"I observed her movements and behaviour from the darkened room, and took the exposure remotely," Milan Radisics said. "I named her Roxy. I set the lights in advance, like in a studio, and waited for the protagonist to walk into the scenes. She always surprises me, showing a new side, and I have had to solve many technical, theoretical, and physical challenges in the process of photographing her. During lockdown, both sides were forced to adjust: man to the wilds of the forest, animals to the human environment." Photo courtesy of Milan Radisics / Sony World Photography Awards
"The Kuarup is a ritual of the Xingu Indigenous Brazilian to honour the illustrious dead – it is the farewell and closing of a mourning period," said Ricardo Teles. "The celebration takes place once a year in different villages and lasts for three days." Photo courtesy of Ricardo Teles / Sony World Photography Awards
"This is a collection of teenagers’ portraits, paired with landscapes and inspired by global warming issues," said Raphaël Neal. "Heatwaves, wildfires or floods are evoked in a cinematic way. The presence of teens – including several young activists – implies the growing threats that the next generation will have to deal with because of climate change, and its inevitable consequences on their physical and mental health." Photo courtesy of Raphaël Neal / Sony World Photography Awards
"Following a ‘Save America’ rally held by President Donald Trump, a mob of thousands of his supporters descended on the US Capitol and fought their way into the building on 6 January 2021," explained Win McNamee. "Members of the mob were called to action by Trump and urged to “fight like hell” after months of disinformation disputing the results of the 2020 presidential election." Photo courtesy of Win McNamee / Sony World Photography Awards
"While many people discovered the joys of walking in nature during the lockdowns, once the sun had set it was just me, the trees and the darkness, which was an experience that at first terrified me but with time I began to relish," said Gareth Iwan Jones on capturing his project. Photo courtesy of Gareth Iwan Jones / Sony World Photography Awards
Photographer Adrees Latif's series featured a set of images covering a variety of events between 2020 to 2021, including immigration along the US-Mexico border (including a drone image of a migrant camp in Del Rio), the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, fires on the West Coast, a devastating tornado that ripped through Kentucky, a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd, and a prison in Honduras. Photo courtesy of Adrees Latif / Sony World Photography Awards
"This series takes a look at the Olympic and Paralympic sports that I was assigned to cover in Tokyo," said Sports category finalist Adam Pretty. "I tried to find unique and challenging angles to minimise the visual impact of not having a crowd or any fans (and atmosphere) and also to illustrate the beauty and strength of the athletes and sports as well as their emotions from slightly different angles." Photo courtesy of Adam Pretty / Sony World Photography Awards
"In 2021 I travelled to Greece, Canada and the USA to document the aftermath of fires that had destroyed homes, killed numerous people and burnt millions of acres of land," said Environment category finalist Gideon Mendel. "I choose not to document the burning flames, but rather to seek out their aftermath. These portraits are made across different communities and cultures around the world. My subjects pause and engage the camera, looking out from their devastated lives. While their poses may seem conventional, the context is catastrophe, and their gazes are unsettling." Photo courtesy of Gideon Mendel / Sony World Photography Awards
Nemo's Garden by Environment category finalist Giacomo d'Orlanda explores the hope for alternate models of food cultivation. "Agriculture represents 70% of freshwater use around the globe and with the world’s population projected to increase to 10 billion by the end of the century, it has become imperative to find alternative and ecologically sustainable methods of cultivation," he said."Nemo’s Garden – the world’s first underwater greenhouse – offers a possible solution. This completely self-sustainable project explores an alternative farming system that could be implemented in areas where environmental or geo-morphological conditions make the growth of plants almost impossible." Photo courtesy of Giacomo d'Orlando / Sony World Photography Awards
"He is a volunteer in a Covid-19 rescue unit," Documentary Projects finalist Kyaw Zay Yar Lin from Myanmar said. "He wears a PPE suite throughout the day while undertaking his duties. His philanthropy includes spraying biocide in public places, taking contact patients to hospitals and wrapping dead bodies in winding sheets. He transfers cadavers from hospitals, or homes, to the cemetery with other volunteers.This work is stressful and demanding. He prays to see the end of this pandemic as soon as possible. But for now, his work isn’t finished." Photo courtesy of Kyaw Zay Yar Lin / Sony World Photography Awards
"Gabura Union is located on the southwestern coast of Bangladesh," said photographer Shunta Kimura on his project that explores the impact of the climate crisis in Bangladesh. "It is one of the most vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change, and many residents often suffer from its effects. These include river erosion, landslides, rising salinity levels in fresh water sources and collapsing infrastructure, caused by the tropical cyclones that occur frequently." Photo courtesy of Shunta Kimura / Sony World Photography Awards
"Through its policy of denying asylum using the Migrant Protection Protocol and Title 4, the United States has left thousands of people waiting for asylum hearings in dangerous Mexican border cities," said photographer Alejandro Cegarra on his project exploring the plight of migrants. "Mexico acts as a co-enforcer, militarising its border to detain migrants – building a physical, administrative and psychological barrier shutting out migrants and asylum seekers from all parts of the world. Today, more than ever, the politics of the borders negate the desperate plight of these migrants. They find themselves trapped in a bureaucratic limbo increasingly neglectful of their human rights." Photo courtesy of Alejandro Cegarra / Sony World Photography Awards
"There is a slim triangle of land along the perfectly horizontal line that separates Egypt from Sudan, which has always been claimed by both countries," said photographer Andrea Bettancini on his project titled 'Without a homeland - the contended land'. "It is the Halayeb-Shalateen triangle, currently under Egyptian rule. Starting from Sudan's independence in 1956, border relations with Egypt have been characterised more by reciprocal suspicion than by peaceful exchanges." Photo courtesy of Andrea Bettancini / Sony World Photography Awards
"In recent years, we have witnessed the death of thousands of migratory birds in Iran’s Miankaleh Wetland – the cause is still unknown," said photographer Mehdi Mohebi. "This is a set of efforts by environmental forces to collect and bury birds." Photo courtesy of Mehdi Mohebi Puor /Sony World Photography Awards