These are the stunning images of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 — and there are some surprising camera choices among the winners

And not even the faintest whiff of AI

by · TechRadar

News By Timothy Coleman published 16 April 2026

(Image credit: © Santiago Mesa / Sony World Photography Awards 2026 / Creo)

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Become a Member in Seconds

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Explore

An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

  • SWPA is one of the most prestigious global photo contests
  • This year attracted Over 430,000 entries from more than 200 countries
  • The winner takes home a $25,000 top prize and Sony camera gear

I've had the pleasure of attending the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 in London, where the overall winner and 10 category winners have unpacked their photography projects to the press.

Legendary street photographer Joel Meyerowitz was also in attendance to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award, and he was as engaging as ever.

It has been a real treat, and if you get the chance, I encourage you to visit the contest's exhibition, which contains over 300 works, is situated in London's Somerset House, and is open to the public from April 17 to May 4, 2026.

Article continues below

In previous years, it very much felt like AI was an inescapable subject around the contest, but in 2026, it feels like that AI storm has passed, and we purely enjoyed the photography and the stories inspiring the works.

I had a fascinating long chat with the wildlife category winner, Will Burrard-Lucas, and will share my conversation very soon, but for now, do check out some of the category award winners below.

Where the information is available — I've made a note on what camera gear was used in the gallery below — there has been such a surprising range this year, which once again proves that gear isn't the be-all and end-all of great photography.

SWPA 2026 category winners and their gear

Image 1 of 10

Overall winner, Photographer of the Year, Professional Competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: Unknown(Image credit: © Citlali Fabián)
Perspectives Winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: Fujifilm X100VI(Image credit: © Seungho Kim)
Todd Antony, Sport winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026. Gear: Phase One(Image credit: © Todd Antony)
Will Burrard-Lucas, Wildlife winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026. Gear: Canon EOS 6D, custom camera trap(Image credit: © Will Burrard-Lucas)
Isadora Romero, Environment winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026. Gear: Fujifilm GFX100S(Image credit: © Isadora Romero)
Joy Saha, Architecture & Design winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: DJI Mini 3 drone(Image credit: © Joy Saha)
Dafna Talmor, UK, Landscape Winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Film negative montages(Image credit: © Dafna Talmor )
Vilma Taubo, Norway, Still Life winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: Unkown (Image credit: © Vilma Taubo)
Elle Leontiev, Australia, Open Competition winner, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: Sony A7 III(Image credit: © Elle Leontiev)
Santiago Mesa, Colombia, Documentary Projects Winner, Sony World Photography Awards 2026 Gear: Fujifilm X-Pro 3, 23mm lens (35mm effective)(Image credit: © Santiago Mesa / Sony World Photography Awards 2026 / Creo)

Having covered photo contest news for the last three years working in a gear-focused role as TechRadar's Cameras Editor, I'm always happy to see a range of camera gear being used among winning entrants, and SWPA 2026 is no different.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors