Citlali Fabián Wins 2026 Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year
The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards recognized Citlali Fabián from Mexico as Photographer of the Year for her series titled 'Bilha, Stories of my Sisters,' which also earned her the Latin America Professional Award. The contest attracted 430,000 entries. Other notable winners include Elle Leontiev, who was named Open Photographer of the Year, Jubair Ahmed Arnob as Student Photographer of the Year, and Philip Kangas as Youth Photographer of the Year. Among the professional category victors are Dafna Talmor (Landscape, UK), Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni (Portraiture, Italy), and others. Fabián's portrait 'Mitzy Violeta Cortez' showcases activist Mitzy Cortez.
Key facts
- Citlali Fabián won Photographer of the Year for 'Bilha, Stories of my Sisters'.
- The 2026 awards mark the 19th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards.
- 430,000 images were submitted across all competitions.
- Ten winners were selected in the Professional competition categories.
- Elle Leontiev won Open Photographer of the Year for a portrait of volcanologist Phillip Yamah.
- Jubair Ahmed Arnob and Philip Kangas won Student and Youth Photographer of the Year.
- Fabián's portrait features activist Mitzy Cortez of the Indigenous Futures network.
- The competition includes categories like Environment, Wildlife and Nature, and Perspective.
Entities
Artists
- Citlali Fabián
- Elle Leontiev
- Phillip Yamah
- Dafna Talmor
- Jean-Marc Caimi
- Valentina Piccinni
- Seungho Kim
- Isadora Romero
- Santiago Mesa
- Todd Antony
- Jubair Ahmed Arnob
- Joy Saha
- Will Burrard-Lucas
- Philip Kangas
- Vilma Taubo
- Mitzy Violeta Cortez
- Yessenia Morales
- Darwin
- Pope Francis
- Napoleon
- Mitzy
- Andreas Secci
- Morgan Otagburuagu
- André Tezza
- Hayate Kurisu
- Gargi Sharma
- Anita Pouchard Serra
- Ben Brooks
- Alexandre Bagdassarian
- Fredrik Lerneryd
- Chen Liang
- Shane Hynan
- Federico Borella
- Matteo Trevisan
- Michael Blann
- Wolfgang Duerr
- Marisa Reichert
- Rob Van Thienen
- Phillip
- Arnob
- Daniel
- Bisi
- Rully Mallay
- Şirîn Ehmed
- He
- Van Thienen
- Bagdassarian Alexandre
- Blue Flame
- Monica Allende
- Joel Meyerowitz
- Tomasz Kawecki
- André Tezza
- Cristopher Rogel Blanquet
- Daniel Ochoa de Olza
- Farshid Rahimi Kalahroudi
- Mathieu Moindron
- Peter Lipton
- Stephan Zirwes
- Anna Solomon
- Ahmed Arnob
Institutions
- Sony World Photography Awards
- World Photography Organisation
- Indigenous Futures
- COP26
- COP30
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts
- My Modern Met
- Cop26
- Cop30
- Bucheon University
- Waria Crisis Center
- Comandos de la Frontera
- City
- Loja e Mercado Marielen
- Jinwar
- Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
- Ngong Racecourse
- Counter Foto — A Center for Visual Arts
- Somerset House
- UNESCO
- Wallpaper
- Luxury London Magazine
- Counter Foto – A Center for Visual Arts
- Lense
Locations
- Mexico
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Italy
- Korea, Republic Of
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- New Zealand
- Bangladesh
- Sweden
- Norway
- Southern Mexico
- Mount Yasur
- Tanna
- Vanuatu
- Putumayo
- Yunguilla
- Ecuadorian Chocó
- Stockholm
- Dhaka
- South Korea
- Vatican City
- Jordán Guisia
- Kenya
- Maasai Mara national reserve
- Ashtagram
- Kishoreganj
- Haor region
- Tajikistan
- Normandy
- Brittany
- France
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- Campo Largo
- Curitiba
- Brazil
- Nordelta
- Tigre
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Carson
- California
- South Central Los Angeles
- Compton
- Inglewood
- Nairobi
- Jiangmen
- Guangdong Province
- China
- Ticknevin
- County Kildare
- Ireland
- Tashkent
- Uzbekistan
- North and East Syria
- Rojava
- Kurdish
- Assyrian
- Arab
- Armenian
- Cap Formentor
- Sa Calobra
- Tramuntana mountains
- Majorca
- Spain
- Alps
- Pyrenees
- Dolomites
- Picos
- Spanish Islands
- Yogyakarta
- Java
- Indonesia
- London
- Provincetown
- Massachusetts
- United States
- Poland
- China Mainland
- Iran
- Islamic Republic Of
- Puglia
- Japan
- Sendai
- Tohoku
- Michniów
- Green Model Town
- Republic of Korea