SWPA 2010 Shortlist nominations announced
Sony World Photography Awards 2010 Shortlist nominations announced 190 photographers – 48 countries – 80,000 images
The shortlist for the 2010 Sony World Photography Awards is announced today, Tuesday 23 February. The list contains the names of 190 outstanding photographers from 48 different countries. From fashion to music, architecture to current affairs, the Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most comprehensive photographic competitions in the world.
The Honorary Judging Committee, comprising world-renowned photographers, curators, representatives from leading international photo agencies and picture editors came together in London to make their selection from over 80,000 professional and amateur photography submissions.
The Sony World Photography Awards is a truly global competition with submissions received from every corner of the globe. This year’s shortlist includes a number of Sony World Photography Awards winners and finalists from previous years including Robin Utrecht, winner in the Sports category in 2008; Wojciech Grzedzinski, winner in Current Affairs in 2009 and Edgar Martins, finalist in Conceptual and Constructed in 2009.
Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation says: “As in past years, the sheer number of entries from across the globe overwhelms us and reminds us of how universal photography is as a creative expression. We are thrilled to see the quality of entries once again heighten and even more pleased to see many returning photographers on the shortlist.”
In the professional competition there are 12 categories within the three subject genres: Photojournalism and Documentary (Current Affairs, Sport, Contemporary Issues and Arts and Entertainment); Commercial (Advertising, Fashion and Music) and Fine Art (Portraiture, Conceptual and Constructed, Natural History, Landscape and Architecture).
There are nine amateur categories which are: Architecture, Conceptual and Constructed, Documentary, Fashion, Landscape, Music, Natural History, Portraiture and Sport. This year, the amateur entries were pre-selected by inspectors from iStockphoto, which were the official 2010 Pre-selection Committee, before being judged by the Honorary Judging Committee.
The finalists in each of the categories will be announced on Thursday 22 April at the Sony World Photography Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner at the Grand Lumier Theatre at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Also on the night, the 2010 winner of the L’Iris D’Or, the Sony World Photographer of the Year, will be announced and will receive $25,000 and professional Sony camera equipment. The winning amateur photographer will receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as Sony camera equipment. The final presentation of the night will be in honour of the acclaimed photographer Eve Arnold, who is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The professional category finalists and amateur category winners will be showcased in the Winner’s Exhibition as part of the World Photography Festival, a five day celebration of the craft of photography. The festival takes place across the city of Cannes, at locations including the famous Croisette, with a host of exhibitions, workshops, portfolio reviews, student programmes and talks from World Photography Academy members including Jonathan Torgovnik, Idris Khan, Chloe Limpkin (Picture Director of British Harper’s Bazaar), Reza and Bill Hunt (Co-founder of Hasted Hunt Gallery in New York. A highlight of the programme will be the ‘Photography Now’ symposium, presented by some of the leading international industry figures. It will explore the current topics, trends, dilemmas and debates concerning photography today.
For the first time, members of the public will be able to attend the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony. Tickets, priced £25, are available via the World Photography Organisation website: www.worldphotographyawards.org/festival
