From polar bears to skateboarding rebels: The 2025 Sony World Photography Awards finalists unveiled

A group of polar bears huddle on the outskirts of Churchill, Canada, lingering at the edges of human civilisation as their icy habitat recedes. In Belfast, young people born after the Good Friday Agreement navigate a city still shaped by deep-seated divisions. And in India, young women defy deep-rooted gender norms - not with words, but on skateboards.

These are just a few of the powerful visual stories captured by the finalists of the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards Professional competition.

Now in its 18th year, the contest has once again brought together some of the world’s most thought-provoking photography projects, selecting 30 finalists and shortlisted artists from more than 419,000 submissions spanning 200+ countries and territories.

Their work, ranging from intimate portraiture to sweeping documentary projects, showcases not only impressive technical mastery but also an ability to tell the stories shaping our world today.

This year’s winners will be announced on 16 April in London, with one photographer earning the coveted Photographer of the Year title and a $25,000 prize.

Here's a look at a handful of this year's most standout finalists and shortlisted entires: -

Alex Bex: 'Memories of Dust' (Documentary Projects, Finalist)

Exploring the visual vocabulary of the cowboy, to consider new ways of presenting this archetype of masculinity.

Andre Tezza: 'Twilight in San Ignacio' (Architecture & Design, Finalist)

Exploring the resilience of the vernacular architecture of Belize, looking at homes built to withstand the challenging tropical climate.

Cristóbal Olivares (Environment, Finalist)

Charting the impact of light pollution on the astronomical teams observing the night sky of the Atacama Desert.

Chantal Pinzi: 'Shred the Patriachy' (Sport, Finalist)

Celebrating the women in India who have subverted gender stereotypes and broken barriers by practicing skateboarding.

Gui Christ: 'M’kumba' (Portraiture, Finalist)

Illustrating the resilience of Afro-Brazilian communities in the face of local religious intolerance, celebrating the ways in which their spirituality and religious identity is expressed.

Julio Etchart & Holly Birtles: 'In Reclaiming the Truth' (Creative, Finalist)

Exploring institutional artefact collections and curation through a postcolonial lens.

Kevin Shi (Wildlife & Nature, Finalist)

Highlighting the ways in which polar bears and humans are living in ever-close proximity in the town of Churchill, Canada.

Laura Pannack (Perspectives)

Capturing the daily dangers and obstacles that the children face on their journey home from school in the gang-governed Cape Flats area of Cape Town.

Maria Portaluppi (Environment, Finalist)

Exploring conservation in Guayanquil. Through tender portraits of the animals in their care, she highlights the work done by the Sacha Rescue Foundation.

Owen Davies: 'LIGHT/MASS' (Architecture & Design, Finalist)

Exploring seemingly ‘alien’ urban landscapes in the United States, focusing specifically on monumental buildings with atypical geometries.

Seido Kino (Landscape, Finalist)

Combining archival imagery with contemporary Japanese landscapes, rolling back the surface of the contemporary image to reveal how towns and villages have evolved with the passage of time, and the ways that today’s challenges can be connected to the past.

Thomas Nicolon (Wildlife & Nature, Shortlist)

Tom Binder (Documentary Projects, Finalist)

Documenting the deep divides shaping social life in Belfast, Northern Ireland, through the lives of young people born after the Good Friday agreement.

Yinna Higuera (Creative, Shortlist)

James Wylie (Wildlife & Nature)

Matteo Bastianelli (Environment, Shortlist)