The Sony World Photography Awards 2023 winners were announced on Friday by the World Photography Organisation at an event held in London, hosted by art historian Kate Bryan. Among the winners was renowned photographer Edgar Martins from Portugal, who received the coveted title of ‘Photographer of the Year’ for his series Our War.
The series is a tribute to his late friend Anton Hammerl, a photojournalist who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011. Martins received a cash prize of $25,000 and a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, along with a solo presentation of his work at next year’s Sony World Photography Awards exhibition.
In addition, the Sustainability Prize was awarded to Alessandro Cinque from Italy, while Dinorah Graue Obscura from Mexico was named Open Photographer of the Year 2023. Long Jing and Hai Wang from China were recognized as ‘Student Photographer of the Year’ and ‘Youth Photographer of the Year’ respectively.
The winners were chosen from a pool of over 180,000 entries to the Professional competition. Martins expressed his gratitude for the award, saying that while he is philosophical about awards and their subjective nature, he was humbled by the recognition. He also acknowledged the emotional significance of the win, as it allowed him to honor his friend on a global platform and draw attention to the plight of his family to find his remains.
Rinko Kawauchi, a prominent Japanese photographer, was honored with the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Photography award in recognition of her contributions to the field. The Awards’ Open, Youth, and Student competitions also announced their winners. The World Photography Organisation noted that the Awards provide an opportunity for photographers to gain additional exposure for their work, and expressed pride in being able to recognize and celebrate the artistry of photographers from around the world.