The overall winners of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2023 have been announced and it’s been another year packed with exceptional talent.

Photographer of the Year / Portraiture winner

Edgar Martins / Portugal

In Our War Martins conjures and alludes to the absent central figure through a series of portraits of the people Hammerl had connected with and those involved in the fighting (freedom fighters or their descendants, ex-militia, local residents, Gaddafi loyalists or lookalikes, and so on). They were chosen because they either resembled him, had similar ideas and beliefs, or reminded Martins of him at different stages of their friendship. The project explores the idea of absence, of documenting, grieving, and honouring a subject as well as reflecting on the role of photography within a conflict zone. Martins’ approach is to confront these questions head-on: to embrace the idea of the fragmentary and the many contradictions and ambiguities intrinsic to war.

Commenting on Martins' winning project, Mike Trow, Chair of the 2023 Professional competition says:

Open Photographer of the Year

Dinorah Graue Obscura / Mexico

The Open competition celebrates the power of a single image. Winning photographs are chosen for their ability to communicate a remarkable visual narrative combined with technical excellence. Chosen from the 10 Open category winners, Dinorah Graue Obscura (Mexico) is Open Photographer of the Year 2023 and the recipient of the $5,000 (USD) cash prize, Sony digital imaging equipment and global exposure.

Graue Obscura won for her arresting image entitled Mighty Pair, entered in the Natural World & Wildlife category. The black and white photograph depicts a pair of crested caracara birds in Southern Texas, perched together upon a branch, and staring fixedly in the same direction. The photographer felt as if the majestic birds of prey were almost posing for the camera, as they sat motionless and identical, gazing out beyond the frame.

Speaking of her win, Graue Osbcura says: ‘It is an absolute honour to receive the Open Photographer of the Year 2023 award. I am absolutely certain that this recognition will contribute to the dissemination of my work as a wildlife photographer, which aims to transmit and show people the beauty I see in Nature. I believe that photography is a very powerful tool that can be used to raise awareness about the fragility of our natural world.’

Student Photographer of the Year

Long Jing / China Mainland

Jing’s winning series Keep the Yunnan Opera goes behind the scenes to show the dwindling groups of performers and spectators of the opera in Yunnan. In vivid colour the series celebrates the multiculturalism of southwestern China reflected in the performances.

Commenting on his win Jing says: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words, and my goal has always been to give warmth to images and to uncover the stories behind them. Being chosen as the Student Photographer of the Year 2023 has given me the confidence to believe that I can create even more warm and engaging works in the future.’

Youth Photographer of the Year

Hai Wang / China Mainland (17 years old)

Wang’s winning photograph depicts seemingly endless rows of deserted brightly coloured chairs at a school ceremony cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The strong composition and striking framing highlight the sense of emptiness and give a surreal quality to the image.

Commenting on his win Wang says: ‘I appreciate all the attention and support the public gives to global teenage photographers. As a member of this age group, I can say that we are trying to make a change throughout the world in a brand-new way, to try not to waste a single second of our lives.’

Sustainability Prize

Alessandro Cinque / Italy

This brand new prize, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation and Sony Pictures’ Picture This initiative, recognises the stories, people and organisations whose actions highlight one of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals.

Cinque won for his series Atrapanieblas (Fog Nets) which documents an innovative solution helping to tackle chronic water shortages in Lima, Peru. Cinque shows how fog nets are used to catch droplets of airborne moisture and can collect about 200 litres (53 gallons) of water per day for local residents.

Commenting on his win Cinque said: "I am very honoured and happy to have won this prize. I like to think that, through my photography and thanks to the wide reach of this award, we are helping give a voice to people who struggle daily with water scarcity, a problem that affects more than 40% of the world's population according to the United Nations. It is important to highlight the efforts in Lima to combat this shortage, in the hope that these stories will stir consciences and that, finally, we will understand the importance of joining together to address climate change and create a fairer world for all."