awarded to Citlali Fabián for her series Bilha, Stories of my Sisters. Her creative work focuses on women from Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, highlighting their lives, achievements and cultural identity. The project combines portraiture with digital illustration, creating a layered and thoughtful narrative shaped in collaboration with her subjects.
Fabián’s win stands out not only for its visual approach but also for its intent. The series was created to offer positive role models for young girls, placing women’s voices and experiences at its core. The judges noted the way the work reflects shared storytelling and gives visibility to women who are often overlooked.
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Female photographers also made their mark across the Professional competition categories. Isadora Romero was named winner of the Environment category for Notes on How to Build a Forest, while Dafna Talmor took the Landscape title with Constructed Landscapes. In Still Life, Vilma Taubo won for Talking Without Speaking, showing the breadth of approaches and subjects explored by women in this year’s awards.
Outside the Professional competition, Australian photographer Elle Leontiev was named Open Photographer of the Year for her portrait The Barefoot Volcanologist. Her image captures a moment of connection between subject and environment, reflecting the strength of a single frame to tell a wider story.
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Now in its 19th year, the Sony World Photography Awards received more than 430,000 submissions from over 200 countries and territories, reinforcing its dominant position within the global photography calendar. The winning and shortlisted images will be shown at Somerset House in London from 17 April to 4 May, offering visitors a chance to see the work in person.
