Sony World Photography Awards – The year's standout images capturing motion and objects
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 motion and object categories.
A group of gentoo penguins queues for jumping into the antarctic sea. (Photo: Martin Schmid, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
Under the starry sky at Shompole, Kenya, two souls connect in the heart of the wild. The photographer explains this moment was captured using a long exposure, as one giraffe approached another, ‘their gentle movements creating an ethereal glowing dance.’ (Photo: Vishal Naveen, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Phases of the lunar eclipse, as seen above the radar station near the village of Sokolnice in Czechia. (Photo: Zdeněk Vošický, Czechia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) In sumo wrestling, salt is thrown onto the ring as a sacred ritual to purify the dohyō and to pray for the safety of the rikishi (wrestlers). Here, the salt appears to be aimed at the referee, but the act was part of a demonstration explaining sumo rules and traditions while entertaining the audience. (Photo: Takeru Marui, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This young Lusitano stallion was allowed to move freely during a photography session, enabling the photographer to capture his powerful and graceful movements. (Photo: Lorea Hausheer, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The cenotes in Cancun, Mexico, are bathed in a breathtaking light. This diver, perfectly attuned to the angle of this light, posed as if he were running, to create the illusion of weightlessness for the photographer. (Photo: Lee Jongkee, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket blasts across the sun, and appears distorted due to sound waves interacting with the light. The rocket in the image is carrying satellites to study solar wind. (Photo: John Winkopp, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The inlet of Xiamen's Yundang Lake is a foraging ground for egrets and a gathering spot for tarpon to hunt for food. These two species often create vivid and thrilling scenes as they compete for sustenance. In this photograph, an egret snatches food from a fish's mouth. (Photo: John Winkopp, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A punk show in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring the band Sailboat. (Photo: Franklin Littlefield, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Captured in Batangas City, Philippines, this photograph freezes the split-second leap of a local boatman. The photographer wanted to showcase the motion found in daily coastal life, catching the subject in mid-air and turning a routine movement into a study of gravity and grace. (Photo: Easelyn Pineda, Philippines, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A skier photographed in deep powder snow in the Austrian Alps. (Photo: Christoph Oberschneider, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This bearded seal was spotted on an ice floe directly beneath the 30-metre-high edge of a glacier on the coast of Svalbard. The photographer observed as the world above the seal collapsed, as huge chunks of ice broke off and thundered into the water behind it. (Photo: Axel Schmidtke, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Professional kiteboarder Erick Anderson flies over the sunset in Ceará, Brazil, illuminated by the photographer’s flash units, which were floating in the lagoon. (Photo: Andre Magarao, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This image is part of an ongoing series entitled Cabinet of Curiosities, which the photographer describes as the ‘X Files’ of his culinary photography. (Photo: Yuliy Vasilev, Bulgaria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Among the rows of drying fish, one eye appeared distinctly red, catching the light differently from the rest. This detail disrupts the visual order, introducing a moment of unease in an otherwise repetitive and static scene. This image was taken on a rainy spring afternoon at an empty market. (Photo: Soomin Park, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Taken as part of the photographer’s series Red Balloon, this image explores ideas of potential and impermanence. The balloon reflected on the water invites contemplation on identity, reproduction and the tenuous line between autonomy and expectation; the stillness of the day suggests both peace and precarity. (Photo: Sarah Barlow, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) With this image, the photographer wanted to let the form of the vegetables express itself without artifice. The minimal setup of this image benefits from careful lighting and a deliberately chosen textured table covering. (Photo: Olivier Koestel, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Taken in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, this image centres on a parked car set against a sharply divided colourful facade. The composition balances geometry and saturation; everyday architecture becomes graphic and deliberate, reflecting how colour and place shape urban identity. (Photo: Robby Ogilvie, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) To create this image, the artist separated parts of aquilegia flowers and plants gathered from her garden, where they seed annually in a variety of colours. The elements were pressed, arranged in a circle, as in the Japanese art of Oshibana, and photographed, preserving their ephemeral beauty. (Photo: Lesley Ormrod, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Photographed using natural light, in Luanda, Angola, this still life presents everyday objects that, in silence, accumulate marks of time, use and