The World Photography Organisation and Sony Middle East & Africa has revealed Bongani Tshabalala as South Africa’s National Award winner for the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 for two consecutive years.
The Sony World Photography Awards is the leading competition for photographers and artists working in photography. Made up of four competitions (Professional, Open, Student and Youth), all entries are free and the top prize is $25,000. The Awards are one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions by elevating photographers’ careers – from established to emerging – since it started 16 years ago.
The Sony World Photography Awards 2023 received over 415,000 entries from more than 200 nations and territories, and over 200,000 were submitted for the Open category (from which the National Awards winner was selected).
This is Bongani’s second winning in this prestigious photography award after his triumph in the same category the previous year. The World Photography Organization and Sony launched the National Awards program to aid regional photographic scenes all over the world.
The judges for the Open competition chose Bongani Tshabalala’s shot “Great Joy” anonymously, which was entered in the Portraiture category.The portrait serves as a poignant memento for the gifted photographer because it was created the same day he learned of a friend’s father’s dying.
Commenting on his win Bongani said: “I am thankful for being selected as part of the shortlist for the World Photo Organisation. This is a great opportunity for me and my work to get exposed globally.”
Bongani Tshabalala is a Free State, South Africa based self-taught photographer. His contemporary photography portrays African people and their lives. The faces and unique tales of his subjects serve as the inspiration for Tshabalala’s photography, which he uses to produce a variety of images. As the South Africa’s winner, Bongani Tshabalala’s South Africa National Award comes with a prize that includes Sony digital imaging equipment and will be included in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and book.
The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 will be announced on the 13th of April 2023 and will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London (14 April-1 May 2023).
For more information about upcoming announcements and winners here.
About the World Photography Organisation
World Photography Organisation is a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. Its programming and competition initiatives provide valuable opportunities for artists working in photography and help broaden the conversation around their work.
The Sony World Photography Awards is World Photography Organisation’s principal programme. Established in 2007, it is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious photography competitions; celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide.
World Photography Organisation is the photography strand of Creo, responsible for delivering initiatives and programming across three sectors: photography, film and contemporary art.
