Fourteen UK photographers have been recognised in the Professional categories, ten in the Open competition and one in the Youth categories of this years Sony World Photography Awards
The shortlist has beensSelected from nearly 140,000 from 166 countries. 4 February: Twenty five UK photographers are today announced on the shortlist of the prestigious 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s leading photography competitions. The list includes five Professional finalists and ten Open shortlisted photographers, all of whom now have the opportunity to win their categories and a range of prizes. The twenty five photographers span the Professional, Open and Youth competitions of the awards across fifteen different categories. They were selected by a panel of photography industry experts from nearly 140,000 submissions by photographers from 166 countries, the highest number of entries in the awards’ seven year history.
The photographers are: Professional categories finalists – for serious photographers and judged on a body of work, Spencer Murphy, Campaign, Daniel Kitwood, Current Affairs, Guy Martin, Current Affairs, Salvatore Di Gregorio, Sport, John Quintero, Sport
Professional categories shortlist – for serious photographers and judged on a body of work: Mary Turner, Arts and Culture, George Logan, Campaign, Martin Brent, Campaign, Richard Garvey-Williams, Nature & Wildlife, Matilda Temperley, People, Giorgia Tobiolo, People, Ed Thompson, People, Carlotta Cardana, Portraiture, Stefan Wermuth, Travel
Open categories – for enthusiasts and judged on a single image: Kristan Akerman, Enhanced, Alf Bailey, Panoramic, Andrew Bailey, Architecture, Sean Batten, Architecture, Simon Butterworth, Architecture, Jim Grover, Low Light
Colin Hogan.
Arts and Culture: Simon Martin, Architecture, Simon Morris, Travel, Mandy Watts, Panoramic
Youth categories: for photographers under the age of 20, Danuta McPherson, Portraits
In addition, thirty three images by British photographers were Commended across the ten Open categories. Each year the Sony World Photography Awards rewards the very finest contemporary international photography from the past year. The twenty five UK photographers cover a diverse range of topics in their imagery including an impressive series of work covering the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines by Daniel Kitwood, a unique photographic take on the Istanbul protests in June 2013 by Guy Martin and a gritty series of portraits of jump jockeys photographer Spencer Murphy, who has already been shortlisted three times for the Sony World Photography Awards.
All the UK shortlisted and finalist images will go on show at Somerset House, London, from 1-18 May as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. Tickets are now available at www.worldphoto.org/2014exhibition. The winners of the Open and Youth categories – for which eleven photographers are being considered – will be announced on 18 March and each will receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony. The Open category winners will then go forward to be considered for the Sony World Photography Awards Open Photographer of the Year title, to be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 30 April. The overall winning Open photographer will receive $5,000 (USD).
The five British Professional finalists will have their work published in the 2014 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book. Each finalist will be considered for their respective Professional Category Photographer of the Year titles, the winners of which will also be revealed at the London ceremony in April. From the 14 Professional category winners, one photographer will be selected to receive the coveted L’Iris D’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year title at the ceremony and a $25,000 (USD) cash prize. All category winners at the ceremony will also receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony.
WPO supports professional, amateur and young photographers, lending a global platform for the photographic industry to communicate, converge and showcase current trends across all genres of photography. Delivering various initiatives to this global community, these programmes involve the photographer in commercial, cultural and educational activities within the many industry sectors, whilst also creating events for the public to participate in.
Currently included within the WPO portfolio are: the Sony World Photography Awards; the World Photography Student Focus Competition and Youth on Assignment. In addition the WPO have recently launched Photo Shanghai, Asia-Pacific’s premiere international Art Fair focused on photography and The Magazine, a monthly online publication where photography is explored, debated and discussed.
Photo: John Quintero, Sport courtesy Sony and the artist