Students today, masters tomorrow: Sony World Photography Awards celebrate young talent across Europe

From students today to masters tomorrow.

The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards have revealed the winners of the new European Student Award, a new category to celebrate the finest young talent across Europe.

This year’s inaugural prize has been awarded to Teresa Halbreiter from the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, Germany.

Halbreiter’s winning series Stillgestanden (Attention!) explores femininity and individuality in the male-dominated German Armed Forces.

Photographs from winner Teresa Halbreiter’s ‘Stillgestanden’ series.

The striking photographs occupy the space between tenderness and toughness, capturing complex identities in conversation with the institutions they exist in.

The four other students shortlisted for the prize explored a range of themes, including the aftermath of environmental disasters and friendship.

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Photograph by shortlisted student Albert Słowiński from Academy of Art in Szczecin, Poland.

Photograph by shortlisted student Albert Słowiński from Academy of Art in Szczecin, Poland.

Photograph by shortlisted student Laura Anna Rossa from LUCA School of Arts Sint Lukas Brussels, Belgium.

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Photograph by shortlisted student Laurie Broughton from the University of West England, UK.

Photographs by shortlisted student Bennet Böckstiegel from Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie, Germany.

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The winning works are on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London from 17 April to 4 May, 2026.