Canadian photographer Sandra Herber won the Architecture category.
Canadian photographer Sandra Herber won the Architecture category.
Sandra Herber
Russian photographer Maria Kokunova won the Discovery category.
Russian photographer Maria Kokunova won the Discovery category.
Maria Kokunova
Chung Ming Ko from Hong Kong won the Documentary category.
Chung Ming Ko from Hong Kong won the Documentary category.
Chung Ming Ko
Robin Hinsch from Germany won the Environment category.
Robin Hinsch from Germany won the Environment category.
Robin Hinsch
German photographer Ronny Behnert won the Landscape category.
German photographer Ronny Behnert won the Landscape category.
Ronny Behnert
South African photographer Brent Stirton won the Natural World and Wildlife category.
South African photographer Brent Stirton won the Natural World and Wildlife category.
Brent Stirton
Cesar Dezfuli of Spain won the Portraiture category.
Cesar Dezfuli of Spain won the Portraiture category.
Cesar Dezfuli
ángel López Soto from Spain won the Sport category.
ángel López Soto from Spain won the Sport category.
ángel López Soto
Italian photographer Alessandro Gandolfi won the Still Life category.
Italian photographer Alessandro Gandolfi won the Still Life category.
Alessandro Gandolfi
Sony World Photography Awards 2020 winners
CNN  — 

A powerful series depicting the plight of activists fighting to preserve their communities from mining and agribusiness has led to Uruguayan photographer Pablo Albarenga being named Photographer of the Year at the Sony World Photography Awards 2020.

Albarenga won the award for his series “Seeds of Resistance” and will take home the $25,000 prize, according to a press release from the World Photography Organisation published Tuesday.

The series pairs photographs of landscapes at risk with portraits of the activists fighting to save the territories.

Albarenga's series uses aerial photography.
Albarenga's series uses aerial photography.
Pablo Albarenga

“With this important award, I see two victories: first, the opportunity to tell the stories of the traditional communities of the Amazon by highlighting the people who are still fighting not only for their future, but for everyone’s,” said Albarenga in a statement.

“Secondly, that the photographer of the year award has landed in Latin America, a continent historically told through the eyes of foreigners.”

Mike Trow, chair of the 2020 professional competition, said the series “is a brilliant set of images which offers a powerful visual record of how deforestation goes hand in hand with the destruction of communities and peoples.”

This photo by Robin Hinsch shows the impact of the oil industry in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.
This photo by Robin Hinsch shows the impact of the oil industry in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.
Robin Hinsch

Best architecture photos of 2019 revealed

Winners were also announced in ten other categories. They include Sandra Herber in the Architecture category, Maria Kokunova in Discovery, Chung Ming Ko in Documentary and Robin Hinsch in Environment.

This image by Brent Stirton shows a pangolin, the world's most illegally trafficked mammal.
This image by Brent Stirton shows a pangolin, the world's most illegally trafficked mammal.
Brent Stirton

Ronny Behnert took home the prize for the Landscape category, Brent Stirton won Natural World and Wildlife, and Cesar Dezfuli won Portraiture, while ángel López Soto won Sport and Alessandro Gandolfi won Still Life.

Alessandro Gandolfi won the still life category for work including this shot of a robot.
Alessandro Gandolfi won the still life category for work including this shot of a robot.
Alessandro Gandolfi

Six of the winners come from European countries, with one each from North and South America, Asia and Africa.

Sony World Photography Awards 2020: The year's best photographs revealed

Now in its thirteenth year, the Sony World Photography Awards also honored UK photographer Tom Oldham in its Open category – in which judges select the best single photograph – Greek photographer Ioanna Sakellaraki in the Student category, and Hsien-Pang Hsieh from Taiwan as Youth Photographer of the Year.

The annual awards ceremony this year was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.