The organizers of the Sony World Photography Awards announced the jury and exhibition schedule for the 20th edition on September 24, 2026, in London. The awards, run by Creo under the World Photography Organisation, will take place in 2027 with exhibitions beginning in April at Somerset House, the historic cultural venue in the city’s West End.
Jury Members for 2027
Monica Allende returns as chair of the jury for the Series Competition, bringing extensive experience from her roles at the Sunday Times Magazine and a range of international photography festivals. She also serves on the board of the Photographers’ Gallery and on the advisory council of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation. Allende is also responsible for curating the main 2027 exhibition at Somerset House, overseeing the layout and thematic flow of the winning works.
Joining her are six other professionals drawn from photography, exhibition curation, research, and publishing. Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo, a Colombian photographer and editor at Raya Editorial, contributes his editorial eye and field experience. Peipei Han, based in China, oversees contemporary photography programmes at Fotografiska Shanghai and adds a curatorial perspective from East Asia.
Candice Jansen of the University of the Western Cape focuses on photographic archives and the history of photography in Africa, providing scholarly depth. Amanda Renshaw brings over two decades of experience from the art-book publisher Phaidon, having collaborated with renowned photographers such as Steve McCurry and Joel Meyerowitz. Pauline Vermare, curator of photography at the Brooklyn Museum, previously worked with Magnum Photos and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, enriching the panel with curatorial expertise from two major U.S. institutions.
Competition Categories and Judging
Maja Dyrehauge Gregersen leads the judging for the Single Image and Youth competitions. Since 2016, she has directed the Copenhagen Photo Festival and works with European photography and cultural institutions as a curator and portfolio reviewer.
Menno Liauw oversees the Student Competition. As founder and director of the FUTURES Foundation, he supports emerging talent in contemporary photography and visual culture across Europe. The diverse jury reflects global perspectives, spanning Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Asia.
Changes for the 20th Anniversary
To mark the milestone anniversary, two major competitions have been renamed. The former “Professional” category is now called “Series,” while “Open” becomes “Single Image,” clarifying the type of work each competition seeks. These adjustments aim to better reflect the evolving nature of photographic practice.
A new “Stories” category has been added to the Series Competition, inviting projects that explore personal, social, or cultural narratives through photography. Submissions may incorporate archival material and found photographs, encouraging a blend of history and contemporary vision. The Single Image Competition introduces an “Animal Portraits” category, seeking images of animals as individual subjects, from domestic pets to wildlife and marine life.
Exhibition Schedule and Submissions
The main exhibition runs from April 15 to May 3, 2027, at Somerset House in London, featuring works by award winners and nominees. It also includes a presentation of the 2026 Photographer of the Year, Citlali Fabián, and a showcase of the recipient of the 2027 Outstanding Contribution to Photography award. That recipient’s name will be announced in November 2026.
All exhibition curation is handled by Monica Allende. After the London debut, selected works typically tour internationally.
Submissions for the 2027 awards opened on June 1, 2026, and are free to enter. The Student Competition deadline is November 27, 2026, at 16:00 GMT. Entries for Single Image and Youth competitions are due by January 5, 2027, while the Series Competition closes on January 12, 2027, both at 16:00 GMT.
In the previous year, over 430,000 images were submitted. Category winners receive Sony photography equipment. For the title of Photographer of the Year, there is a dedicated presentation at the following year’s London exhibition.
The Sony World Photography Awards, launched in 2007, mark their 20th anniversary in 2027. With the new jury now in place, the competition moves into its final selection phase, leading up to the April opening at Somerset House.
