Celebrating women in photography: Alpha Female Award results revealed

This International Women’s Day we're celebrating the results of the Alpha Female Award. This initiative, which stems from the Alpha Universe’s Alpha Female initiative by Sony US, is focused on supporting and championing women photographers around the globe.

We take a look at the winning and the shortlisted images shot by female photographers entering the Sony World Photography Awards Open competition.

WINNER
Catherine Wang, United States

‘A Japanese mother, adorned in a kimono, gracefully serves tea while her bi-racial daughter, impatiently engrossed in her smartphone, immerses herself in the memories of the Y2K era.’

Catherine Wang’s The Gap is the winner of this year’s Alpha Female Award. Her photograph depicts the generational and cultural differences between a mother and her daughter, creating a visual contrast between the traditional and the contemporary.

SHORTLIST
Anna Karvounari, Greece

‘This black-and-white self-portrait shows me holding a magnifying sheet in front of my eye to convey intensity and my keen interest in discovering details. I focused on my eye to emphasise the importance of observation and exploration.'

Cheryl Maeder, United States

‘I work on location with wind and natural light creating the fog of colour in each setting, as well as, working with eco-friendly materials. The mists of colour gently cascade into the natural elements bringing a healing energy as it passes through. The mist brings a transformative breath into our world, as if coming from another dimension to heal our planet.’

Jana Fašungová, Slovakia

‘I love magic realism in literature, because it sounds like poetry, but as I am not capable of writing poems with words, I wanted to write them with light instead. This image is part of an ongoing series of self-portraits that represent an intimate dialogue with the artist – a manifestation of her emotions and her inner world that leaves space for the viewer to create their own poem.’

Aleksandra Garbarczyk, Poland

‘With this composition I wanted to highlight the beauty of shape and colour possessed by organic objects, that we don’t necessarily notice in everyday life. I took this picture in my studio in Salzburg.’

Beatrice Wong, Hong Kong

'From the vantage point of Huazhu village in the coastal region of Xiapu, China, you get a mesmerising view of the vast ocean adorned with countless oyster and seaweed farms. These farms resemble ‘oceanic tapestries’, meticulously laid out and stretching as far as the eye can see.'

The winning and shortlisted photographs from this initiative will be shown at the highly anticipated Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition, opening on 19 April.

Explore the full results in the gallery below. 

VIEW GALLERY