A shortlist of 186 photographers has been revealed by Sony for its World Photography Awards final stages.

Initially, there were 25,370 amateur photographer entries and 36,546 entries from professional photographers, which were whittled down by a collection of publishers, curators, photographers and critics.

The event’s organiser, Astrid Merget, says, "The quality and level of photographers this year has risen greatly and we are thrilled to see many top names as well as excellent new talent on the shortlist. Every one of the shortlisted photographers should be very proud to have been recognised by such an esteemed jury".

The finalists come from 43 different countries and the professionals have entered their pictures in one of three genre categories: Photojournalism and Documentary, Fine Art, and Commercial. The amateur entrants have entered their photos in one of eight categories, including fashion, music and architecture.

The overall professional winner will win $25,000 and Sony camera equipment, while the amateur winner will receive $5,000 and the camera equipment.

The winners will be announced on 16 April at a ceremony in Cannes, where the photographs will also be exhibited between 14 and 19 April.

If you're an amateur photographer who would love to improve their skills and enter next year, take a look at our new photography DVD training course.