The Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s biggest photography contest, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and the latest crop of winners are nothing short of amazing. Belgian photographer Frederik Buyckx took home the $25,000 “Photographer of the Year” award for his winter landscape series, taken in remote areas of the Balkans, Scandinavia and Central Asia, titled “Whiteout.”
“Landscape is often overlooked, but it is central to our existence,” said Zelda Cheatle, the chair of the judging panel, in a statement.” I hope this award will inspire many more photographers to take pictures that do not simply encompass the terrible aspects of life in these troubled times but also capture some of the joys and loveliness in each and every environment.”
“There is a peculiar transformation of nature when winter comes, when snow and ice start to dominate the landscape and when humans and animals have to deal with the extreme weather. The series investigates this struggle against disappearance,” said Buyckx of his work in a statement.
Frederik Buyckx, Belgium, Photographer of the Year, Professional, Landscape, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards. From the series “Whiteout,” this photo depicts, Kalaja e Dodes (Doda’s Castle), a mountainous region in Albania. Courtesy the World Photography Organization.
The annual photography contest is hosted by the World Photography Organization (WPO), and received over 227,000 entries from 183 countries this year alone. Awards are handed out in separate competitions for students and youth entrants (ages 12–19), as well as professional photographers, in addition to the open competition. WPO also recognizes national winners from 66 countries.
Michelle Daiana Gentile, 21, of Escuela de Fotografía Motivarte in Buenos Aires, won the student category, which was themed “Emotions,” for her series “Only Hope,” shot in an old paper factory in Argentina. Sixteen-year-old Katelyn Wang of Los Angeles, California, was named youth photographer of the year.
For professional entrants, there are 10 categories: architecture, conceptual, contemporary issues, current affairs and news, daily life, landscape, natural world, portraiture, sport, and still life. The open competition was contested in architecture, culture, enhanced, motion, nature, portraits, still life, street photography, travel, and wildlife.
Alex Andriesi, Romania, Shortlist, Open Competition, Enhanced, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards. Courtesy the World Photography Organization.
The contest also provoked calls of plagiarism, for one of the shortlisted “enhanced” images in the open category. Romanian artist Alex Andriesi, who submitted a fantastical photo of a young girl in a green dress, hugging one of a number of floating yellow spheres, was accused of copying a similar image by Portugal-based photographer Anka Zhuravleva.
A selection of the winning photographs is currently on view at London’s Somerset House, alongside the work of legendary photographer Martin Parr.
“Sony World Photography Awards & Martin Parr” is on view at at Somerset House, Strand, London, 21st April 21–May 7, 2017.