2018 Sony World Photography Awards winners announced

NZ Herald

25 Apr, 2018 10:25 PM2 mins to read

Alys Tomlinson United Kingdom, Professional, Discovery, Photographer of the Year, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards

After a search spanning the globe and 10 categories of world-class photographers, the winners of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards have been announced.

At the top of the pile was British photographer, Alys Tomlinson. Her black and white series 'Ex-Voto' won attention from the judges for its sensitivity and technical excellence, exploring the notion of 'pilgrimage'.

Tomlinson, based in Brighton, fought off tough competition from around the world.

She was selected out of the 10 category winners to be named as the Sony Photographer of the Year 2018.

Upon receiving the title, and $25,000 of prize money, Tomlinson said "I am very surprised to have won, there is so much amazing photography in this competition. This is a huge boost both personally and professionally. It's a project I invested so much in, so this recognition makes it all worth it."

In its 11th year the competition had a record 320,000 submissions by photographers from more than 200 countries.

While there were no Kiwi or Australian snappers in the final stages, there were some stunning submissions from Afghanistan and Kenya.

This included Andrew Quilty's photo of an Afghan boy with skis which claimed 3rd place in the Portraiture competition, and first place in the Contemporary Issues category for Fredrick Lerneryd of Kenya.

Andrew Quilty Afghanista, Professional, Portraiture (Professional competition), 3rd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards

Lerneryd's winning series included atmospheric photos of boys and girls practicing for a ballet show in Kibera.

The photographer's dreamlike image came with some further explanation, to help the viewer decipher the scene: "The Ballet class is part of Annos Africa and One Fine Days charity activities in slum areas around Kenya. In Nairobi they work together with two schools in Kibera and one school in Mathare, another slum closer to the city centre."

Fredrik Lerneryd Kenya, Professional, Contemporary Issues (Professional competition), 1st Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards

The Awards' annual London exhibition brings together the best established and emerging talent from around the world, providing winning and shortlisted photographers the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage.