Sony World Photography Awards – The year’s most striking wildlife and travel images
The Sony World Competition announced the winners and shortlists for their 2026 open category awards. The Awards spotlights photographers telling the stories of our time. Here is the selection of images from the open competition in the natural world, wildlife and travel categories.
Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator: the puma. These majestic creatures feed primarily on guanacos, although the hunting success rate is not very high, especially for female pumas. The photographer followed this female and her two cubs for several days, before witnessing her hunting. (Photo: Kevin Shi, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
At dawn on the wide riverbed of Varanasi, India, a Baba sits cross-legged beside a resting camel, as horses thunder past across the sand. The rising sun hangs in the haze, the scene suspended between spectacle and stillness — a meeting of ceremony, performance and movement in the morning light. (Photo: Sawyer Alcázar-Hagen, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A candid portrait of a Banjaran girl at Pushkar Camel Fair, which is held annually in Rajasthan, India. (Photo: Swati Biswas Guha, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The Abare Festival has been passed down for 350 years in Japan's Noto region. This image captures the festival’s finale, as men leap into the river amidst fiercely burning torches that send sparks flying everywhere. They rampage wildly, believing the more they rage, the more the deity rejoices. (Photo: Megumi Murakami, Japan, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Taken on a crisp February morning, the photographer had envisioned this image for weeks, waiting for the light and the stillness to converge. As dawn began to unfurl its golden thread across the horizon, there it was: majestic Mount Fuji, crowned by a solitary lenticular cloud, suspended in the sky. (Photo: Megan Tavarez, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
This image depicts an ice cave in Iceland. (Photo: Marie-Line Dentler, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The first snow gently falls on the crimson monk quarters, contrasting with the vermilion walls. Amid the empty spaces left by red and white lies the serenity of the Buddhist realm. (Photo: Liping Jiang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt flat. In this image, recent rains had created a vast mirror, so driving across the water was like floating through the sky. The photographer notes it was an ‘unforgettable journey into a truly unique landscape.’ (Photo: John Edwards, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This image was taken in Ho Chi Minh City along a canal, during a New Year fireworks celebration. It portrays the contrasts and transformations within a developing city, with temporary riverside houses (soon to be cleared) reflected in the water, typical three- to four-story townhouses, and high-rise buildings and landmarks in the city center. (Photo: Jet Huynh, Vietnam, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) An ordinary residential street is quietly overshadowed by a monumental presence in the distance. (Photo: ChenYu Hsieh, Taiwan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Seen from above, an ordinary landscape can become something extraordinary, as is often the case in Iceland. Each lake had a different hue, which reminded the photographer of a painter’s palette. The effect was enhanced by the dramatic lighting conditions after a heavy rain. (Photo: Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This image blends a 2-minute exposure of the night sky and horizontal Milky Way (taken using a star tracker) with a foreground shot of the prehistoric looking Quiver tree forest in Keetmanshoop, taken earlier in the day from the same location. (Photo: David Sykes, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A polar bear stands at the edge of the frozen sea, a symbol of resilience in the face of a changing climate. (Photo: Wouter van Hofwegen, Netherlands, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The photographer waited patiently until this African buffalo was reflected in the dark water, the intense backlight transforming it into a glowing silhouette and highlighting the curve of its horns. The slow shutter speed also captured a bat fluttering across the scene, its flight appearing as a ghostly ribbon-like pattern. (Photo: Vishal Naveen, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A griffon vulture comes into conflict with a golden jackal in the mountains of Bulgaria. (Photo: Tim Munsey, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) It took the photographer more than 40 hours and 4000 exposures to get this photograph, but that patience was rewarded. (Photo: Stan Bouman, Netherlands, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Weddell seals thrive in one of the planet’s harshest environments. These large mammals, distributed throughout Antarctica, have a thick layer of fur and blubber that act both as a food reserve and insulation. They haul out on the ice floe to rest for periods of time before hunting in the icy depths of Antarctica. (Photo: Scott Portelli, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A deer photographed at Charlecote in Warwickshire, United Kingdom. (Photo: Samuel Round, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Young elephant seal pups or 'weaners' gather around natural rock pools on the Falkland Islands, using the protected waters to practise swimming and diving until they are ready to venture out to sea. (Photo: Lisa Skelton, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A blue arctic fox in a blizzard, photographed on the Varanger Peninsula, Norway. (Photo: Klaus Hellmich, Germany, Winner, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator: the puma. These majestic creatures