The below FAQ contains information related to the 2026 national arts competition cycle.
About YoungArts
YoungArts identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom.
To be eligible for YoungArts programs, you must be a current or past YoungArts award winner. The prestigious annual arts competition is open to emerging artists ages 15–18, or in grades 10–12.
Audiences have numerous opportunities throughout the year to experience the work of current and past award winners.
YoungArts is a national organization with office headquarters in Miami at the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Street, in the former Bacardi Tower and Museum buildings. YoungArts acquired these landmark buildings in October 2012 and has since converted the buildings into a campus with offices, and performance and exhibition spaces.
While headquartered in Miami, YoungArts also presents programming in a growing number of cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
YoungArts does not offer classes to the public. YoungArts programs are for current and past award winners and include classes with notable guest artists in their fields. For information about applying, visit youngarts.org/apply.
YoungArts funds the programs it operates to support award winners. This includes direct grants for award winners and support of residencies, and other opportunities for award winners with partner organizations.
You can donate to YoungArts online or by contacting us at advancement@youngarts.org or 305-377-1140, extension 1802. Thank you for supporting YoungArts and investing in the future of the arts.
Yes. Donations to YoungArts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and are determined by the value of the goods or services received. Donate today.
If you are a professional artist interested in serving as a guest artist with YoungArts, please email your cover letter and CV and/or resume to programsteam@youngarts.org.
Application Submission Process
The deadline for the 2026 application cycle is Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. To be considered for the competition, you must complete, upload, and submit all of your materials according to the requirements for the discipline/category in which you are applying by the deadline (this includes processing payment or submitting a fee waiver document if applicable).
Eligible artists apply to the YoungArts competition through an online application and requires an audition or portfolio, and payment of an application fee or fee waiver documentation. Please refer to the discipline and category guidelines by visiting youngarts.org/apply.
Artists in grades 10–12 or ages 15–18 on December 1, 2025 may apply. Applicants must be either a United States citizen, a permanent resident or be legally able to receive taxable income in the U.S. (i.e. have a US social security number). Award winners who have previously attended National YoungArts Week may not apply under any discipline or category. There are no exceptions to these guidelines.
The application asks for basic contact information and education information. Each discipline and category has its own media submission requirements. Please visit the youngarts.org/apply for your discipline’s specific requirements (i.e. Classical Music, Dance, Design, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing).
Award winners who did not attend National YoungArts Week are eligible to re-apply in any discipline and category provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. Award winners who previously attended National YoungArts Week may not reapply, under any discipline or category.
The YoungArts competition includes ten disciplines across the visual, literary and performing arts. They are Classical Music, Dance, Design, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing. Some disciplines also have specific categories. Please visit youngarts.org/apply for more information.
Yes, you may apply in as many disciplines and categories as you would like. Please note that there is an application fee for each application you submit. If you qualify for a fee waiver, the documentation must be uploaded into each application in order for your fees to be waived.
The application fee for applying to YoungArts is $35. Your application fee helps to offset the administrative costs of running the annual national arts competition. If you submit multiple applications across disciplines or categories, there is a $35 fee for each. If you are unable to pay $35, you may upload a letter of request per the instructions in the following question and your fees will automatically be waived.
Fee waivers are available to applicants, which covers the $35 application fee. To have your fee waived, a letter from a parent, guardian, teacher, counselor, or principal can be uploaded in the application. If you are 18 years old and unable to obtain a letter from any of the above-listed people, you may submit one yourself within the application.
The letter should simply state “(Applicant’s name) is in need of waiving the $35 fee for their application” along with the name of who wrote the letter and relationship to the applicant. The letter does not need to be on letterhead and does not need to include a reason why.
The letter must be uploaded as a PDF, DOC or JPEG and submitted with the online application; we are not able to accept waivers via email. Fees will automatically be waived at check-out.
Materials are uploaded as part of the online application process. Please Note: Even small files may take some time to upload. Please do not wait until deadline day! Make sure you have ample time to complete the uploading process by the deadline.
While you will not be disqualified, it is recommended that you either edit out or remove your name from videos and/or artwork wherever possible to ensure a fair adjudication process. This includes credits within films.
