Sony World Photography Awards Judges Announced

Sony has announced the judging panel for its 2013 World Photography Awards.

For the Professional competition, the annual Honorary Jury will judge all serious photographers submitting a body of work. Made up of prestigious photography professionals from the World Photographic Academy, the Honorary Jury includes leading industry members such as photo editors, photographers, agency directors, critics, curators and publishers. Each expert judge is selected to shortlist outstanding new works submitted for 15 Professional categories before granting one photographer the coveted L’Iris d’Or, the Sony World Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year, and $25,000 (USD).

Catherine Chermayeff will chair the judges and commented: "I am honoured to be chairing this year's Sony World Photography Awards. We are living in such a transitional and dramatically evolving moment in visual culture. The opportunity to recognise new and emerging talent in photography is more important than ever. I look forward to working with my fellow jurors to recognise and better understand photography in this unique landscape.”

The 2013 Honorary Jury includes:
Current Affairs / Contemporary Issues / People / Arts & Culture

• Fiona Shields - Picture Editor, The Guardian (UK)
• Francesca Sears - Director, Panos Profile at Panos Pictures (UK)
• Chien-Chi Chang - Magnum Photographer (Taiwan)

Lifestyle / Fashion & Beauty / Campaign / Sport

• Tim Paton - Managing Director, Balcony Jump (UK)
• Catherine Chermayeff (Chair) - Director, i2i photo agency (USA)

Travel / Landscape / Nature & Wildlife

• Caroline Metcalfe - Director of Photography, Conde Nast Traveller (UK)
• Monica Suder - Photographic Consultant and Coach (Germany)
• MAcduff Everton – Photographer (USA)

Architecture / Conceptual / Portraiture / Still Life

• Juana de Aizpuru - Gallery Director, Galeria Juana de Aizpuru (Spain)
• Olga Sviblova - Director, Moscow House of Photography Museum (Russia)

For amateurs and enthusiasts entering The Open Compeition, work will firstly be judged by WPO's pre-selection committee. A special judging panel, including the Chair of the Honorary Jury and representatives from Sony and the WPO, will then decide the shortlist and winners.

The Sony World Photography Awards is the world’s leading photography programme. A record number of over 112,000 images from 171 countries were entered into the 2012 competition.

For more information and to enter, visit the Sony World Photo Awards website.