Arup Ghosh has been named the Sony World Photography Awards Amateur Photographer of the Year. As well as the title, Ghosh wins a $5,000 cash prize donated by headline sponsor Sony. Eight other category winners were also selected from 25,934 amateur submissions. Judge Mary Ellen Mark commented, “The calibre of amateur photography is outstanding – far higher than I had imagined - and in many cases reaching professional standard.”

Sony Press Release

07/04/2008

Sony World Photography Awards Amateur Winner Announced

Arup Ghosh wins prestigious ‘Sony World Photography Awards Amateur Photographer of the Year’ title ahead of the VIP Gala Awards Ceremony

The Sony World Photography Awards is proud to announce the amateur winners of the inaugural 2008 awards. Arup Ghosh from India has triumphed as the overall amateur photographer along with eight category winners spanning from abstract to sport, fashion to nature. Ghosh will be awarded the prestigious title of ‘Sony World Photography Awards Amateur Photographer of the Year’ as well as a $5,000 cash prize donated by headline sponsor Sony.

The winners have been chosen out of 25,934 amateur submissions through a competitive judging process by the Honorary Board Members of the World Photographic Academy. This panel, made up of some of the industry’s most respected members includes Nan Goldin, Bruce Davidson, Tom Stoddart, Elliott Erwitt, Stephen Cohen, Rankin and Martine Franck, who together have carefully deliberated over the shortlisted entries.

The Honorary Board was presented with the shortlist chosen by the rest of the Academy members through a pointbased system, and had an exceptionally difficult decision to make in choosing the overall amateur winner. Mary Ellen Mark commented, “The calibre of amateur photography is outstanding – far higher than I had imagined - and in many cases reaching professional standard.”

The winners will travel to Cannes to receive their award at the VIP Gala Evening on 24th April at the Palais des Festivals. The winning professional photographers will be revealed on the night, and at the same time, the Legacy Award will be presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to photography.

Accompanying this will be the Sony Legacy Exhibition, curated by Magnum Photos from 21st to 25th April, in which winning images will be displayed alongside works by some of the world’s most influential photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, David Seymour and George Rodger. In addition, Saatchi Online will make a selection of 100 images from the highly commended amateur entries, to be displayed on the Saatchi Online Gallery Wall in Cannes during the Awards.

James Kennedy, General Manager Marketing Communications, Sony Digital Imaging Europe said, “This is an exciting time for amateur photography, with the development of digital equipment allowing the highest quality of photos to be taken. We hope that the Sony World Photography Awards will inspire amateur photographers around the world to capture the best imagery possible.”

Key Dates
Professional category finalists announced
• Monday 14th April 2008
Legacy Exhibition, Palais des Fesitvals
• Monday 21st- Friday 25th April 2008, free entry
Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony
• Thursday 24th April, Cannes

Amateur Category Winners
• Abstract - Martin Kharumwa, UK
• Architectural – Emilio Jose Mariel, Spain
• Fashion – Tommaso Awerbuch, Italy
• Music/Performance – Kerry Grainger, UK
• Nature – Thorsten Schrader, Germany
• Portraiture – Arup Ghosh, India
• Science – Erwin von Arx, Switzerland
• Sport – Nimai Chandra Ghosh, India

WPA backgrounder
The initial concept for the World Photography Awards was conceived over lunch in Cannes in autumn 2005. Founder Scott Gray identified with the Commercial Manager of the Palais de Festivals a substantial gap in the photography market for celebrating what had been a revolutionary decade in the industry. The result was an Awards ceremony that would mark the way forward for both professional and amateur photographers and set a precedent for future decades.

Sony backgrounder
Sony first entered the photographic market in 1989 with the release of one of the world’s first digital cameras. Through the years Sony has continued to push the boundaries of excellence with each new addition to their range, including the market-leading Cyber-shot digital cameras and the Sony (pronounced Alpha) DSLR cameras. It is with great pleasure that Sony looks forward to the growing success of the Sony World Photography Awards in years to come.

Saatchi Online backgrounder
Saatchi Online was launched in 2006 in order to create a free global platform for artists all over the world to exhibit their work to a wide international art community. Now the world’s largest interactive website, attracting millions of visitors each day, Saatchi Online showcases the work of over 80,000 artists and art students. The site has proven to be an invaluable platform for artists, facilitating sales of over $100 million in its first year. The website has enabled collectors to acquire work directly from registered artists, free of any commission, and dealers can also benefit by using the site to discover new artists working all over the world. The site also provides information on international museum and gallery exhibitions, a daily magazine, global art news, a live chatroom and regular competitions. Saatchi Online is ranked in the top 300 websites in the world. www.saatchigallery.com

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