Above: Open Shortlist, SplitSecond

Too Much Practice ….. by khairel anuar che ani, Bali

The have just released their stunning . This year, a record breaking  images from all across the globe were submitted to the three categories of . The competition remains one of the most influential and respected of its kind, and with  received since the initial launch, it has grown to be the . This year over 270 photographers participated from nearly 60 countries, creating a diverse collection of international moments.

The  Sony World Photography Awards shortlisted entries for 2016 have been announced, and the chosen photos are simply stunning!

Probably the world’s largest photography competition, it has received in its total, over 1 million photographs, while this year the submitted works were 230,103, breaking the competition’s record. The three categories are Professional, Youth and Open and the winners are set to be announced April 21st.

This year an honorary jury, made up of Dominque Green (Consultant, UK) and Sue Steward (Writer/ Curator, UK), have shortlisted some of the exceptional entries from both seasoned and emerging photographers. Overall  and will then be displayed at the Somerset House, London from April 22 through May 8th, but in the meantime we have hand-picked some of our favourite images from the spectacular contenders.

Open Shortlist, Travel

Bryce Amphitheater at Golden Hour by Anasuya Mandal

 

Open Shortlist, Arts and Culture

Lightning Dream by Minh Ngo Thanh, Vietnam

Open Shortlist, Enhanced

Dream – The Little Dancer by Mickael Szymanski, France

Open Shortlist, Travel

Farming the Sea by Tugo Cheng, Hong Kong

Open Shortlist, Arts and Culture

By Nader Saadallah, Egypt

Open Shortlist, Travel

Gangasagar Fair by Abhijit Banerjee, India

Open Shortlist, Smile

Reindeer Farmer Kids by Peter Voss, Germany

Open Shortlist, Split Second

Creation of Love by Cheung Yin Fang, Malaysia

Professional Shortlist, Environment

Art in the Wild- Respect the Tusk by Mohammed Yousef, Kuwait

Professional Shortlist, Staged

Feral Children by Julia Fullerton-Batten, United Kingdom

Professional Shortlist, Campaign

RIC Hornets by Rob Gregory, United States

Open Shortlist, Nature and Wildlife

Professional Shortlist, Landscapes

Land of Nothingness by Maroesjka Lavigne, Belgium

Open Shortlist, Nature and Wildlife

Blue Moon by Simona Tedesco, Italy

Professional Shortlist, Architecture

Pools by Stephan Zirwes, Germany

Open Shortlist, People

Open Air by Karolis Janulis, Lithuania

Open Shortlist, Nature and Wildlife

Dancing with Stars by Imre PotyÛ, Hungary

Professional Shortlist, Current Affairs

By Alessandro Penso, Lesbos Greece

Professional Shortlist, Contemporary Issues

The Death of Migratory Birds by Yong An He, China

Open Shortlist, Split Second

The diving frog by Franck Tridon

Professional Shortlist, People

Nomadic Life Threatened on the Tibetan Plateau by Kevin Frayer in Yushu, China

Open Shortlist, Nature and Wildlife

Sea Baby by Andrey Narchuk, Russia

Open Shortlist, Architecture

Stairways from Heaven by Martin Seraphin

Professional Shortlist, Daily Life

Running Away with the Circus by Stephanie Sinclair, US

Professional Shortlist, Campaign

Dead End – Oil Exploration in the Arctic by Christian Aslund, Sweden (Calved ice from a glacier at Scoresby Sund fjord, east coast of Greenland)

Professional Shortlist, Environment

California Drought From Above by Lucy Nicholson

Open Shortlist, People

Open Shortlist, Low Light

Enchanted Bamboo Forest by Kei Nomiyana