permanence. This ‘spontaneous composition,’ found by the photographer and captured by his camera, invites reflection on the traces left by life, where objects become silent witnesses to human experience. (Photo: Leonel Costa, Angola, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) A modern building photographed in clear daylight, focusing on the relationship between the geometry of the facade, colour, and a single vertical element. (Photo: Jan Goeke, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This photograph anthropomorphises the angelica flower, revealing its radiant symmetry against a stark black background. The delicate branching forms resemble a graceful being extending outward, evoking movement and life. Through monochrome tones and precise detail, the image transforms a simple botanical subject into a poetic figure. (Photo: Hanhoon Lee, 2nd Place National Awards, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Whilst experimenting with composition and lighting, the photographer was inspired to create this surrealist image with a pair of bookends and cherries. (Photo: Guglielmo Mangilli, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) One evening, while out for a walk, the photographer’s friend pulled a dried plant from a vegetation bin and challenged him to photograph it. Although the branch is lifeless, it still reveals the intricate beauty and quiet strength of nature. (Photo: Glen Serbin, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) This image is a part of an ongoing project examining the relationship between the natural and artificial worlds. Decaying leaves represent one end of the spectrum, stones a midpoint, and orange rubber bands the opposite end. (Photo: David Hoekje, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
/file/attachments/orphans/VishalNaveenIndiaShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_523844.jpg "Under the starry sky at Shompole, Kenya, two souls connect in the heart of the wild. The photographer explains this moment was captured using a long exposure, as one giraffe approached another, ‘their gentle movements creating an ethereal glowing dance.’ (Photo: Vishal Naveen, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ZdenekVosickyCzechiaShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_557557.jpg "Phases of the lunar eclipse, as seen above the radar station near the village of Sokolnice in Czechia. (Photo: Zdeněk Vošický, Czechia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/TakeruMaruiJapanShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_986570.jpeg "In sumo wrestling, salt is thrown onto the ring as a sacred ritual to purify the dohyō and to pray for the safety of the rikishi (wrestlers). Here, the salt appears to be aimed at the referee, but the act was part of a demonstration explaining sumo rules and traditions while entertaining the audience. (Photo: Takeru Marui, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LoreaHausheerSwitzerlandShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_793598.jpg "This young Lusitano stallion was allowed to move freely during a photography session, enabling the photographer to capture his powerful and graceful movements. (Photo: Lorea Hausheer, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LeeJongkeeKoreaRepublicOfShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_907927.jpg "The cenotes in Cancun, Mexico, are bathed in a breathtaking light. This diver, perfectly attuned to the angle of this light, posed as if he were running, to create the illusion of weightlessness for the photographer. (Photo: Lee Jongkee, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JohnWinkoppUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_787320.jpg "A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket blasts across the sun, and appears distorted due to sound waves interacting with the light. The rocket in the image is carrying satellites to study solar wind. (Photo: John Winkopp, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/HeLuChinaMainlandShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_123002.jpg "The inlet of Xiamen's Yundang Lake is a foraging ground for egrets and a gathering spot for tarpon to hunt for food. These two species often create vivid and thrilling scenes as they compete for sustenance. In this photograph, an egret snatches food from a fish's mouth. (Photo: John Winkopp, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/FranklinLittlefieldUnitedStatesWinnerOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_390325.jpg "A punk show in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring the band Sailboat. (Photo: Franklin Littlefield, United States, Winner, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/EaselynPinedaPhilippinesShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_411300.jpg "Captured in Batangas City, Philippines, this photograph freezes the split-second leap of a local boatman. The photographer wanted to showcase the motion found in daily coastal life, catching the subject in mid-air and turning a routine movement into a study of gravity and grace. (Photo: Easelyn Pineda, Philippines, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/ChristophOberschneiderAustriaShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_190584.jpg "A skier photographed in deep powder snow in the Austrian Alps. (Photo: Christoph Oberschneider, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/AxelSchmidtkeGermanyShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_334688.jpg "This bearded seal was spotted on an ice floe directly beneath the 30-metre-high edge of a glacier on the coast of Svalbard. The photographer observed as the world above the seal collapsed, as