Recognition
We celebrate creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships.
Regional Awards
All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Voices Nominee, and American Visions Nominee awards. These are presented to students along with celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region.
National Awards
Gold Key-awarded entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards.
A list of all of the National Medalists is published on our website each spring.
American Voices & Visions Award
The American Visions Award for art and the American Voices Award for writing are prestigious honors that represent each region of the Scholastic Awards. The Awards’ core values of originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision are key factors in the selection process. Additionally, regional jurors may consider various elements that showcase talent and diversity, such as different mediums, viewpoints, and backgrounds.
Jurors from each region can select up to five works to be American Visions or Voices Award Nominees. To be nominated for the American Visions or Voices Award, participants must first earn a Gold Key in their region. These nominated works are then reviewed by national judges to receive American Visions or Voices Medals.
One nominee from each region will be selected to receive a National American Visions or Voices Medal. Affiliate Partners that manage both art and writing regions will have two participants selected for this award: one for the American Visions Medal and one for the American Voices Medal.
National Ceremony
National Medalists and their educators are honored with a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Recent special guests include Oprah Winfrey, Tim Gunn, Alec Baldwin, Tituss Burgess, Amy Schumer, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Posen, Mayim Bialik, Tschabalala Self, Nick Cannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Derek Luke, Kinsale Drake, Tina Fey, and Rose Byrne.
Highlights from previous years and full-length videos of our most recent ceremonies are available to watch online.
Exhibitions
Regional, national, and traveling exhibitions showcase selections of award-winning student work each year.
Publications
Selections of student work are highlighted in the annual art catalog and writing anthology publications, and a list of all National Medalists is included in the Yearbook.
Scholarships
National Medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $12,500.