Each year, photographers from around the globe submit their most captivating works to compete in the Sony World Photography Awards. From minutiae in everyday life to rare glimpses into remote subcultures, these images represent the very best in contemporary photography.

For the 2014 awards, the World Photography Organization received a total of 139,544 submission from 166 countries --the highest number of entries in the competition's seven-year history.

All of the shortlisted photographs will be presented at Somerset House in London from May 1 through May 18, and the winners of this year's Sony World Photography Awards will be announced at the Gala Ceremony on April 30 in London.