The World Photography Organisation and Sony Middle East & Africa are delighted to reveal Bongani Tshabalala as South Africa’s National Award winner for the Sony World Photography Awards 2023. This is the second time Bongani wins this illustrious photography prize following his victory in the same category last year.
The National Awards program is an initiative set up by the World Photography Organisation and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world, with 55 countries taking part this year.
Over 415,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 and over 200,000 were entered to the Open competition (from which the National Awards winner was selected).
Bongani Tshabalala was anonymously selected by judges for his photograph Great Joy, entered into the Portraiture category of the Open competition. He took his winning photograph on the day that his friend’s father passed on, and the sad news was all he can remember with the picture.
Bongani was born in South Africa, based in a small town located in the Free State. He is a self-taught photographer whose contemporary style is narrating the stories of African people. He’s driven by creating a more diverse picture and inspired by the stories and faces of his subjects.
Commenting on his win Bongani said: “I am thankful for being selected as part of the shortlist for the World Photo Organization. This is a great opportunity for me and my work to get exposed globally.”
As South Africa’s National Award winner, Bongani Tshabalala receives 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 13 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 please visit www.worldphoto.org.
This year’s National Awards winners are:
|
Austria – Fabian Jung Bangladesh – Protap Shekhor Mohanto Cambodia – Chan Sithy Heng Egypt – Abdelrahman Gabr France – Samia Berbiche Germany – Andreas Mikonauschke India – Pradeep Kodimana Ramakrishnan Indonesia – Mawaruddin Mawaruddin Japan – Hajime Hirano, Winner Japan – Kazutoshi Ono, 2nd Place Japan -Takahiro Toh, 3rd Place |
Republic of Korea – Gyu Seob Shim, Winner Republic of Korea – Kyujin Jeong, 2nd Place Republic of Korea – Lee Jongkee, 3rd Place Kuwait – Adil Javed Malaysia – Eng Tong Tan Myanmar – Si Thu Ye Myint Nepal – Rabik Upadhayay Nigeria – Nukabari Opuama Pakistan – Yawar Abbas Philippines – Donell Gumiran Poland – Mateusz Żurowski |
Qatar – Abdulla AL-Mushaifri Saudi Arabia – Mansoor Mohsen Singapore – Huazheng Hong South Africa – Bongani Tshabalala Sri Lanka – Rajeev Abeysekara Switzerland – Sandra Handschin Taiwan – Leo Huang Thailand – Saravut Vanset Turkey – Erhan Coral United Arab Emirates – Oday Shanshal United States – Angela Perez Vietnam – Thiện Nguyễn Ngọc
|
|
EUROPEAN REGIONAL AWARDS
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania & Moldova: Cristina Băzăr (Romania), Winner Ivana Dostálová (Czech Republic), Shortlist Dávid Balogh (Hungary), Shortlist Maria Guțu (Moldova), Shortlist Filip Hrebenda (Slovakia), Shortlist
|
Latvia, Estonia & Lithuania: Milda Vyšniauskaitė (Lithuania), Winner Uku Sööt (Estonia), Shortlist Niks Freimanis (Latvia), Shortlist |
|
Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina: Roberto Pavić (Croatia), Winner Armin Durgut (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Shortlist Suer Celina (Kosovo), Shortlist Ivana Todorović (Montenegro), Shortlist Vladimir Zivojinovic (Serbia), Shortlist Andrej Tarfila (Slovenia), Shortlist |
Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria & North Macedonia: Sima Bivolarska-Stoyanova (Bulgaria), Winner Elena Georgiou (Cyprus), Shortlist Alexandros Othonos (Greece), Shortlist Vlatko Rafeski (North Macedonia), Shortlist
|
|
LATIN AMERICA NATIONAL AWARDS Mexico – Pável Vélez, Winner Ecuador – Kevin Moncayo, 2nd Place Peru – Alejandra del Carmen Elías Zambrano, 3rd Place Argentina – Solange Avena Bolivia – Reynaldo San Martín |
Chile – Oscar Seguel Mangiola Colombia – Hernan Jaramillo Costa Rica – Manuel Rodríguez Guatemala – Andres Novales |
