Winners of the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards were announced overnight.

 

March 18, 2009: Winners of the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards were announced overnight.
The 44 photographers, from 22 separate countries, were decided by three judging panels, each with four members, all of whom are experts in at least one aspect of their specialised field. The winners were selected from the 186 shortlisted photographers, revealed last month. Each photographer’s work will be exhibited and honoured at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony in Cannes, France, on Thursday 16 April. Of the 12 professional category winners, one photographer will be the recipient of the L’Iris D’Or, the Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year. On the night they will be awarded $25,000 along with Sony camera equipment. The winning amateur photographer, selected from the eight category finalists, will receive a $5,000 cash prize and Sony camera equipment.
Three Australian photographers have been included in the winners’ list. Lisa Maree Williams took out first prize in the professional Natural History category, with Steven Morenos, also from Australia, in second place. Claire Martin is listed as the winner in the Amateur Fine Art Portraiture category. A full list of winners and their winning images can be viewed at http://www.worldphotographyawards.org.