As a policy, YoungArts cannot comment on specific pieces, as part of the application process is choosing materials that show your strengths as an artist while meeting each of the requirements. We recommend following the guidelines as closely as possible and using your best judgement. Please note, if you do not follow the guidelines, you are doing so at your own risk. You may visit our website and/or YouTube page to see examples of past winner’s pieces that have been presented to the public.
Submitted applications are kept confidential, but you can view past winner’s published anthologies via our website and performances on our YouTube page.
You may submit work that has been previously published or sent to other competitions. We do not require exclusivity of our applicant’s work and YoungArts does not own copyright of any submitted work. If you become a winner, we do have the right to publish or use pieces in promotional materials.
Yes, if you opt into the YoungArts Student List Service in your application, YoungArts will share your contact information (name, address and email, and the name and address of your secondary educational institution) and your submission media materials with the selected colleges, conservatories and universities that participate in this program. YoungArts does not share phone numbers, parent/guardian contact information, educator contact information or citizenship information. You may get emails and/or postal mail from these institutions. Contact from colleges, conservatories and universities that participate in the YoungArts Student List Service does not guarantee your acceptance into an educational institution.
If you still have questions or specific inquiries about your discipline/category, please email us at apply@youngarts.org.
Adjudication
Notification and Awards
YoungArts award winners will be notified via the email address provided in the application. Award winners with distinction will also receive a follow-up phone call via the contact information provided in their application. All award winners will be announced on the official winners list posted on our website.
Applicants who have not been awarded, but who qualify for YoungArts’ feedback program (see next question regarding feedback), will also be notified of their status via email. Applicants who have not been awarded and are not eligible for feedback will not receive a notification.
YoungArts provides feedback on applications that meet the following criteria: (1) the application reached the last round of the adjudication process; (2) the application was not awarded; and (3) the applicant will be eligible to reapply in the following application cycle. If eligible, applicants will be notified via email and provided with constructive suggestions in spring 2026 from the judges who reviewed their materials.
YoungArts recognizes hundreds of the most promising artists with national awards each year. Beyond award designation, winners have the opportunity to participate in life-changing programs that consist of learning experiences with some of the most accomplished artists in each of our ten disciplines. They are able to connect with a rich network of peers and showcase work through performances and exhibitions. Joining a 20,000-strong network of past award winners, artists connect with peers who have attended many of the top universities and conservatories across the country and have become leading professionals in their fields. The following section highlights specifics related to each award level designation.
Recognition Levels
YoungArts Award: The YoungArts Award recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong sense of artistry; and a depth of thinking/performance that exceeds the level of peers at this career stage. YoungArts award winners receive a monetary award of $250.
YoungArts Award With Distinction: The YoungArts Award With Distinction recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong, sophisticated, nuanced, and clear artistic point of view; and a depth of thinking/performance that far exceeds the level of peers at this career stage. Winners at this level are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week and will have their work further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000. If an award winner with distinction is unable to participate in National YoungArts Week, they will receive a monetary amount of $500. Award winners with distinction who attend National YoungArts Week and meet the eligibility requirements are also considered for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
In addition to monetary awards, all winners receive a lifetime of creative and professional support, and access to YoungArts Post—a private, online portal for YoungArts artists to connect, share their work and discover new opportunities.
U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts (PSA) recognizes achievement in the arts as part of the U.S. Presidential Scholars program.* Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Scholars program celebrates 161 outstanding high school seniors each June.
YoungArts is the exclusive pathway to the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistically talented high school seniors. Each year, up to 60 YoungArts award winners who attend National YoungArts Week in January are nominated to the Presidential Scholars Commission of which 20 are selected as Arts Scholars.
If you are chosen to participate in National YoungArts Week before you meet the grade level requirement for Presidential Scholar nomination, you will have the opportunity for consideration in the year you become a graduating high school senior. At that time, you will submit updated portfolio/audition materials and answer essay questions to be considered by the current year’s National Selection Panel during the adjudication process. Additionally, award winners with distinction must meet the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program GPA and citizenship requirements.
*For further information on the U.S. Presidential Scholar Program including application guidelines, academic requirements, etc., please visit their website (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp).
Yes. Our panel may select winners to be awarded for multiple levels in multiple disciplines and categories. YoungArts will recognize you in all disciplines and categories for which you were selected.
