13 award-winning photographs that showcase Earth’s wonders

A colorful fish market on the shores of Vietnam, an elephant splashing sand on its wrinkled skin, and a solitary stroller on a desolate Icelandic beach: The images from the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards showcase a rich diversity of life around the globe.

The World Photography Organisation unveiled the National & Regional Award winners earlier this month. The honorees include photographer submissions from Singapore, Taiwan, Poland, Pakistan, Nigeria, Japan. and more. The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions will be announced on April 18, 2024. This year’s competition drew in 395,000 images from more than 220 countries and territories.

A sand bath protects an elephant’s skin against insect bites and keeps it warm in the cooler winter months. The fine sand found along the Narayani River makes a perfect ‘bath’. Photo: Ju Shen Lee, Singapore, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

A man walking along the beach with Vestrahorn mountain in summer at Iceland. Photo: Thanayu Jongwattanasilkul, Thailand, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Tam Tien, a very unique fish market by the beach, located in the Quang Nam province, Vietnam.
The market operates from midnight until the morning, when the sun rises. The baskets of fish arrive just in time to be delivered to other small markets in the region. Photo: Jaeeun Kim, Korea, Republic Of, 3rd Place, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

As travellers through this Earth we need to keep a good balance between exploration and preservation. Our footprints can disturb a delicate balance that would be hard to be reinstated. This image wants to provoke the viewer into thinking about the complex interplay of different species and the harmony kept within our environment. Photo: Diana Buzoianu, Romania, Shortlist, Regional Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

This photograph was taken in Dahab, Egypt, and captures a diver taking a deep breath in a very calm sea. Photo: Lee Jongkee, Korea, Republic Of, 1st Place, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

One of these riders was about to fall after he tried to stand on his horse’s back, but his colleague supported him and held his hand. This photograph was taken in the Sultanate of Oman, where horse races are still organised in the classic peer-to-peer racing tradition. Photo: Abdulla AL-Mushaifri, Qatar, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

A wild monkey enjoying a hot spring in Jigokudani Monkey Park, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in December. This photograph reminds me of a baby monkey being scolded by its mother. Photo: Seongmin Park, Korea, Republic Of, 2nd Place, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Gulikan Theyyam (or Guliga Theyyam) is a figure worshipped as Lord Shiva. In the Karnataka region, this deity is worshipped as the Hindu Culture’s Guliga Daiva. This was a challenging low-light photographic situation, as fire was the only light source. The God Man jumps into the fire and moves all the time, which makes it very difficult to take a clear photograph. Photo: Vinaya Mohan, United Arab Emirates, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

One of the perfect moments from my journey to Jordan. Photo: Cziráki Orsolya Boglárka, Hungary, Shortlist, Regional Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

With an elevation of 996 metres, Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh is the highest mountain in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. At its summit stands a Bodhisattva statue, which was cast from more than 170 tons of red bronze. At 72 metres tall it is the tallest bronze Buddha statue in Asia to be located on a mountain peak. Photo: Tran Tuan Viet, Vietnam, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

The design of the Pearl Ring Roundabout in Beijing, China, harmonises seamlessly with the detailed patterns of its surroundings. Photo: Lim Chien Ting, Malaysia, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

A supermoon sits at the top of the Saudi Public Investment Fund tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Yasser Alomari, Saudi Arabia, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2024