Sony World Competition — The year's most notable international portrait photography
The Sony World Competition announced the finalists and shortlists for their 2026 professional awards. The Awards spotlights photographers telling the stories of our time. Here is the selection of images from the professional competition in the portraiture category.
The photographer asked his human subjects to tell him about their ‘love for dogs’ and then photographed them and their often revealing and humorous interactions with their canine companions. (Photo: Hans-Juergen Burkard, Germany, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
For around 30,000 years, dogs have been closer to mankind than any other animal. For the photographer of this series, it sometimes seemed that it was not humans who tamed dogs, but dogs who domesticated humans and both became mirrors of the other. Dog Beach consists of portraits of dogs and their humans, taken at the North Sea coast in Germany. To create his portraits, the photographer asked his human subjects to tell him about their ‘love for dogs’ and then photographed them and their often revealing and humorous interactions with their canine companions. (Photo: Hans-Juergen Burkard, Germany, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Labadi (La), sits on Accra’s coast in Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea. The Ga community is shaped by canoe fishing and fish processing as the capital grows around it. For this series, the photographer worked with local residents to make portraits on the landing beach and in improvised studios, where boats, nets, a horse and flags became shared symbols. The images move between constructed tableaux and quiet observation: boys at play, workers at rest, friends holding space for one another. In doing so, they invite the viewer to meet the Labadi community through dignity, intimacy and self-possession. (Photo: Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another image capturing the Ga community. (Photo: Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) In recent decades, attitudes towards moving into a retirement home in Hungary have changed. Previously, the move was often imposed by families as a last resort, leaving residents feeling abandoned. Today, however, many older people are taking control of their own future and choosing their own residence while they are still able to. Even so, as people age, ‘their personality traits tend to deepen alongside their wrinkles’. Reduced social interaction and loneliness often prompt greater reflection, bringing past experiences into sharper focus, both good and bad. This can be challenging, particularly when it is accompanied by relocation to a new home. Responses vary according to individuals, but many approach it with resilience and optimism. In Hungarian retirement homes, carnival celebrations offer a vivid expression of this spirit, revealing how engagement and joy can shape a fulfilling later life. (Photo: János Bődey, Hungary, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Along the Yangtze, women stay at home while men work away, shouldering farming, childcare and care for the elderly. ‘Their longing runs as deep as the river, their loneliness sharp at night. Yet life's burdens never dim their hopes. They endure hardship, their hands marked by time, but never turn away from their duties.’ With gentle strength they create a sanctuary for their families and a warm welcome for returning kin. Year after year they wait for the distant figure to return, holding onto anticipation and hope for a brighter future. (Photo: Wei Kuai, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) En Route explores the gap between an idealised life and reality. As the artist approached her thirties, she found herself at a loss, wandering and searching for a sense of ‘home.’ These staged photographs reflect moments of uncertainty, presenting the temporary spaces that a young woman occupies and asking whether it is possible to find a place in this ever-changing world, or whether it is simply an illusion created by the culture we consume. This series attempts to capture the state of being adrift in the face of the unknown, reflecting a shared struggle to find direction and meaning. (Photo: Shaohan Fang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Part of Shaohan Fang's En Route series. (Photo: Shaohan Fang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Portraits of survivors and families affected by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking ring, photographed in Washington, D.C. All but one of these women has spoken publicly about the sexual abuse they say Epstein perpetrated before his death in 2019. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and trafficking minors for sex as a longtime confidante to Epstein. She is appealing the conviction. (Photo: Caroline Gutman, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another portrait of a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking ring. (Photo: Caroline Gutman, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Buried Treasure is a documentary project rooted in the former mining village of Horden in the north east of England, born from the revelation that a founding family myth — a supposedly fatal mining accident — had been fabricated. Using a hybrid visual language, contemporary photography, family archives, charcoal drawings and performative gestures are drawn upon to explore inherited trauma, social mobility and the fragility of collective memory in post-industrial Britain. (Photo: Ed Alcock, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Part of the Buried Treasure documentary project. (Photo: Ed Alcock, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Koryo-saram are the descendants of ethnic Koreans from the former USSR who were forcibly deported to Uzbekistan through Stalin’s ethnic cleansing policies. Over time, they became an integral part of Uzbek society, but their connection to Korea gradually faded, and by the 1990s, few could even read or write Korean. Today, most Koryo-saram identify as Uzbek citizens, with only faint traces of Korean cultural heritage remaining. However, a