About

SAVE THE DATE | Creative Youth Awards submissions open October 15th

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Let’s build creative confidence together.

The Creative Youth Awards (CYA) is an annual program founded by the Bay Area Creative Foundation to celebrate, cultivate, and inspire creativity in youth and young adults.

The Awards are an opportunity for San Francisco Bay Area high school students to submit original artworks and performances across a range of creative disciplines, including visual art, film, music, dance, photography, and writing.

Since our inaugural 2021 event, over 6,890 creative works have been submitted and $404,000 in cash awards have been distributed directly to students.

Awards & Recognition

$1,000

Presidential

$1,000

Creative Artist

$500

Exceptional

$200

Superior

$100

Special

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CYA Artists are featured in our online Creative Gallery and have the opportunity to receive cash awards. In addition, all qualified artist applicants receive a free year membership to MasterClass, the premier online learning platform that streams lessons delivered by recognized masters of their craft.

The CYA culminates in the Creative Youth Celebration, a full-day ceremony recognizing the achievements of our artists.

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Review Process

Establishing a review process that evaluates submissions on the creative spark and process, rather than on technical skill alone, was critical to our mission. To that end, all artwork is carefully reviewed by arts professionals who evaluate submissions using a point-scale with established criteria. Panelists’ scores are averaged to determine awards and individualized feedback is given to top awardees.

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Real Deal Panelists

More than 100 Emmy Award-winning composers, distinguished photographers, documentary film producers, and Academy Award winning artists from Pixar studios have participated in CYA Review Panels. Submissions are reviewed by panels of seasoned creative industry leaders who share our dedication to inspiring a new generation of creative talent.