huge chunks of ice broke off and thundered into the water behind it. (Photo: Axel Schmidtke, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/AndreMagaraoBrazilShortlistOpenCompetitionMotionSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026copy_256833.jpg "Professional kiteboarder Erick Anderson flies over the sunset in Ceará, Brazil, illuminated by the photographer’s flash units, which were floating in the lagoon. (Photo: Andre Magarao, Brazil, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/YuliyVasilevBulgariaShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_672639.jpg "This image is part of an ongoing series entitled Cabinet of Curiosities, which the photographer describes as the ‘X Files’ of his culinary photography. (Photo: Yuliy Vasilev, Bulgaria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/SoominParkKoreaRepublicOfShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_500317.jpg "Among the rows of drying fish, one eye appeared distinctly red, catching the light differently from the rest. This detail disrupts the visual order, introducing a moment of unease in an otherwise repetitive and static scene. This image was taken on a rainy spring afternoon at an empty market. (Photo: Soomin Park, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/SarahBarlowUnitedKingdomShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_922086.jpeg "Taken as part of the photographer’s series Red Balloon, this image explores ideas of potential and impermanence. The balloon reflected on the water invites contemplation on identity, reproduction and the tenuous line between autonomy and expectation; the stillness of the day suggests both peace and precarity. (Photo: Sarah Barlow, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/OlivierKoestelFranceShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_426988.jpg "With this image, the photographer wanted to let the form of the vegetables express itself without artifice. The minimal setup of this image benefits from careful lighting and a deliberately chosen textured table covering. (Photo: Olivier Koestel, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/RobbyOgilvieUnitedKingdomWinnerOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_592331.jpg "Taken in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, this image centres on a parked car set against a sharply divided colourful facade. The composition balances geometry and saturation; everyday architecture becomes graphic and deliberate, reflecting how colour and place shape urban identity. (Photo: Robby Ogilvie, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LesleyOrmrodUnitedKingdomShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_513547.jpg "To create this image, the artist separated parts of aquilegia flowers and plants gathered from her garden, where they seed annually in a variety of colours. The elements were pressed, arranged in a circle, as in the Japanese art of Oshibana, and photographed, preserving their ephemeral beauty. (Photo: Lesley Ormrod, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/LeonelCostaAngolaShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_538069.jpg "Photographed using natural light, in Luanda, Angola, this still life presents everyday objects that, in silence, accumulate marks of time, use and permanence. This ‘spontaneous composition,’ found by the photographer and captured by his camera, invites reflection on the traces left by life, where objects become silent witnesses to human experience. (Photo: Leonel Costa, Angola, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/JanGoekeGermanyShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_698345.jpg "A modern building photographed in clear daylight, focusing on the relationship between the geometry of the facade, colour, and a single vertical element. (Photo: Jan Goeke, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/HanhoonLee2ndPlaceNationalAwardsKoreaRepublicOfShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_226930.jpg "This photograph anthropomorphises the angelica flower, revealing its radiant symmetry against a stark black background. The delicate branching forms resemble a graceful being extending outward, evoking movement and life. Through monochrome tones and precise detail, the image transforms a simple botanical subject into a poetic figure. (Photo: Hanhoon Lee, 2nd Place National Awards, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GuglielmoMangilliItalyShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_275539.jpg "Whilst experimenting with composition and lighting, the photographer was inspired to create this surrealist image with a pair of bookends and cherries. (Photo: Guglielmo Mangilli, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/GlenSerbinUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_373531.jpg "One evening, while out for a walk, the photographer’s friend pulled a dried plant from a vegetation bin and challenged him to photograph it. Although the branch is lifeless, it still reveals the intricate beauty and quiet strength of nature. (Photo: Glen Serbin, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/DavidHoekjeUnitedStatesShortlistOpenCompetitionObjectSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2026_880033.jpg "This image is a part of an ongoing project examining the relationship between the natural and artificial worlds. Decaying leaves represent one end of the spectrum, stones a midpoint, and orange rubber bands the opposite end. (Photo: David Hoekje, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
A group of gentoo penguins queues for jumping into the antarctic sea. (Photo: Martin Schmid, Austria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)