Ghanaian photographer James Barnor has been named the 20th recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award at the Sony World Photography Awards 2027. His photographs record Black life in Accra and London from the 1950s to the 1970s through photojournalism, studio portraiture and fashion photography. A retrospective of more than 50 works will accompany the award at London's Somerset House.
Born in 1929, Barnor photographed students and shop assistants alongside police officers and political figures at his Ever Young studio in Accra. His work for the Daily Graphic documented Ghana's path to independence in 1957. After moving to Britain in 1959, he studied at Medway College of Art in Kent. His photographs of Black models and celebrities appeared in Drum magazine. On his return to Ghana, he worked as Agfa-Gevaert's technical representative and established the country's first colour processing laboratory.
The retrospective runs from 16 April to 3 May 2027 as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House. Photographic prints and ephemera will trace Barnor's journey from Accra to London, his use of colour and his return to Ghana. He will receive the award at the annual gala ceremony on 15 April 2027.