feed primarily on guanacos, although the hunting success rate is not very high, especially for female pumas. The photographer followed this female and her two cubs for several days, before witnessing her hunting. (Photo: Kevin Shi, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The Upper Amazon Stubfoot Toad is one of the world’s most impressive amphibians. Having travelled thousands of kilometres and walked for several hours, the photographer encountered this male toad trying to attract a female in with his song, in San Martin, Peru. (Photo: Juan Jacobo Castillo Barrera, Colombia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) At dawn, the newly victorious ‘milu king’ stands tall among a resting herd of does, roaring triumphantly. Behind him, the rising sun highlights his majestic silhouette crowning his untamed power and glory. (Photo: Huajin Sun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A small green-eyed goby camouflages itself on a coral with numerous fluorescent green protrusions. It creates a pattern of tiny green lights, like many small glowing eyes. (Photo: Giacomo Marchione, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Not long after the kittens’ morning play, the mother Pallas’s cat returned with a rodent. The first youngster to reach her claimed the prize, while the slower siblings lingered nearby. Whenever the mother paused to rest, their mischief shifted toward her instead. In this frame, the youngster’s bright, mischievous eyes reveal a personality beginning to emerge. (Photo: Elizabeth Yicheng Shen, Taiwan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The stream brown frog is endemic to Japan, where it lives in the mountains until November, when it enters local rivers to hibernate and find a mate. In their eagerness to mate, ‘bachelor’ males will cling to anything drifting downstream, including unsuspecting yamame trout. (Photo: Daichi Shimada, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
/file/attachments/orphans/SawyerAlcazar-HagenUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_347424.jpg "At dawn on the wide riverbed of Varanasi, India, a Baba sits cross-legged beside a resting camel, as horses thunder past across the sand. The rising sun hangs in the haze, the scene suspended between spectacle and stillness — a meeting of ceremony, performance and movement in the morning light. (Photo: Sawyer Alcázar-Hagen, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/SwatiBiswasGuhaIndiaShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_958714.jpg "A candid portrait of a Banjaran girl at Pushkar Camel Fair, which is held annually in Rajasthan, India. (Photo: Swati Biswas Guha, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/MegumiMurakamiJapanWinnerOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_148021.jpg "The Abare Festival has been passed down for 350 years in Japan's Noto region. This image captures the festival’s finale, as men leap into the river amidst fiercely burning torches that send sparks flying everywhere. They rampage wildly, believing the more they rage, the more the deity rejoices. (Photo: Megumi Murakami, Japan, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/MeganTavarezUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_418382.jpeg "Taken on a crisp February morning, the photographer had envisioned this image for weeks, waiting for the light and the stillness to converge. As dawn began to unfurl its golden thread across the horizon, there it was: majestic Mount Fuji, crowned by a solitary lenticular cloud, suspended in the sky. (Photo: Megan Tavarez, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/Marie-LineDentlerFranceShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_242383.jpg "This image depicts an ice cave in Iceland. (Photo: Marie-Line Dentler, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LipingJiangChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_619620.jpg "The first snow gently falls on the crimson monk quarters, contrasting with the vermilion walls. Amid the empty spaces left by red and white lies the serenity of the Buddhist realm. (Photo: Liping Jiang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JohnEdwardsUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_880699.jpg "Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia, is the world’s largest salt flat. In this image, recent rains had created a vast mirror, so driving across the water was like floating through the sky. The photographer notes it was an ‘unforgettable journey into a truly unique landscape.’ (Photo: John Edwards, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JetHuynhVietnamShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_397637.jpg "This image was taken in Ho Chi Minh City along a canal, during a New Year fireworks celebration. It portrays the contrasts and transformations within a developing city, with temporary riverside houses (soon to be cleared) reflected in the water, typical three- to four-story townhouses, and high-rise buildings and landmarks in the city center. (Photo: Jet Huynh, Vietnam, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ChenYuHsiehTaiwanShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_438100.jpg "An ordinary residential street is quietly overshadowed by a monumental presence in the distance. (Photo: ChenYu Hsieh, Taiwan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/FilipHrebendaSlovakiaShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_846251.jpg "Seen from above, an ordinary landscape can become something extraordinary, as is often the case in Iceland. Each lake had a different hue, which reminded the photographer of a painter’s palette. The effect was enhanced by the dramatic lighting conditions after a heavy rain. (Photo: Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/DavidSykesUnitedKingdomShortlistOpenCompetitionTravelSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_904494.jpg "This image blends a 2-minute exposure of the night sky and horizontal Milky Way (taken using a star tracker) with a foreground shot of the prehistoric looking Quiver tree forest in Keetmanshoop, taken earlier in the day from the same location. (Photo: David Sykes, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/WoutervanHofwegenNetherlandsShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_111894.jpg "A polar bear stands at the edge of the frozen sea, a symbol of resilience in the face of a changing climate. (Photo: Wouter van Hofwegen, Netherlands, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/VishalNaveenIndiaShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_562747.jpg "The photographer waited patiently until this African buffalo was reflected in the dark water, the intense backlight transforming it into a glowing silhouette and highlighting the curve of its horns. The slow shutter speed also captured a bat fluttering across the scene, its flight appearing as a ghostly ribbon-like pattern. (Photo: Vishal Naveen, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/TimMunseyUnitedKingdomShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_722418.jpg "A griffon vulture comes into conflict with a golden jackal in the mountains of Bulgaria. (Photo: Tim Munsey, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/StanBoumanNetherlandsShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_877202.jpg "It took the photographer more than 40 hours and 4000 exposures to get this photograph, but that patience was rewarded. (Photo: Stan Bouman, Netherlands, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ScottPortelliAustraliaShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_719027.jpg "Weddell seals thrive in one of the planet’s harshest environments. These large mammals, distributed throughout Antarctica, have a thick layer of fur and blubber that act both as a food reserve and insulation. They haul out on the ice floe to rest for periods of time before hunting in the icy depths of Antarctica. (Photo: Scott Portelli, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/SamuelRoundUnitedKingdomShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_753655.jpeg "A deer photographed at Charlecote in Warwickshire, United Kingdom. (Photo: Samuel Round, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LisaSkeltonAustraliaShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_716505.jpg "Young elephant seal pups or 'weaners' gather around natural rock pools on the Falkland Islands, using the protected waters to practise swimming and diving until they are ready to venture out to sea. (Photo: Lisa Skelton, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/KlausHellmichGermanyWinnerOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_198552.jpg "A blue arctic fox in a blizzard, photographed on the Varanger Peninsula, Norway. (Photo: Klaus Hellmich, Germany, Winner, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/KevinShiUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_731432.jpg "Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator: the puma. These majestic creatures feed primarily on guanacos, although the hunting success rate is not very high, especially for female pumas. The photographer followed this female and her two cubs for several days, before witnessing her hunting. (Photo: Kevin Shi, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JuanJacoboCastilloBarreraColombiaShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_509895.jpg "The Upper Amazon Stubfoot Toad is one of the world’s most impressive amphibians. Having travelled thousands of kilometres and walked for several hours, the photographer encountered this male toad trying to attract a female in with his song, in San Martin, Peru. (Photo: Juan Jacobo Castillo Barrera, Colombia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/HuajinSunChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_228648.jpg "At dawn, the newly victorious ‘milu king’ stands tall among a resting herd of does, roaring triumphantly. Behind him, the rising sun highlights his majestic silhouette crowning his untamed power and glory. (Photo: Huajin Sun, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GiacomoMarchioneItalyShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_917717.jpg "A small green-eyed goby camouflages itself on a coral with numerous fluorescent green protrusions. It creates a pattern of tiny green lights, like many small glowing eyes. (Photo: Giacomo Marchione, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ElizabethYichengShenTaiwanShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_761202.jpg "Not long after the kittens’ morning play, the mother Pallas’s cat returned with a rodent. The first youngster to reach her claimed the prize, while the slower siblings lingered nearby. Whenever the mother paused to rest, their mischief shifted toward her instead. In this frame, the youngster’s bright, mischievous eyes reveal a personality beginning to emerge. (Photo: Elizabeth Yicheng Shen, Taiwan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/DaichiShimadaJapanShortlistOpenCompetitionNaturalWorldWildlifeSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_827344.jpg "The stream brown frog is endemic to Japan, where it lives in the mountains until November, when it enters local rivers to hibernate and find a mate. In their eagerness to mate, ‘bachelor’ males will cling to anything drifting downstream, including unsuspecting yamame trout. (Photo: Daichi Shimada, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator: the puma. These majestic creatures feed primarily on guanacos, although the hunting success rate is not very high, especially for female pumas. The photographer followed this female and her two cubs for several days, before witnessing her hunting. (Photo: Kevin Shi, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)