Sony World Photography Awards Cannes 2008: Professional Finalists Announced - With just ten days until the Awards ceremony, the professional finalists are announced in the ultimate judging stage of the Sony World Photography Awards. Three professional photographers in each of the eleven categories will wait in anticipation to find out who has won the prestigious title of ‘Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year’, to be announced at the Gala Evening and Awards Presentation at the Palais des Festivals, Cannes on 24th April. The 33 finalists are a true representation of the international scope of the awards, covering a broad range of countries including Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, UK, India, Russia, Chile, US, Brazil, Bangladesh, Mexico and Turkey amongst others. These selected professional finalists will travel to Cannes to attend the VIP event where the overall winner and category winners will be announced, awarded the L’iris d’or and receive their $25,000 prize. Each of the category winners will also be presented with their awards by members of the World Photographic Academy, comprised of the industry’s global elite including Tom Stoddart, Martine Franck, Bob Willoughby, Elliott Erwitt, Delly Carr and Stephen Cohen.