In pictures: 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

The winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards have been announced, with Edgar Martins named as Photographer of the Year for his series, Our War.

The project is an homage to Martins’ friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was shot and killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

Martins chose to reflect on the question: how does one tell a story when there is no witness, no testimony, no evidence, no subject?

“It is a huge honour to be recognised – and although I am philosophical about awards and the subjective nature of someone’s choice, knowing that there were over 180,000 entries to this year’s Professional competition is very humbling,” says Martins.

“In this case, it is also quite an emotional experience because I get to honour my friend on a world stage and bring attention to the family’s plight to find his remains.”

Martins’ work triumphed in the Portraiture category of the Professional competition.

Here are the other category winners, alongside comments from the photographers.

Cement Factory by Fan Li

“Tieshan cement factory is located in Guilin City in Guangxi, south China.

“The factory was built in 1996 and played an important role in Guilin’s economic development and urban construction.

“However, because it was originally located in the Li River scenic area, the cement factory has now been relocated, leaving behind the old buildings, water towers, pools and railway tracks.”