The Sony World Photography Award finalists showcase the art of long-form storytelling

2026 Sony World Photography Awards Professional Finalists The World Photography Organization has announced the professional finalists and shortlists for the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. While the Open competition (for which the 2026 category winners were announced last month) celebrates standout single images, the Professional awards focus on cohesive series that tell a story over multiple frames. The professional finalists offer a counterpoint to the Open winners, revealing how photographers are using image sequences to deepen storytelling beyond what a single photo can achieve. This year's announcement highlights long-form projects across 10 categories, from Documentary Projects and Portraiture to Landscape and Wildlife & Nature. For the 2026 edition, 30 photographers have been named finalists, and more than 65 others have been shortlisted for series that range from intimate personal narratives to wide-ranging explorations of social and environmental change. The jud