On April 17 in London, the World Photography Organization WPO announced the list of winners of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2019 at a gala ceremony.
© Federico Borella
The title of “Photographer of the Year” was awarded to Italian journalist Federico Borella. He won a $25,000 prize for a series of photos
Five degrees
.The judges praised Borella’s work for its expressiveness, superior technical execution and coverage of a hot topic like global warming. The Sony World Photography Awards competition serves as an international platform for photographers and allows everyone to view the best examples of contemporary photography. At the Sony World Photography Awards, both aspiring and established masters can present their work to the general public.
Borella was selected from among the 10 category winners of the Professional Competition. The names of all the second- and third-place winners in their respective categories were also announced. At the ceremony in London, winners in the Open best single photograph , Youth and Student competitions were also named. In addition, Nadav Kander was presented with the “Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award
“
. All winners of best photos received Sony digital imaging equipment. In addition, their work will be published in the winner’s book, and the work will be shown at the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House Center, London.
The jurors said the winning works were distinctive and relevant, touching on important issues and questions that concern people around the world. Mike Trow, chairman of the Professional Competition jury, said that this year many of the contestants were able to “
To generate tremendous interest from the jury and provoke lively discussion
” because their photographs “
Break the usual boundaries of art and play with the audience, surprising and astounding them
“.
The Sony World Photography Awards, run by the World Photography Organization, is one of the largest and most prestigious competitions of its kind. Photographers from more than 195 countries submitted 326,997 of the best examples of contemporary photography over the past year. This is a record number of entries in the contest’s twelve-year history.
© Federico Borella
Photographer of the Year – Federico Borella Italy
Jury’s top prize went to a series of photos
Five Degrees
Italian photographer Federico Borella 35 , who lives in Bologna. He studied classical literature at university and earned a master’s degree in photojournalism. Borella has been a freelance photojournalist for more than 10 years and has worked with a number of news companies around the world. He also teaches photography and photojournalism.
The Borella Project
Five degrees
spotlights the story of male suicide in a farming community in Tamil Nadu, India, hit by the worst drought in 140 years. UC Berkeley researchers find link between climate change and increased suicide rates among Indian farmers. Borella studied the data, traveled to Tamil Nadu and captured the desiccated land, the belongings of the dead farmers and the faces of the survivors in his photographs with extraordinary skill.
“
Global warming is changing people’s lives at an accelerating pace,
– Mike Trow said. –
The pace of change was especially rapid in developing and underdeveloped countries. That’s why the work of those covering this issue, like Borella’s
“.
“Photographer of the Year” in the Junior Competition – Celle Westfall, USA, age 18
Celle Westfall is a student from Atlanta, USA. She won an award for her work
Abut
– Magnificent expressive image on the theme of “Diversity. Here’s what she says about her photography: “
Abut is a high school friend of mine. She has a great sense of humor. There’s still discrimination based on skin color in society today, including in the media. People tend to make their skin lighter with cosmetics, which are very popular. Women with dark skin are constantly being told they are too “black.”. That’s why it’s especially important for me to emphasize their beauty
“
.
The Junior Contest featured photographers between the ages of 12 and 19.
© Kristy Lee Rogers
“Photographer of the Year” in the Open Competition – Christy Lee Rogers, USA
Open Competition for single shots. Winners are those whose work vividly conveys a story in a single photograph and is distinguished by technical skill. The Open Competition jury recognized the work of
Harmony
Christy Lee Rogers the most impressive single photo of the ten winners in the categories. The winner was born in Hawaii and now lives in Nashville. As a prize, she received $5,000. Rogers’ work has been shown in exhibitions all over the world. What sets her apart is her ability to create an expressive picture with water and light.
Harmony
is part of a series of images
Muses
, In which Rogers sought to capture the beauty and vulnerability of human nature. Rogers uses contrasts of light and shadow, saturated colors, and the fluid motion of bodies floating underwater. The photo looks like a baroque painting.
“
I am very honored to receive this prize specifically for my photographs, as for many years I was seen as an artist or creator of a new genre,
– Rogers says. –
I am thankful for the prize, but also for the chance to be part of a great community of photographers
“
.
“Photographer of the Year” in the Student Competition – Sergi Villanueva 25 , Spain, Jaime I University
Serhi Villanueva lives in Valencia. His photo series
La Terreta
is dedicated to Sergi’s homeland and depicts a farming community and orange harvest
.
The jury highlighted the special expressiveness of Serhi’s photographs and chose them from a wide range of submissions from all over the world.Villanueva, from the University of Jaime I, received 30,000 euros worth of Sony equipment for his school.
© Nadav Kander
Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award – Nadav Kander
London-based Nadav Kander is considered one of the most successful and modern photographers of his generation. His work ranges from atmospheric landscapes to celebrity portraits. Because of this versatility and significant contribution to photography, Nadav Kander was awarded the National Prize.
Winners and finalists in the Professional Competition categories
The following photographers were selected by an expert jury for their artistic originality and high level of craftsmanship. A series of 5-10 photos were entered into a 10 category competition.
“Architecture.”.
Winner: Stephan Zirwes, Germany, series
The contours of the public pools
, 2018.
© Stephan Zirwes
Second place: Tuomas Uusheimo, Finland.
Third place: Peter Franck, Germany.
“Photography on a suggested theme”.
Winner: Rebecca Fertinel, Belgium, series
Ubuntu. I am, because we are
.
Rebecca Fertinel
Second place: Christina Stohn, Germany.
Third place: Edward Thompson, Great Britain.
“Creative.”.
Winner: Marinka Massé Us , Netherlands, series
[Un]chosen
.
© Marinka Massé us
Second place: Leah Schretenthaler, USA.
Third place: Pol Kurucz, France.
“Discovery.”.
Winner: Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni, Italy, series
Güle Güle
.
Jean-Marc Caimi Jean-Marc Caimi. . Valentina Piccinni
Second place: Boyuan Zhang, China.
Third place: Karina Bikbulatova, America.
“Documentary Photography”.
Winner: Federico Borella, Italy, series
Five degrees
.
Second place: Brent Stirton, South Africa.
Third place: Mustafa Hassona, Palestine.
“Landscape.”.
Winner: Yan Wang Preston, UK, series
South of the Clouds of Color
.
© Yan Wang Preston
Second place: Marco Kesseler, UK.
Third place: Kieran Dodds, United Kingdom.
“The natural world and wild animals”.
Winner: Jasper Doest, Netherlands, series
Meet Bob
.
© Jasper Doest
Second place: Christian Vizl, Mexico.
Third place: Maela Ohana, France.
“Portrait.”.
Winner: Alvaro Laiz Á lvaro Laiz , Spain, series
The Edge
.
© Alvaro Lace Á lvaro Laiz
Second place: Massimo Giovannini, Italy.
Third place: Laetitia Vanç on , France.
“Sport”.
Winner: Alessandro Grassani, Italy, series
Boxers against violence: the women boxers of Goma
.
© Alessandro Grassani
Second place: Kohei Ueno, Japan.
Third place: Thomas Nielsen, Denmark.
“Still Life.”.
Winner: Nicolas Gaspardel and Pauline Baert, France, series
Fu
.
© Nicolas Gaspardel
Second Place: Yiming Zhang, China.
Third place: Cletus Nelson Nwadike, Sweden.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards! I’m eager to know, were there any particular themes or styles that dominated this year’s competition? What sets the winning photographs apart from the rest? Is there any information available on the judging process or the criteria used to select the winners?
What were the criteria and selection process used by the Sony World Photography Awards to determine the winners for 2019?
Who were the winners of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards? Can you provide some information about their work?