Winners of the Sony World Photography 2016 photo Contest

Every year, one of the largest photo contests announces in April the winners among professionals and amateur photographers. The organizers try to find the most inspiring, exciting and emotional works from all over the world. Shots from places engulfed by war or destroyed by the forces of nature compete with vivid and powerful stories of love and loss.

This year, a record number of works were received — 127,098 photographs from around the world. The announced winner receives the L'iris d'Or prize — the title of "Photographer of the Year according to the results of the Sony World Photography Awards competition for professionals", as well as:

The photographer of the Year in 2016 was journalist Asghar Hamesh with the project "Fire of Hatred", which includes portraits of Iranian residents who have become victims of acid dousing - a common type of crime in this country.

(12 photos in total)

Source: worldphoto.org

The photo series of the winner of the contest, Asghar Hamesh, is dedicated to a common way in Iran to sort things out — with the help of acid. Admittedly, photos are not for the faint of heart. In the photo: a 37-year-old resident of Iran refused to get married. Now it looks like this. After 4 liters of acid. (Photo: Asghar Khamseh)

Winner in the category "Current events". Migrants after crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece in search of the European dream. (Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis)

The winner in the category "Sport". A boxer. (Photo: Nikolai Linares)

Winner in the "Staged" category. Barbie is a symbol of modern Western culture. (Photo: Alberto Alicata)

Winner in the category "Portraits". A survivor of the Ebola virus. (Photo: Marcello Bonfanti)

Winner in the "Landscapes" category. Rhinoceros. (Photo: Maroesjka Lavigne)

Winner in the "Revelation" category. Waiting for tomorrow. (Photo: Kirstin Schmitt)

Winner in the "Environment" category. Hunters with birds of prey in western China. (Photo: Kevin Frayer)

Winner in the category "Still Life". Dirty tomato. Tons of tomatoes are grown in fields in southern Italy, they are harvested by about 19 thousand workers, most of whom are migrants. In 2015, 13 deaths were reported due to high temperatures while working in the fields. (Photo: Francesco Amorosino)

The winner in the category "People". Nomadic life on the Tibetan plateau. (Photo: Kevin Frayer)

Winner in the Architecture category. An unfinished house in the south of Italy due to the financial crisis. (Photo: Amelie Labourdette)

Winner in the category "Conceptual". Greetings from Mars. (Photo: Julien Mauve)

Winner in the category "Everyday life".

Winner in the Campaign category.