Unlocking Your Creative Potential: A Guide to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Are you a creative teen with a passion for art or writing? The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a prestigious recognition program established in 1923, could be your launchpad to recognition, publication, and even scholarships. This isn't just another competition; it's an opportunity to have your work judged blindly based on originality, skill, and voice. Past winners include creative icons like Andy Warhol, Stephen King, and Sylvia Plath, proving that this program has been a stepping stone for generations of influential artists and writers.

What are the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards aim to recognize teens for their creative talent. For the past 100 years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have been a space for teens to push boundaries and make waves with their creative pursuits. The program has served as a launch pad for generations of artists, writers, and professionals in a wide variety of industries, with many luminaries attributing their confidence to pursue their careers to the Awards.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards honor creativity, originality, and skill in a wide range of artistic categories. The Alliance is excited to announce that worldwide bestselling author and award-winning illustrator Dav Pilkey (Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, Captain Underpants) will underwrite the scholarships of 12 high school seniors for their outstanding portfolios-two Gold Medal Portfolio Award student scholarships worth $12,500 each as well as 10 Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolio Award student scholarships worth $2,000 each. As a young adult, Dav Pilkey, whose teacher encouraged him to illustrate and write books, won a national competition which led to the publication of his first picture book. He continued to make many acclaimed books for children before being awarded a Caldecott Honor.

What Kind of Work Can You Submit?

We know that “art and writing” can sound broad. So, what does that actually include? Think painting, sculpting, photography, poetry, and more-there’s a category for almost every creative passion. Territories and military bases, or Canada are invited to submit original work in any of the Awards’ 28 art and writing categories, including drawing and illustration, photography, flash fiction, poetry, film and animation, and journalism.

The Judging Process: Fair and Talented Hands

When it comes to selecting the winners of each award, Scholastic aims to make the process fair from the very beginning. Each submission will be judged blindly. This means the judges won’t know your name, background, age, gender, or race-your work will do all the talking. You can also trust that your work is in talented hands. All works are selected for Awards based on originality, skill, and the emergence of personal vision or voice and without knowledge of the student’s name, gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown. Works are reviewed first on a regional level by more than 100 local affiliates of the Alliance, and those that receive Gold Keys then are adjudicated nationally by an impressive panel of industry experts.

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How to Enter the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Entering the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a straightforward process, but it’s important to pay attention to the details to give yourself the best chance of success. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Territories. Homeschooled students and those in American schools abroad can also apply.
Choose your category: The competition features 28 categories, covering both writing (poetry, short stories, personal essays, journalism, and more) and visual art (painting, photography, sculpture, digital art, and more). You can enter as many categories as you want and submit multiple pieces. View a complete list of the categories here.
Once registered, you’ll upload your work and provide the required details, such as titles, descriptions, and artist/writer statements if needed.
Pay the submission fee (or apply for a waiver): There is a small fee per entry: $10 per individual submission and $30 per portfolio. Students who need financial assistance can also receive a fee waiver. Entry fees are $10 for individual entries and $30 for portfolios. Fees can be waived for any potential participant for whom the fee is a barrier for entry. Deadlines for entries vary by region.
Wait for judging results: Your work will first be judged at the regional level. If your work earns a Gold Key, it advances to national judging. National winners receive Gold or Silver Medals, scholarships, and possible publication or exhibition opportunities.

Regional and National Recognition

All entries are first submitted in your home region, where you can earn one of the following three recognitions: Honorable Mention, Silver Key, or Gold Key. If you progress to the national awards with a Gold Key, you have the opportunity to earn a Gold or Silver Medal. National Medalists are invited to celebrate at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This isn’t just your average celebration either-past guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer, Kelly Clarkson, and Zac Posen.

Before you can compete at the national level, your work first goes through the Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Every entry is automatically placed into a regional competition based on your school’s location, where it’s judged by local artists, writers, and educators. At this stage, your work is evaluated on originality, technical skill, and the strength of your personal voice. You can earn one of several honors:

Gold Key: The highest regional award for the best work in each category. Gold Key winners move on to national judging.
Silver Key: A strong honor recognizing exceptional work.
Honorable Mention: An award for pieces that show promise and creativity.
American Voices and American Visions Nominee: A special distinction and award opportunity for select students whose work stands out among all submissions.

Regional winners are announced between January and March, while national winners are revealed in March or early April.

