World Photography Organisation
Funding
$5,000 USD (overall winner); Sony Digital Imaging equipment (category winners)
Deadline
5 January 2027
Location
Open to all countries
Entry Fee
Free
Free global photography competition celebrating standalone images across ten categories, with a $5,000 USD prize and Sony equipment for winners.
The Single Image Competition — part of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards — celebrates the power of a single photograph. Open to anyone around the world, this is your chance to submit your best work and compete across ten diverse categories.
The competition is completely free to enter, with each photographer able to submit up to three images at no cost. Want to enter more? Additional image bundles are available to purchase through your account.
Images must have been taken in 2026, and entries can be submitted up to the deadline of 5 January 2027 at 13:00 GMT. Photos that have previously been published or entered in other competitions are eligible, provided they were taken between 1 January 2026 and 5 January 2027.
Prizes:
Judges look for strong composition, creativity, and technical clarity. Image manipulation is permitted but must be disclosed in the entry description. AI-generated images are not eligible — all entries must originate from an analogue or digital photograph.
You can enter both the Single Image and Series competitions, but the work submitted must come from different bodies of work.
Photographers retain full copyright of their images. The World Photography Organisation receives a non-exclusive licence to use shortlisted and winning images for promotional purposes for up to three years following the April 2027 announcement.
Judging takes place between 6–31 January 2027, with shortlists and category winners announced before April 2027 and the overall winner revealed in April 2027.
