Student & Youth Competitions: Shortlists Announced

• The Sony World Photography Awards announces the shortlisted photographers for the 2026 Student and Youth competitions
• Shortlists recognise 10 photography students from leading institutions worldwide and 10 photographers aged 19 and under
• Student Photographer of the Year and Youth Photographer of the Year to be announced on 16 April 2026 at a prestigious gala ceremony in London
• From India, Aakash Gulzar of MERC – University of Kashmir has been shortlisted for the 2026 Student category

New Delhi, 23^rd January 2026: The Sony World Photography Awards today announced the shortlists for the 2026 Student and Youth competitions, celebrating exceptional photographers at the earliest stages of their creative journeys. The shortlisted Student projects explore the theme Together through compelling series of images, while the Youth shortlist highlights outstanding single images captured by photographers aged 19 and under.

Showcasing ingenuity, sensitivity and technical skill, the shortlisted works reflect the depth of contemporary photography and offer insight into the next generation of global photographic talent.

Student Competition Shortlist

The 19th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards received over 430,000 entries from more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. For the 2026 Student competition, photography students were invited to respond to the brief Together through a series of five to ten images.

The shortlisted projects present diverse interpretations of togetherness, ranging from intimate reflections on family and community to examinations of shared spaces and collective identity. Each series demonstrates a distinctive visual voice and a strong narrative approach.

Several projects take an autobiographical or community-focused perspective. Julian Cabral (Argentina, Universidad Nacional de San Martín) documents the bond between himself and his two brothers in Triplets. Jubair Ahmed Arnob (Bangladesh, Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts) reflects on memory and change in The Place Where I Used To Play, capturing a rapidly transforming neighborhood in Dhaka. Ci Song (China Mainland, Drexel University, USA) photographs communities in West Philadelphia affected by gentrification, while Representing India on the 2026 Student shortlist, Aakash Gulzar from MERC, University of Kashmir, represents an intimate photographic series that explores the enduring relationship between humans and pigeons. Through close observation and sensitive storytelling, Gulzar documents the lives of pigeon keepers, offering a nuanced portrayal of companionship, tradition and care.

Other shortlisted series explore shared experiences and social structures. Teresa Halbreiter (Germany, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences) examines femininity and individuality within the German Armed Forces in Stillgestanden (‘Attention!’). Yulai Xu (China Mainland, University of the Arts London, UK) reflects on family dynamics in Fish Tail. Matte Dixon (Australia, Griffith University) uses atmosphere and unease in Suspiria de Profundis to prompt reflection on the human condition.

The sense of togetherness is also conveyed through shared environments. Laura Anna Rossa (Belgium, LUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas, Brussels) documents her time with a resident of a long-term psychiatric ward, while Chanel Grobler (South Africa, Open Window Institute) captures spaces marked by subtle traces of human presence. Zifan Zhang (China Mainland, Danish School of Media and Journalism, Denmark) chronicles the everyday lives of young Latvians as they come of age.

The Student Photographer of the Year will be selected from the shortlist and announced at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 ceremony in London on 16 April. The overall winning university will receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment worth €30,000.

The Student shortlist was judged by Tess Raimbeau, Photo Editor, Libération (France).

Youth Competition Shortlist

The Youth competition shortlist comprises single images by 10 photographers aged 19 and under, selected from an open call.

Across the shortlist, photographers capture moments of stillness, motion and discovery in both natural and human-made environments. From landscapes and wildlife to scenes of collaboration and reflection, the images demonstrate strong compositional skill and creative instinct at a young age.

Highlights from the Youth shortlist include Riley Shickle’s photograph of Mount Fuji, framed by vivid autumn foliage, Abdallah Islam’s striking architectural composition that brings a contemporary sculpture into visual conversation with the Great Pyramid, and Doğa Ergün’s dynamic underwater image capturing a horse and rider as they enter the sea. The natural world also features prominently, Jeirin Anton (Sri Lanka, 16 years old) conveys the regal presence of a peacock set against a glowing golden landscape, Victor Reichert (France, 19 years old) captures a tender interaction within a family of monkeys, and Keira Pereira (Canada, 17 years old) photographs a red-eyed tree frog in the Costa Rican rainforest, poised motionless along a slender leaf.

Several shortlisted photographers explore the balance between movement and stillness. Ayden Feagle (United States, 16 years old) documents teamwork in action during a soccer match in Lake Wales, while Philip Kangas (Sweden, 16 years old) captures a moment of collaboration as two firefighters carry an artwork out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm during a fire. Jane Mozzi (Argentina, 15 years old) freezes a fleeting instant in which a BMX rider performing a backflip aligns with an airplane passing overhead. In contrast, Ruohan Wang (China Mainland, 19 years old) turns the lens towards quiet introspection, using shadow in a portrait to partially obscure the sitter’s face and draw the viewer’s focus to their eyes.

This year’s Youth Photographer of the Year will be selected from the shortlist by Ruby Rees-Sheridan, Assistant Curator of Photography, National Portrait Gallery (UK), and will receive Sony Digital Imaging equipment to support their continued creative development.

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 will be announced on 16 April 2025. For more information about the upcoming announcements and winners can be found at worldphoto.org.

 Full List of Shortlisted Photographers

Student Competition Shortlist

• Jubair Ahmed Arnob, Bangladesh
  Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts, Bangladesh
• Teresa Halbreiter, Germany
  Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany
• Laura Anna Rossa, Belgium
  LUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas Brussels, Belgium
• Chanel Grobler, South Africa
  Open Window Institute, South Africa
• Ci Song, China Mainland
  Drexel University, United States
• Matte Dixon, Australia
  Griffith University, Australia
• Julian Cabral, Argentina
  Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Argentina
• Zifan Zhang, China Mainland
  Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX), Denmark
• Aakash Gulzar, India
  MERC, University of Kashmir, India
• Yulai Xu, China Mainland
  University of the Arts London, United Kingdom

Youth Competition Shortlist

• Ruohan Wang, China Mainland
• Jeirin Anton, Sri Lanka
• Philip Kangas, Sweden
• Ayden Feagle, United States
• Riley Shickle, United Kingdom
• Jane Mozzi, Argentina
• Abdallah Islam, Egypt
• Victor Reichert, France
• Doğa Ergün, Türkiye
• Keira Pereira, Canada

Sony World Photography Awards

Produced by Creo under its photography strand the World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards are one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in their 19th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world’s most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; the acclaimed photographer Joel Meyerowitz is the 2026 recipient of this award, joining a distinguished list of iconic names including William Eggleston (2013), Mary Ellen Mark (2014), Martin Parr (2017), Graciela Iturbide (2021), Edward Burtynsky (2022), Sebastião Salgado (2024) and Susan Meiselas (2025). The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. worldphoto.org/exhibition

World Photography Organisation

World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work. The Sony World Photography Awards is the World Photography Organisation’s principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide. World Photography Organisation is the photography strand of Creo, which initiates events and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art.  worldphoto.org

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CREO

Creo initiates and organises events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS and Photo London. Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts (AMA), Creo helps deliver the group’s ventures, comprising some of the world’s leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for ‘I create’, it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. creoarts.com