Sony World Photography Awards 2017

Organised annually by

and sponsored by

, the

is the world's biggest photography competition and its aim is simple: to recognise and reward the best contemporary photography in the world.

The awards offer an unparalleled opportunity for exposure for photographers at all stages of their career and are known worldwide by industry leaders. The images are judged by the

and a specially selected jury from the

which is made up on the photographic industry's most esteemed individuals.

There are four competitions:

•

- 10 categories, judged on a series of images

•

- 10 categories, judged on a single image, open to all

•

- 3 categories, for photographers aged 12-19

•

- for those studying photography

In addition it runs the

programme in 47 countries, looking to find the best single shot taken by a photographer from that country.

The awards offer categories across all genres of

,

and

, and the author of the image retains full ownership of the copyright in each entry.

.