National Art Competition

YoungArts is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1981 by Ted and Lin Arison to support young artists in the United States. With headquarters in Miami and programming extended to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., YoungArts identifies exceptional young artists across a range of disciplines and supports them with financial awards, performance and exhibition opportunities, and professional development experiences. The organization hosts an annual arts competition open to artists aged 15 to 18 or students in grades 10 through 12. The YoungArts Competition accepts applications in ten artistic disciplines: Classical Music, Dance, Design, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice, and Writing. Each discipline has updated submission requirements for the 2026 cycle, and applicants are encouraged to review the specific requirements for their selected discipline carefully. Notably, Dance and Voice applicants now have more flexibility, with unified requirements and the opportunity to self-identify their category. The application process opens on July 22, 2025, and closes on October 8, 2025, at 8 PM ET. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or legally permitted to receive taxable income in the United States. Additionally, applicants must be aged 15–18 or in grades 10–12 as of December 1, 2025. Prior awardees who have already attended National YoungArts Week are not eligible to reapply. Applicants submit their materials online, which include personal information, discipline-specific audition or portfolio content, and either a $35 application fee or a fee waiver letter. Multiple submissions across disciplines are allowed, each requiring its own fee or waiver. The adjudication process is conducted through multiple review rounds by a national pool of discipline-specific artists. Submissions are judged on merit alone, and YoungArts does not provide feedback on application materials. Winners with distinction will be invited to attend National YoungArts Week, scheduled for January 4–11, 2026 (with Voice discipline attendees arriving January 3). All 2026 winners and winners with distinction are required to complete the Artist Resource Collective (YoungARC) financial literacy program, comprising 3.5 hours of instruction, in order to receive their monetary awards. Additional programming, including YoungArts Labs in Los Angeles and New York City, will also be available to winners, with dates to be announced. For questions or further details about the application or competition process, applicants are encouraged to visit the YoungArts website or contact the organization directly. Donations to YoungArts are tax-deductible, and the organization is supported through contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government entities.

Applicants are encouraged to submit early. Requirements for each discipline have been updated; careful review is recommended.