Shibuya Toilets Among Winners in Sony World Photography Awards
The Sony World Photography Awards announced the winners of its 18th edition on April 17, including the Architecture and Design Award for images of public toilets in Japan. “The Tokyo Toilet Project,” by Canadian Ulana Switucha, is an urban redevelopment in Shibuya-ku that involves the design and construction of modern public restrooms that encourages their use. “The distinctive buildings are as much works of art as they are a public convenience. These images are part of a larger body of work documenting the architectural aesthetics of these structures in their urban environment.”
The Strata of Time
Nagoya-born Seido Kino was the sole Japanese recipient of a major professional prize, winning the Landscape Category for “The Strata of Time.” It explores Japan’s post-war economic growth by overlaying archival photos from the 1940s-60s with present-day scenes, highlighting how past development has shaped modern challenges.
This project invites viewers to consider what it means for a country to grow, and the advantages and disadvantages linked to that growth, while overlaying archival photographs from the 1940s-60s within current scenes of the same location.
“Early in Japan’s period of rapid economic growth from 1945 to 1973, the trade-off for affluence was pollution in many parts of the country. As an island, its land and resource constraints also led to an uneven population distribution. However, the issues found in contemporary society are often the result of past activities, and there is a need to look at these issues closely. Fortunately, the photographer points out that the Japanese embrace photography, with many citizens capturing images of their country over time. ’This documentation can help others look at growth and think about how to prevent problems from reoccurring.”
Over almost two decades, the Awards have become a definitive annual moment for the discovery and celebration of contemporary photography. Additionally, each year the Awards celebrate the stories and images that shape our visual language and capture the imagination, offering a global perspective on this ever-evolving medium.
2025 Award Winner Zed Nelson
The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2025 title was awarded to the acclaimed British photographer Zed Nelson for the series “The Anthropocene Illusion.” Nelson receives a $25,000 cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment and the opportunity to present an additional body of work at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition.
He was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced at the ceremony, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category.
Nelson says: “Over the last six years, I have explored how we immerse ourselves in choreographed and simulated environments to mask our destructive impact on the natural world—we have become masters of a stage-managed, artificial ‘experience’ of nature. Projects such as this take extensive research and a very long time to complete—the recognition of this Award really helps to now get the work out into the world and to be able to tell this vital story.”
Commenting on Nelson’s winning project, Monica Allende, chair of the 2025 Professional Jury, says: “The jury applauded Nelson’s urgent topic and his ability to translate complex environmental issues into striking visual narratives. The Anthropocene Illusion portrays a world where humans blur the boundaries between the real and the artificial, preserve the wild in controlled enclosures, and turn their nostalgia for nature into spectacle instead of meaningful action. Nelson’s work compels viewers to question their own role in this paradox and consider the consequences of a society increasingly distanced from the natural world. This timely body of work tells one of the most important stories of our age, and is now more critical than ever.”
Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI5UY390DYM
All winners here: www.worldphoto.org/