After announcing the finalists last month, the World Photography Organization has unveiled the winners of the annual Sony World Photography Awards.
French photographer Juliette Pavy earned the prestigious title of “Photographer of the Year” for her documentary project Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilization of Greenlandic Women. Pavy has won $25,000, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and a solo show at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition next year.
The photo story explores the significant, long-lasting impacts of an involuntary birth control campaign waged against Greenlandic women by Danish authorities in the 1960s and 70s.
The initiative, spiralkampagnen, subjected several thousand Inuit women, some as young as just 12 years old, to the implanted intrauterine devices without consent. Pavy’s project puts the perspective of these women at the forefront and uses various photographic techniques to tell their stories.
Pavy uses landscape shots, portraits, archival film shots, and even X-ray imagery to tell their story. The series looks at the victims of the government program, the doctors who participated, and the Danish lawmaker investigating the project now.
“I am truly honored to be named the Photographer of the Year and for my work to be recognized among such a remarkable selection of projects and stories celebrated here tonight. With this Award I hope to give a voice to those who were silenced for almost half a century, and to all the women in the world who are constantly fighting for their rights. By telling this story, I want to raise awareness of the violence against Inuit women and the social and psychological repercussions of this forced contraception campaign, and the unintended sterilization of many of its victims,” Pavy says.
“The Sony World Photography Awards jury lauded Juliette Pavy’s empathetic portrayal of her subjects, capturing them in a manner that is both dignified and profoundly intimate, thereby highlighting her exceptional talent. Pavy’s dedication to exposing the stark realities faced by marginalized communities, coupled with her compelling narrative approach, has not only earned her the prestigious recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards but also underscores the jury’s belief in her potential and the importance of supporting her career trajectory,” adds Monica Allende, the chair of the 2024 Professional Competition Jury.
Professional Category Winners
Alongside Pavy’s victory as “Photographer of the Year,” the Sony World Photography Awards include winners across 10 categories, plus 2nd and 3rd place finishers. Pavy won the Documentary Projects category for her effort.
All Professional Category winners win a Sony digital imaging kit, and each photographer submitted a series of five to 10 images.
Sustainability Prize
American photographer Kathleen Orlinsky won this year’s Sustainability Prize for her America’s First Wilderness series. Orlinsky won a $5,000 cash prize.
Her series looks at the landscape, wildlife, and people of the Gila Wilderness in southeastern New Mexico, focusing on the conservation efforts in effect to protect the environment and its rich biodiversity.
“I am thrilled and honored to be awarded, and especially excited to be able to raise awareness about pressing environmental and conservation issues right now in the throes of the climate crisis,” says Orlinsky.
Open Photographer of the Year
Whereas the Professional competition in the Sony World Photography Awards celebrates photo series, the Open competition highlights the power of a single image. This year, Liam Man from the United Kingdom won “Open Photographer of the Year,” earning a $5,000 cash prize and a Sony digital imaging equipment kit.
Man’s image, Moonrise Sprites Over Storr, was selected from the 10 Open category winners. The photo shows a well-known rock formation on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, lit by drone lights. Man shot the striking photo during a powerful blizzard.
“Every year, I admire the winning photographs and envision my work being displayed amongst them. Being selected as Open Photographer of the Year in the Sony World Photography Awards is a dream turned reality, and leaves me feeling deeply grateful, overjoyed and absolutely speechless!” Man says.
Student Photographer of the Year
Belgian student Kayin Luys took home the top prize in the student category, earning him the coveted “Student Photographer of the Year” title, Sony camera gear, and €30,000 for his university.
Luys’s winning series, Don’t Trust Pretty Girls, is an intimate portrait series focused on his in-laws and how he has grown to know them and their family traditions and culture.
“Photography has been an important way for me to further explore my surroundings. In my work, I relate to and take inspiration from the stories confided in me. I am touched and honored that those big and small stories are reaching a wider audience and gaining further recognition, due to the Sony World Photography Awards,” Luys explains.
Youth Photographer of the Year
Chosen from a shortlist of 10 photographers aged 19 and younger, 15-year-old Brit Daniel Murray is this year’s “Youth Photographer of the Year.”
Murray’s photograph of a surfer on a nearly empty Cornish beach encapsulates the quiet moments symbolic of the end of summer.
“I’m very happy and proud of myself, as this is a great achievement as a young photographer,” Murray says. “This motivates me to keep going and improve as a photographer. Thanks to the Sony World Photography Awards for this opportunity!”
Outstanding Contribution to Photography
Iconic and esteemed photographer Sebastião Salgado has been awarded this year’s “Outstanding Contribution to Photography” prize.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Salgado has made a lasting impact on photography and the world at large.
More than 40 of his images will be on exhibit as part of this year’s Sony World Photography Awards 2024 show in London. The selections, made by Salgado himself, highlight key themes and images from his lengthy career. Salado retired from field work earlier this year.
Edgar Martins Solo Exhibition
In addition to this year’s awarded images and Salgado’s exhibit, the 2023 Photographer of the Year, Edgar Martins, will have a solo show as part of this year’s competition. The presentation, Our War showcases Martins’ long-term project that commemorates the loss of his friend and photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was murdered during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
More From the Sony World Photography Awards
The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition is on view now at Somerset House in London until May 6. The major exhibition features more than 200 photographic prints. For complete details, visit the Sony World Photography Awards website.
Image credits: All images provided courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards and the World Photography Organization. Individual photographers are credited in the photo captions.