Shaping the photography future: Students and Youth shine in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 has unveiled the shortlists of its Student and Youth contests. Like every year, the selection of images shines a spotlight on the emerging talents of the photography world, and as always – the selection is beautiful. This year’s themes reflect the richness of youthful creativity: students explored the concept of “new beginnings” while the youth competition celebrated singular standout images.

Student competition: stories in series

Ten photography students responded to the theme “In the Beginning” with evocative series that spanned personal memories, societal shifts, and cultural rituals. Among them, Xingyu Fan from China examined modernization’s impact on rural-urban divides in Where Roads Begin to Split.

Louna Pauly from France unearthed family histories in Olga, blending archival and staged photos to honor her great-grandmothers’ resilience.

Themes of identity also shone through, like in Montenez Lowery’s series, where pinhole cameras crafted from culturally symbolic objects gave life to The Last Day We Saw the Mountains and the Sea.

Environmental, cultural, and deeply personal narratives merged beautifully throughout this category. Danish photographer Peter Stougård Maunsbach explored fertility treatments in Denmark, while Thapelo Mahlangu’s work showcased Xhosa baptism ceremonies in South Africa. The winner will be announced in April, with the prize including €30,000 worth of Sony gear for their university.

Youth competition

Photographers aged 19 and under captivated the judges with breathtaking single images. Landscapes like Matteo Botta’s aerial view of the Schwarzberg mountain in Switzerland and Landon Chong Chung Yi’s sunrise in Malaysia demonstrated technical prowess and an eye for detail. Humor also found its way into the shortlist, with Joshua Hasanoff’s DJ Broken Down capturing a comedic scene of a car repair moment resembling a DJ’s turntable setup.

This year’s Youth Photographer of the Year will receive Sony gear to continue nurturing their craft.

This contest from The Sony World Photography Awards celebrates creativity and offers exposure to emerging talents on a global stage. These stunning shortlists give us a glimpse of the future of photography, and I think the future is bright! . Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in London this April, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the Youth shortlists below, and explore more on the Sony World Photography Awards site.