Pangolins in Crisis: Brent Stirton, South Africa; 1st place, Natural world and wildlife. “Pangolins are the world’s most illegally trafficked mammals, with an estimated one million trafficked to Asia in the last 10 years. Their scales are used in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine, and their meat is sold as a high-priced delicacy. As a result, pangolins are listed as critically endangered and anyone who trades or consumes them is breaking the law. This body of work exposes the trade, while exploring aspects of illegality and celebrating the people who are trying to save these animals”. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Sony World Photography Awards 2020)

Getting it done. Felicity, an athlete at an amateur weightlifting competition in a small local gym. (Photo by Clinton Bradbury/Women in Sport Photo Action Awards 2021)

Georgie Bain takes a selfie with her horse in “Best Friends” in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, Date Unknown. For the first time, the founders of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have launched a photography award show giving proud pet owners a chance to show off their quirky pets. (Photo by Georgie Bain/Barcroft Images/Comedy Pet Photography Awards)

Shortlisted images in the running to be crowned Photobox Instagram photograph of the year range from furry friends to the Holi festival to the meaning of love. Judges, including the Guardian’s former picture editor Eamonn McCabe, have whittled down 180,000 submissions to unearth a shortlist that celebrates the best of social media. Winners will be announced October 3, 2018. Here: Najac, France. Travel shortlist. (Photo by Aaron Jenkin/@aaronjenkin)

Sport category, winner: Yuan Peng. Liu Bingqing and Liu Yujie are twin sisters who have studied and trained in gymnastics since their early childhood in Jining, China. (Photo by Yuan Peng/Sony World Photography Awards)

Kacey Musgraves performs at the 49th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo)

The Arcaid awards highlight the best architectural photographs of the year – pictures of everything from giant arenas to tiny huts. The shortlisted photographs will be exhibited at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin, from 16 to 18 November, with an overall winner announced during the event’s gala dinner. Here: The stage for Haduwa Arts & Culture Institute, Ghana. Architect: (applied) Foreign Affairs. Nominated in the Sense of Place category. The open-air auditorium of this arts institute in Apam, Ghana, is built from ultra-strong curved bamboo. (Photo by Julien Lanoo)

Anton Unitsyn, Russia. Shortlist, Professional , Daily Life. Parkour jumpers on their daily training. On the background – one of the main Solvychegodsk sights – Blagoveshchensky Cathedral. This church is among 3 churches, that survived soviet times. At the begining of 20th century there were 13 churches in Solvichegodsk. After breakdown of the communism, Solvichegodsk as many small towns in russia is stuck in it's past. Despite everything, people in Solvichegodsk still belive in their positive future, and wait for wind of change. (Photo by Anton Unitsyn/Sony World Photography Awards)