The World Photography Organization has announced the finalist shortlist for the Sony World Photography Awards 2015. For the three categories of Open, Professional and Youth, the organization received a record number of submissions of 173,444 photographs from 171 countries worldwide.Covering a wide range of subjects — with everything from the environment, wildlife and dance, to current affairs and social issues — the selected photographs depict anything from a serendipitous shot of a cat in mid-air, to more poignant compositions such as an Ukrainian protestor playing the piano atop some barricades during last year’s historic protests in Kiev.