Following a couple of months of smaller announcements, the Sony World Photography Awards has revealed its professional winners and overall Photographer of the Year. Now in its 14th year, this prestigious photography competition again delivers a strong assortment of images, from striking photojournalism to surreal landscape imagery.
The top Photographer of the Year prize went to UK documentarian Craig Easton for a series entitled Bank Top. Collaborating with writer Abdul Aziz Hafiz, Easton spent a year capturing portraits of people living in Bank Top, a highly segregated neighborhood in northern England.
“I photograph to learn, to try to understand and to document and share stories,” says Easton. “It is a privilege to be able to do so and to challenge perceptions and stereotypes – something that is especially important to me. To have these stories from underrepresented or misrepresented communities in northern England where I live recognized and shared worldwide is wonderful.”
The Open Photographer of the Year prize, based on the best single image submission, went to Tamary Kudita, a fine art photographer based in Zimbabwe. Kudita’s compelling shot, entitled African Victorian, interrogates stereotypical representations of African women.
“African Victorian pays tribute to the contemporary being who is also rooted in history,” says Kudita. “A central notion in my work is the importance of African representation and I am thankful to have received the opportunity to put Zimbabwean art on the map.”
Responding to the global pandemic, the World Photography Organization developed a number of dedicated online features to deliver the Awards this year. As well as a downloadable ebook featuring the winning images, a virtual exhibition has been created.
The competition also released a 60-minute documentary feature celebrating the 2021 winners called A Year in Photos. Hosted by art historian Jacky Klein and comedian Nish Kumar, the documentary visits all the winning photographers and delves into their unique creative processes.
Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from this year's selection of professional winners, and check out the exclusive documentary feature below.
Source: World Photography Organization