A fox is heading for snow. A mother elephant tries to help her calf climb a bench of the river. A gibbon seems calm with contemplation.
2025 Sony World Photography Awards He announced the 10 winners of the category and the short list of the open competition. “The open competition celebrates the ability of an individual photograph to capture and distill a singular moment and to evoke a broader narrative,” explains a press release.
In the natural world and Wildlife Category, the top honors led to a riveting image (seen above) of a group of polar bears that were swirling on the housing of an East Greenland. The photo was filmed by Esteban Rezkallah in France.
A wild fox photographed at Gran Paradiso, Italy.
Copyright: © Ilena Fasci, Italy, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
The open photographer of the year will be announced in London on April 16, 2025. To view all the winners of the open competition category and the short -list photos, visit World photo organization.
Meeting a leopard is a rare and amazing moment. This majestic feline was photographed at Lake Nakuru, Kenya, deep in a forest of fever trees. Initially it was perched on a branch, but then it was elegantly walking along its massive threshold a real experience from the bucket list.
Copyright: © Peter Delaney, Ireland, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
This Juvenil polar bear has just swam over an entrance of the sea before entering a cabin far away from the Longyearbyen shore, on the island of Svalbard. After passing through the window, the bear spent some time exploring the interior, taking a look on the window and taking objects. The photo was taken from a small remote boat.
Copyright: © Daniel Hannabuss, UK, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
This Pelicani squadron was photographed from a boat from Lake Kerkini, Greece.
Copyright: © Gianni Maitan, Italy, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
This Pygmy elephant caressed his calf, who could not climb the bank of the steep river to join the herd after crossing the Kinabetangan River in Borneo. A second elephant offers support behind the child. The herd returned to the river and continued downstream for an hour until she found a place where the calf could go safe.
Copyright: © Tara Keane, Ireland, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
In a defensive picture, this Thistle Mantis looks like a rock singer singing.
Copyright: © Hasan Bağlar, Cyprus, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
The great blue Herons like to fish at the base of a small discharge, where the larger fish gather in the scary water. Although the photographer captured pictures of the Herons who were catching fish on many occasions, in this case the morning sun was only at the right angle to light the sprinkled water, which gave the stage a different look.
Copyright: © Christopher Baker, United States, Short List, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
With an absorbed look, this gibbon is in a quiet contemplation. His concentrated expression reveals the depth of his intelligence and the feeling of curiosity that defines this fascinating primacy.
Copyright: © Pedro Jarque Krebs, Peru, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
This lion struggled to draw a half-eaten buffalo housing in a nearby bush in Maasai Mara, Kenya. The housing was too heavy, forcing the lion to take frequent breaks to rest. This moment highlights the huge effort and determining the predator.
Copyright: © Klara Zamourilova, Czech Republic, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
A rhino and calf mother come to drink at night in eastern South Africa, creating beautiful reflections in motionless water.
Copyright: © Martin Steenhaut, Belgium, short list, open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
More offers, reviews and purchase guides