Scholarship Opportunities

Participating in the awards can also help you win free money to pay for college. Winning a Scholastic Art & Writing Award can also lead to scholarships that support your creative journey. Here are the currently available scholarship opportunities.

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American Voices & Visions Award: This $500 scholarship recognizes outstanding creative work from each region in any category of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The award honors originality, skill, and a strong personal voice.The American Voices and American Visions Nominee is a special distinction and award opportunity for select students whose work stands out among all submissions.
The Flaunt It Award: This $2,000 scholarship celebrates teens who embrace what makes them unique and share their personal stories through art or writing. Winning educators also receive a $500 cash award. Do you have a personal story you’d like to share that makes you unique? If so, you could be a good candidate for The Flaunt It Award. Whether it’s through writing or art, you’ll need to explore the theme: “The things that make me different make me, me.” You’ll apply by entering the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and then opting in for this award.
The Herblock Award for Editorial Cartoon: This $2,000 scholarship, funded by The Herb Block Foundation, recognizes three students whose editorial cartoon art provides commentary on current events, social issues, or political topics. If you have a love for cartoons and exploring political topics, current events, or social issues, this award may be the perfect fit for you. To enter, submit your work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and select the Editorial Cartoon category.
New York Life Award: Funded by the New York Life Foundation, this scholarship provides $2,500 in scholarships or travel stipends to ten students whose work explores death, grief, and personal loss. This award is specifically for teens who use their art to depict death and personal grief. Grief is immensely personal and looks different for everyone who experiences it. Maybe your grief is challenging to talk about, so you express your feelings through art. If this resonates with you, apply by submitting your work in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and then opt in for the New York Life Award. New York Life Award: Underwritten by the New York Life Foundation, this award recognizes six students on the national level with $1,000 scholarships for their work exploring personal grief, loss, and bereavement, and their educators with $250 awards.
Portfolio Scholarships: The Portfolio Awards offer $12,500 scholarships to Gold Medal Portfolio winners and $2,000 scholarships to Silver Medal Portfolio winners. Graduating seniors can submit a collection of six works in the Art Portfolio or Writing Portfolio categories. Each submission must include: An artist or writer statement (100-500 words) A personal statement (100-500 words) If you are submitting a writing or art portfolio as a high school senior, then you could be considered for the Portfolio Scholarships. The personal statement prompt is: “Write about you! The writer/artist statement prompt is: “Write about your creative process: How did you select the works in your portfolio?
Best-in-Grade Award: Sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Best-in-Grade Award honors 24 students at the national level (two in art and two in writing per grade, grades 7-12) with $500 scholarships. This award honors 24 teens (two from art and two from writing in each grade, 7-12).
Summer Scholarships: The Scholastic Awards Summer (SAS) Scholarship Program provides full-tuition scholarships for recognized Scholastic Art & Writing Awards winners to attend summer art or writing programs. Anyone who wins a Gold or Silver Key is eligible to apply for the SAS scholarship. This scholarship is unique because you don’t have to apply for multiple summer programs. Instead, if you are selected, Scholastic will place you into a program that works best for you.

The Significance of Winning

Yep! Winning a Scholastic Art & Writing Award (especially a Gold Key or National Medal) demonstrates talent, dedication, and creativity, which can strengthen your college applications. Winning at the regional level is also a big deal! One of the most exciting parts of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the chance to see your work on display in exhibitions across the country. Whether your piece is showcased in your region, New York City, or museums nationwide, these exhibitions celebrate your creativity and give your work the audience it deserves. Every year, select national winners have their work featured in the National Exhibition, a major showcase in New York City. National Medalists may also be invited to a special award ceremony in New York City in June.

Recipients may have their work published in anthologies showcasing stories, essays, and poetry by teen authors, and highlighting paintings, photographs, drawings, and other works by teen artists.

What Makes Your Work Stand Out?

Originality: Trust in your own ability to create something great.
Skill: We’re not just talking about your flawless brush strokes or polished prose.
Voice and Vision: What makes your work uniquely you?

Key Dates and Deadlines

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards open every fall. New York, NY - September 7, 2022 - The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship program for creative teens, has officially opened the 100th annual call for submissions. Deadlines for entries vary by region. The National Medalists of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards will be announced in March 2023, and throughout the spring the Alliance will host a series of virtual and in-person celebrations for students, families, and educators, culminating with the summer launch of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Traveling Exhibition, a touring public exhibition featuring select 2023 National Medalists’ works.

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