The World Photography Organisation announced the overall winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 at a special gala ceremony held in London. Now in its 17th year, the Awards’ ceremony is a major annual moment recognising the best photography in the world, and celebrating the images and stories that have resonated with global audiences over the past year. The winning, finalist and shortlisted images are on view at the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition at Somerset House, London from 19 April.
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The prestigious Photographer of the Year title was awarded to Juliette Pavy for her series Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women. Pavy won a $25,000 (USD) cash prize, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, and the opportunity to present a new body of work at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition.
Pavy was selected from the 10 Professional competition category winners, who were announced today alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finalists in each category. From urgent stories documenting our changing climate and our relationship with the natural world, to intimate portrayals of individuals and communities, this year’s Professional competition winners and finalists represent an extraordinary range of photographic practices from across the globe.
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PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

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Spiralkampagnen: Forced Contraception and Unintended Sterilisation of Greenlandic Women by Juliette Pavy (France) is a documentary project exploring the severe and lasting impacts of the involuntary birth control campaign led by Danish authorities in Greenland in the 1960s and 1970s. This series examines the spiralkampagnen, in which several thousand Inuit women, some as young as 12, were implanted with intrauterine devices without their consent. The project traces the programme’s origins through to the present day, including the ongoing investigation by the Danish government.
Placing the victims’ perspectives at the forefront, the narrative structure of Pavy’s project is shaped by these difficult and important reflections on the collective trauma experienced by a community. The series uses a variety of photographic formats; from situating shots of the city of Nuuk and its clinical spaces, to X-ray imagery and archival photographs of the young women involved, alongside recent portraits of victims and of doctors who worked in Greenland during and after the programme, to the Danish parliamentarian investigating the spiralkampagnen in the present day.
Commenting on her award, Pavy says: ‘I am truly honoured to be named the Photographer of the Year and for my work to be recognised among such a remarkable selection of projects and stories celebrated here tonight. With this Award I hope to give a voice to those who were silenced for almost half a century, and to all the women in the world who are constantly fighting for their rights. By telling this story, I want to raise awareness of the violence against Inuit women and the social and psychological repercussions of this forced contraception campaign, and the unintended sterilisation of many of its victims.’
Commenting on Pavy’s winning project, Monica Allende, Chair of the 2024 Professional Competition Jury says: ‘The Sony World Photography Awards jury lauded Juliette Pavy's empathetic portrayal of her subjects, capturing them in a manner that is both dignified and profoundly intimate, thereby highlighting her exceptional talent. Pavy's dedication to exposing the stark realities faced by marginalised communities, coupled with her compelling narrative approach, has not only earned her the prestigious recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards but also underscores the jury's belief in her potential and the importance of supporting her career trajectory.’

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