If you were selected to attend National YoungArts Week in more than one discipline or category, you will be required to select the discipline or category in which you would like to participate; you will be honored in the other discipline or category and will receive a monetary award of $500.
All 2026 competition winners and winners with distinction must complete the Artist Resource Collective financial literacy program for young artists (YoungARC) in order to receive their cash award. Classes are broken into 20-minute blocks, totaling 3.5 hours of instruction. Further directions will be provided in notification emails for winners and winners with distinction.
Yes. High schools may submit a request to education@youngarts.org to receive an engraved plaque for them to display that includes the names of all YoungArts award winners from that school in a given year.
Yes, if you opt into the YoungArts Student List Service in your application, YoungArts will share your contact information (name, address and email, and the name and address of your secondary educational institution) and your submission media materials with the selected colleges, conservatories and universities that participate in this program. YoungArts does not share phone numbers, parent/guardian contact information, educator contact information or citizenship information. You may get emails and/or postal mail from these institutions. Contact from colleges, conservatories and universities that participate in the YoungArts Student List Service does not guarantee your acceptance into an educational institution.
YoungArts Programs
National YoungArts Week is an intensive program held in Miami for award winners with distinction to collaborate with peers across 10 disciplines, develop their craft with internationally recognized leaders in their fields and create lifelong connections.
2026 award winners at all levels are invited to participate in YoungArts Lab in Los Angeles, CA and New York City, NY. Dates are to be determined. Participants are chosen by lottery. Please note that while award winners at all levels are welcome to enter the lottery, preference is given to winners who did not attend National YoungArts Week.
All award winners receive access to YoungArts Post, a free, private online platform for award winners to connect, share their work, access professional development resources and discover new creative opportunities.
Opportunities include skills-building workshops, masterclasses, residencies and professional opportunities designed to help advance artists’ careers and build their networks. Additionally, we support the creative process by providing emerging and mid-career artists with space, funding and resources to encourage their artistic practice and experimentation.
Many YoungArts programs, such as National YoungArts Week, are designed to take advantage of the deep collaboration, learning, community-building and experimentation that takes place in person. While we highly encourage in-person participation for these programs, we recognize that travel may introduce complications for some individuals.
Our goal is to provide an equitable and meaningful experience for all selected participants. If you’re applying to our national arts competition and have concerns about potential travel, please contact us at apply@youngarts.org. If you have already been selected to attend an in-person program and have concerns about travel, please contact us at winner@youngarts.org.
YoungArts retains on-site nurses and mental healthcare professionals to address the wellbeing of all participants. Should a medical need require further care, nurses will accompany participants for doctor, urgent care or hospital visits. All selected participants must complete an advance questionnaire including a list of conditions, allergies, dietary restrictions, and medications prior to attending the program.
While many of our events are family-friendly, often times the human form, clothed and unclothed, as well as strong language, is included in the artistic material presented. Use your discretion when deciding whether a particular event or performance is suitable for your children. If you have questions about the nature of a specific event or performance, please call 305-722-5327.
YoungArts Community
All award winners are eligible for a lifetime of support. This includes anyone who has been named a YoungArts winner since 1981, whether they have participated in a YoungArts program or not.
Our community is made up of over 20,000 past award winners, many of whom are gifted artists and have attended top colleges, universities and conservatories across the country and have become leading professionals in their fields. Others have chosen more unconventional paths such as creating their own programs, performance spaces, publishing houses, dance companies and more to explore their artistry and push the boundaries of their practice. From Juilliard to Harvard, New York City Ballet and Alvin Ailey Dance Company, exhibiting at the Venice Biennale, making The New York Times Best Seller list and creating their own artistic spaces and practices, YoungArts award winners are present in artistic circles around the world, and serve as leaders and creative thinkers who redefine the way that art and culture is created, experienced and appreciated.
The YoungArts community is here to provide individual support for every past winner to reach their full potential in their artistic careers. We also foster the community as a whole, bringing together artists from different participation years and disciplines to encourage networking and collaboration.
To learn more, set-up a profile and/or visit YoungArts Post—a free, private, online platform designed for award winners to connect, share their work and discover new opportunities. Access to applications for residencies, grants, performance and exhibition opportunities, temporary work with programs and exclusive offerings from YoungArts’ cultural partners are all available on YoungArts Post.