![© Pedro Fernández Aguado, Spain, Commended, Open, Architecture, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards](https://www.worldphoto.org/sites/default/files/default-media/%C2%A9%20Pedro%20Ferna%CC%81ndez%20Aguado%2C%20Spain%2C%20Commended%2C%20Open%20competition%2C%20Architecture%2C%202018%20Sony%20World%20Photography%20Awards.jpg)
"The range of work considered was breathtaking, and diversity amongst the judges ensured robust discussions, leading to outstanding winners."
- Naomi Cass (Professional competition Judge and Director, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia)
We are delighted to reveal the incredible shortlist for the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The appetite for this year's competition, which was free for everyone to enter, was unprecedented, with almost 320,000 images entered across all competitions. This makes it the highest ever number of entries to date and a 40% increase on 2017. You can see the shortlist and the final winning images in person at Somerset House, London, from 20th April - 6th May.
Alongside interviews with the shortlisted and commended photographers via our blog, we will be revealing a selection of highlighted images in the coming weeks. These will be featured in our Highlight Galleries, which you can find here. The full selection of shortlisted and commended images will be uploaded for everyone to enjoy after the 2018 Exhibition has closed.
All the shortlisted Professional and Open photographers will now compete to become category winners, with the chance of being selected as Photographer of the Year (Professional), winning $25,000 (USD) or Open Photographer of the Year, with $5,000 (USD) up for grabs.
This year's Youth competition saw a huge range of entries from 12-19-year-olds, who submitted a single image based on the theme 'My Environment'. Almost 8000 more entries were received compared to last year.
The Student Focus competition saw applications from universities across the world. Ten shortlisted students from the UK, India, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Canada and China will now go on to produce a final body of work, all of them in with a chance to win €30,000 (Euros) of Sony digital imaging equipment for their university or institution.
The winners of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on the 19th April.
In addition to the prizes mentioned above, all shortlisted and winning images will be exhibited as part of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London.
View the full list of shortlisted & commended photographers
![© Adam Pretty, Australia, Shortlist, Professional, Sport, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards](https://www.worldphoto.org/sites/default/files/default-media/1%20%C2%A9%20Adam%20Pretty%2C%20Australia%2C%20Shortlist%2C%20Professional%2C%20Sport%2C%202018%20Sony%20World%20Photography%20Awards_0.jpg)
![© Izzy De Wattripont, University of West England, UK, Student Focus Finalist, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards](https://www.worldphoto.org/sites/default/files/default-media/%C2%A9%20Izzy%20De%20Wattripont%2C%20University%20ofWest%20England%2C%20United%20Kingdom%2C%20Student%20Focus%20Finalist%2C%202018%20Sony%20World%20Photography%20Awards.jpg)
![© Kyoko Takemura, Japan, Commended, Open, Still Life, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards](https://www.worldphoto.org/sites/default/files/default-media/579751_551297_0_%20%C2%A9%20Kyoko%20Takemura%2C%20Japan%2C%20Commended%2C%20Open%20competition%2C%20Still%20Life%20%2C%202018%20Sony%20World%20Photography%20Awards_0.jpg)
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