07/02/2023
National Awards 2023
Singapore Winner Announced Exhibition: 14 April – 1 May 2023 | Somerset House, London
© Huazheng Hong, Singapore, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2023
(Singapore, 7 February 2023) – The World Photography Organisation and Sony Singapore are delighted to announce Huazheng Hong as Singapore’s National Award winner for the Sony World Photography Awards 2023.
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).
Huazheng Hong was anonymously selected by judges for his photograph Iceberg entered into the Landscape category of the Open competition. The image depicts the Ilulissat icebergs off Greenland’s coast lending perspective to the staggering immensity of the distant ice walls, which stretch for several kilometres and can be as tall as a one-hundred-storey skyscraper. That is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’, though. The glaciers extend well below the water, to an average depth of 2,100 metres, and discharge more ice into the global oceanic current than any other glacier in the Northern Hemisphere.
Huazheng Hong, who prefers to be called H, is an artist based in Singapore. H received his Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in partnership with Goldsmiths’ College, University of London, U.K. H reflects a lot on the impact of technology on environments and people. He has a propensity for seeking beauty and the sublime in places untouched by civilisation and technology.
Commenting on his win Hong said: ‘I hope the viewers will explore the good works from many photographers all over the world, especially those who are covering important topics such as the environment, human rights, sustainable development, etc. I also wish to use photography as a powerful but accessible medium to highlight the climate emergency, especially to my fellow Singaporeans back home.’
As Singapore’s National Award winner, Huazheng Hong 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 – Tshabalala Bongani 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
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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 |
NOTES TO EDITORS
Images are available at: press.creoarts.com
PRESS CONTACTS
For further information, please contact:
Inbal Mizrahi / Polly Brack on media@creaoarts.com
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About Sony World Photography Awards
Produced by the World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most important fixtures in the global photographic calendar. Now in its 16th year, the free-to-enter Awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary photography today. For both established and emerging artists, the Awards offer world-class opportunities for exposure of their work. The Awards additionally recognise the world’s most influential artists working in the medium through the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award; the renowned Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi is the 2023 recipient of this award, joining a distinguished list of iconic names including Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Candida Hofer, Nadav Kander, Gerhard Steidl, Edward Burtynsky and Graciela Iturbide. The Awards showcase the works of winning and shortlisted photographers at a prestigious annual exhibition at Somerset House, London. worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards-exhibition
About 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. Follow the World Photography Organisation on Instagram (@worldphotoorg), Twitter (@WorldPhotoOrg) and LinkedIn/Facebook (World Photography Organisation). Our hashtags to follow are #sonyworldphotographyawards #swpa #swpanews.
About Creo
Creo initiates and organises events and programming across three key strands: photography, film and contemporary art. Established in 2007 as World Photography Organisation, Creo has since grown in scope, furthering its mission of developing meaningful opportunities for creatives and expanding the reach of its cultural activities. Today, its flagship projects include the Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, Photo London and the forthcoming PHOTOFAIRS New York (Sep 2023). Working in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, Creo helps deliver the group’s ventures, comprising some of the world’s leading art fairs. Taking its name from the Latin for ‘I create’, it is in this spirit that Creo sets out to empower and give agency to creative voices. www.creoarts.com
Sony Group Corporation
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| Yun Jing Siow BlueCurrent for Sony Electronics Asia Pacific and Singapore Email: SNG.Sony@bluecurrentgroup.com | Melanie Shum Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Email: melanie.shum@sony.com |