new generation, influenced by the ‘Korean Wave,’ is rediscovering its roots through music, film, dance and language, particularly in Tashkent, where this revival also includes many young Uzbeks. (Photo: Federico Borella, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another image representing the Koryo-saram identity. (Photo: Federico Borella, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) be:longing documents the lives of older Muslim trans people in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. Religion plays a central role in Indonesian society, and nearly 90 per cent of the population is Muslim. People of the queer community are faced with the challenge of reconciling their faith, their identity and society's expectations. Although trans women, known as waria (a mixture of the words wanita (woman) and pria (man)), have long been part of Javanese culture, they are not recognised by conservative Muslims, are usually excluded from formal employment opportunities, and many lose the support of their families after coming out. Over generations, a strong trans community has established its own safe spaces in Yogyakarta. At Pondok Pesantren Al-Fatah they meet with friends to study the Quran and pray, while the Waria Crisis Centre (WCC) provides a home in old age, through illness or at difficult phases of life. (Photo: Marisa Reichert, Germany, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Part of Reichert's be:longing series, documenting the lives of older Muslim trans people in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. (Photo: Marisa Reichert, Germany, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Between the death of one pope and the election of the next, crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, for an event that functions simultaneously as sacred ritual and global spectacle. The photographers explain that pilgrimage took on the traits of fandom, as rosaries, flags and prayer gestures were performed with full awareness of the attendant cameras and media. Individual devotion unfolded ‘within a choreography shaped by mass attendance and global broadcast.’ The portraits in this series capture that ‘doubled consciousness’: believers performing acts of faith within a mediated public space, where personal conviction merges with stadium-scale performance. (Photo: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another photo from St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. (Photo: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
/file/attachments/orphans/3955_10941_Hans-JuergenBurkard_Germany_Professional_Portraiture_2026_907088.jpg "For around 30,000 years, dogs have been closer to mankind than any other animal. For the photographer of this series, it sometimes seemed that it was not humans who tamed dogs, but dogs who domesticated humans and both became mirrors of the other. Dog Beach consists of portraits of dogs and their humans, taken at the North Sea coast in Germany. To create his portraits, the photographer asked his human subjects to tell him about their ‘love for dogs’ and then photographed them and their often revealing and humorous interactions with their canine companions. (Photo: Hans-Juergen Burkard, Germany, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3965_11007_RonTimehin_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Portraiture_2026_491264.jpg "Labadi (La), sits on Accra’s coast in Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea. The Ga community is shaped by canoe fishing and fish processing as the capital grows around it. For this series, the photographer worked with local residents to make portraits on the landing beach and in improvised studios, where boats, nets, a horse and flags became shared symbols. The images move between constructed tableaux and quiet observation: boys at play, workers at rest, friends holding space for one another. In doing so, they invite the viewer to meet the Labadi community through dignity, intimacy and self-possession. (Photo: Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3965_11005_RonTimehin_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Portraiture_2026_758721.jpg "Another image capturing the Ga community. (Photo: Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3963_10999_JnosBdey_Hungary_Professional_Portraiture_2026_782073.jpg "In recent decades, attitudes towards moving into a retirement home in Hungary have changed. Previously, the move was often imposed by families as a last resort, leaving residents feeling abandoned. Today, however, many older people are taking control of their own future and choosing their own residence while they are still able to. Even so, as people age, ‘their personality traits tend to deepen alongside their wrinkles’. Reduced social interaction and loneliness often prompt greater reflection, bringing past experiences into sharper focus, both good and bad. This can be challenging, particularly when it is accompanied by relocation to a new home. Responses vary according to individuals, but many approach it with resilience and optimism. In Hungarian retirement homes, carnival celebrations offer a vivid expression of this spirit, revealing how engagement and joy can shape a fulfilling later life. (Photo: János Bődey, Hungary, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3961_10981_WeiKuai_ChinaMainland_Professional_Portraiture_2026_773994.jpg "Along the Yangtze, women stay at home while men work away, shouldering farming, childcare and care for the elderly. ‘Their longing runs as deep as the river, their loneliness sharp at night. Yet life's burdens never dim their hopes. They endure hardship, their hands marked by time, but never turn away from their duties.’ With gentle strength they create a sanctuary for their families and a warm welcome for returning kin. Year after year they wait for the distant figure to return, holding onto anticipation and hope for a brighter future. (Photo: Wei Kuai, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3959_10963_ShaohanFang_ChinaMainland_Professional_Portraiture_2026_689159.jpg "En Route explores the gap between an idealised life and reality. As the artist approached her thirties, she found herself at a loss, wandering and searching for a sense of ‘home.’ These staged photographs reflect moments of uncertainty, presenting the temporary spaces that a young woman occupies and asking whether it is possible to find a place in this ever-changing world, or whether it is simply an illusion created by the culture we consume. This series attempts to capture the state of being adrift in the face of the unknown, reflecting a shared struggle to find direction and meaning. (Photo: Shaohan Fang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3959_10957_ShaohanFang_ChinaMainland_Professional_Portraiture_2026_685026.jpg "Part of Shaohan Fang's En Route series. (Photo: Shaohan Fang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3957_10947_CarolineGutman_UnitedStates_Professional_Portraiture_2026_579154.jpg "Portraits of survivors and families affected by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking ring, photographed in Washington, D.C. All but one of these women has spoken publicly about the sexual abuse they say Epstein perpetrated before his death in 2019. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and trafficking minors for sex as a longtime confidante to Epstein. She is appealing the conviction. (Photo: Caroline Gutman, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3957_10945_CarolineGutman_UnitedStates_Professional_Portraiture_2026_488736.jpg "Another portrait of a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking ring. (Photo: Caroline Gutman, United States, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3953_10911_EdAlcock_France_Professional_Portraiture_2026_296326.jpg "Buried Treasure is a documentary project rooted in the former mining village of Horden in the north east of England, born from the revelation that a founding family myth — a supposedly fatal mining accident — had been fabricated. Using a hybrid visual language, contemporary photography, family archives, charcoal drawings and performative gestures are drawn upon to explore inherited trauma, social mobility and the fragility of collective memory in post-industrial Britain. (Photo: Ed Alcock, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3953_10915_EdAlcock_France_Professional_Portraiture_2026_275962.jpg "Part of the Buried Treasure documentary project. (Photo: Ed Alcock, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3951_10897_FedericoBorella_Italy_Professional_Portraiture_2026_449673.jpg "Koryo-saram are the descendants of ethnic Koreans from the former USSR who were forcibly deported to Uzbekistan through Stalin’s ethnic cleansing policies. Over time, they became an integral part of Uzbek society, but their connection to Korea gradually faded, and by the 1990s, few could even read or write Korean. Today, most Koryo-saram identify as Uzbek citizens, with only faint traces of Korean cultural heritage remaining. However, a new generation, influenced by the ‘Korean Wave,’ is rediscovering its roots through music, film, dance and language, particularly in Tashkent, where this revival also includes many young Uzbeks. (Photo: Federico Borella, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3951_10909_FedericoBorella_Italy_Professional_Portraiture_2026_467022.jpg "Another image representing the Koryo-saram identity. (Photo: Federico Borella, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3949_10881_MarisaReichert_Germany_Professional_Portraiture_2026_976994.jpg "be:longing documents the lives of older Muslim trans people in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. Religion plays a central role in Indonesian society, and nearly 90 per cent of the population is Muslim. People of the queer community are faced with the challenge of reconciling their faith, their identity and society's expectations. Although trans women, known as waria (a mixture of the words wanita (woman) and pria (man)), have long been part of Javanese culture, they are not recognised by conservative Muslims, are usually excluded from formal employment opportunities, and many lose the support of their families after coming out. Over generations, a strong trans community has established its own safe spaces in Yogyakarta. At Pondok Pesantren Al-Fatah they meet with friends to study the Quran and pray, while the Waria Crisis Centre (WCC) provides a home in old age, through illness or at difficult phases of life. (Photo: Marisa Reichert, Germany, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3949_10879_MarisaReichert_Germany_Professional_Portraiture_2026_708008.jpg "Part of Reichert's be:longing series, documenting the lives of older Muslim trans people in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. (Photo: Marisa Reichert, Germany, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3943_10845_Jean-MarcCaimiValentinaPiccinni_Italy_Professional_Portraiture_2026_954859.jpg "Between the death of one pope and the election of the next, crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, for an event that functions simultaneously as sacred ritual and global spectacle. The photographers explain that pilgrimage took on the traits of fandom, as rosaries, flags and prayer gestures were performed with full awareness of the attendant cameras and media. Individual devotion unfolded ‘within a choreography shaped by mass attendance and global broadcast.’ The portraits in this series capture that ‘doubled consciousness’: believers performing acts of faith within a mediated public space, where personal conviction merges with stadium-scale performance. (Photo: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3943_10835_Jean-MarcCaimiValentinaPiccinni_Italy_Professional_Portraiture_2026_876217.jpg "Another photo from St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. (Photo: Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni, Italy, Finalist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
The photographer asked his human subjects to tell him about their ‘love for dogs’ and then photographed them and their often revealing and humorous interactions with their canine companions. (Photo: Hans-Juergen Burkard, Germany, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)