Key Takeaways

• High school students can enter national art contests such as the YoungArts National Arts Competition, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and the Congressional Art Competition, as well as photography, music composition, and conservation art contests.
• YoungArts accepts applications from artists ages 15 to 18, or in grades 10 to 12, in the United States in 10 disciplines, and the 2028 YoungArts application opens in summer 2027.
• The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards accept work from students in grades 7 to 12 (ages 13 and up) in 29 categories, and the 2027 awards opened for entries on October 1, 2026.
• The Sony World Photography Awards Youth Competition, Bow Seat, Science Without Borders, and the National Young Composers Challenge are free to enter, while the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards charge $15 per individual entry and $40 per portfolio.
• Prizes include YoungArts cash awards from $250 to $10,000, Scholastic national scholarships from $500 to $12,500, $1,000 for each winning orchestral composer in the National Young Composers Challenge, Bow Seat cash awards up to $1,000, and Science Without Borders scholarships up to $500.
• Deadlines in the coming months include the first regional Scholastic deadline on December 1, 2026, the Sony Youth Competition deadline on January 5, 2027, and the Science Without Borders deadline on March 1, 2027.

1. YoungArts National Arts Competition

The YoungArts National Arts Competition is a national competition for artists ages 15 to 18, or in grades 10 to 12, who are based in the United States. YoungArts accepts applications in 10 disciplines: classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, and writing. Panels of artists evaluate applications in multiple rounds of review, and award winners receive cash awards from $250 to $10,000, access to the YoungArts Post portal, and invitations to programs such as National YoungArts Week. The 2027 application closed on October 6, 2026, and the 2028 application opens in summer 2027.

2. Alliance for Young Artists & Writers – Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards accept work from students in grades 7 to 12 (ages 13 and up) in 29 categories of art and writing, including painting, photography, digital art, and sculpture. Entries are judged regionally first, and regional Gold Key winners advance to national judging. Awards include exhibitions, publication, and national scholarships from $500 to $12,500, and entry fees are $15 per individual entry and $40 per portfolio. Indigo Research explains how the regional awards work in its guide to Scholastic Gold Key.

The 2027 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards opened for entries on October 1, 2026, and the first regional deadline is December 1, 2026, with some regions closing as late as January 6, 2027. The Scholastic Awards permit AI to aid the creative process, such as brainstorming, but they deem ineligible any entered work whose final product is itself AI-generated. Alumni include the photographer Richard Avedon (1941), the poet Sylvia Plath (1947), and the director Lena Dunham (1999).

3. Sony World Photography Awards – Youth Competition

The Sony World Photography Awards – Youth Competition is a free photography competition for photographers aged 19 and under on the closing date. Entrants submit up to three images related to the year’s theme, and entrants under 16 need the consent of a parent or legal guardian. A judging panel shortlists up to 10 photographers, and the overall winner receives the Youth Photographer of the Year title and Sony digital imaging equipment. The 2027 competition runs from June 1, 2026 to January 5, 2027.

4. Congressional Art Competition

The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide competition for high school students that Members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor each spring. Each participating Member of Congress runs a competition for the students in the Member’s district and sets that competition’s deadline, which ranged from March 23 to April 27 in 2026. The winning artwork from each district is displayed for about a year in the Cannon Tunnel that leads to the U.S. Capitol. Students find their district with the House.gov Find Your Representative tool, and district winners are invited to a reception in Washington, DC.

5. The National Young Composers Challenge (NYCC)

The National Young Composers Challenge is a free annual competition for composers ages 13 to 18 who live in the United States. Entrants submit an original composition for a small ensemble of 2 to 6 instruments or for full orchestra, and judges choose the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra performs and records the winning pieces at the NYCC Composium, where each orchestral winner receives $1,000 and each ensemble winner receives $500. The score deadline for the 2026-27 cycle was October 1, 2026, and the next Composium takes place on April 18, 2027.

6. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation – Global Canvas Children’s Art Competition

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) runs the Global Canvas Children’s Art Competition, a free international contest founded in 2004 by the wildlife artist David Shepherd for children and young people aged 4 to 16. Individuals and groups of two or more are judged separately in the age categories 4 to 7, 8 to 11, and 12 to 16, and each year’s entries interpret a conservation theme such as “The Book of Life” in 2026. First, second, and third place winners receive a voucher for art supplies. Entries for the 2026 contest were accepted from September 30, 2025 to February 19, 2026.

7. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

The Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest is a free international contest for students ages 11 to 18, with a Junior Division for ages 11 to 14 and a Senior Division for ages 15 to 18. Students respond to an annual theme through visual art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, performing arts, or interactive and multimedia work, and each entry includes a written reflection and the contact details of an adult sponsor. Cash awards go up to $1,000, and Bow Seat features winning work in its online gallery. The 2026 contest, themed “Your Story, Our Ocean,” closed on June 8, 2026, and Bow Seat lists current dates on its website.

8. NASA Langley Student Art Contest

The NASA Langley Student Art Contest is an annual contest for students in grades K-12 who attend public, private, parochial, or home schools in the United States. NASA’s Langley Research Center asks students to draw, paint, or design their vision of science, aeronautics, and exploration, and the theme of the 2025 contest was “Our Wonder Changes the World.” Each student may submit one entry, a parent or legal guardian submits it, and teachers may also submit student work. Winners receive certificates and a NASA Exploration Package of posters, pens, stickers, patches, and lapel pins, and the 2025 submission period ran from December 1 to December 31, 2024.

9. Embracing Our Differences Art Exhibition

Embracing Our Differences runs an annual international juried outdoor exhibition, and its call for art is open worldwide to artists and writers of all ages, including students, with no submission fee. Each year 50 selected works on the theme “embracing our differences” are reproduced as billboard-size images that are displayed in parks in Sarasota and St. Petersburg, Florida from mid-January through April. The cash awards include a $2,000 Best-in-Show Student award that is split with the student’s school program, plus awards for Best-in-Show Adult and People’s Choice. The call for the 2027 exhibition closed on July 1, 2026.

10. Wildlife Forever’s Fish Art Contest

The Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest is a conservation art contest for students in grades K-12, and many states run their own version with agencies such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Students choose a fish species, research it, and create original artwork, and students in grade 4 and above also write a one-page creative piece about the fish. Rules vary by state: Florida requires handmade two-dimensional artwork, while Minnesota accepts digital submissions. State first-place winners can advance to Wildlife Forever’s national judging, and the Florida 2026-27 contest accepts entries through February 28, 2027.

11. Teen Ink Contests

Teen Ink is a national magazine and website that publishes writing, art, and photography by teens ages 13 to 19. Teens can submit their work to Teen Ink, and Teen Ink lists its current contests on its contests page.

12. The Science Without Borders Challenge: International Student Art Contest

The Science Without Borders Challenge is a free international art contest run by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation for students ages 11 to 19 who are enrolled in primary or secondary school (or the homeschool equivalent), judged in the age groups 11 to 14 and 15 to 19. Students submit original two-dimensional artwork created by hand, such as a painting or a drawing, about an annual ocean conservation theme, and a teacher or art instructor must vouch for each application. Winners in each age group receive scholarships of up to $500, and the foundation also offers a People’s Choice Award. The 2027 theme is “Navigate with Care,” and entries are due on March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM Eastern.

13. Artists Magazine Annual Artists to Watch Competition

The Artists Magazine Annual Artists to Watch Competition is intended for emerging artists of any age, but entrants must be at least 16 years old and of the age of majority where they live, so students who have not reached the age of majority cannot enter. Entry fees range from $15 to $40 depending on Artists Network membership and the deadline. The five category top winners each receive a $50 gift card, a one-year Artists Network membership worth $99.99, and a digital award-winner badge, and all prize winners are featured in Artists Magazine and on ArtistsNetwork.com. The entry period of the 5th annual competition closed on April 16, 2026.

14. Doodle for Google

Doodle for Google is Google’s annual art contest for students in grades K-12 in the United States, in which students create their own Google Doodle based on a yearly theme. The 2025-26 contest accepted entries from October 15 to December 2025, and each of the five finalists received a $10,000 college scholarship, a Chromebook, and a Doodle on the Google homepage. The National Winner received an additional $45,000 scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for the winner’s school. Google had not posted dates for the next contest as of October 24, 2026, and Indigo Research’s guide to winning Doodle for Google covers the rules and tips.

15. Young Writers Project Visual Art Contests

Young Writers Project (YWP) runs seasonal visual art contests for teens ages 13 to 19 who have a free YWP account. Recent contests accepted painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media, awarded three $50 prizes, and published the winners in YWP’s magazine The Voice. Entries must be original work that is not published elsewhere, and YWP does not allow AI.

Art Contest Deadlines at a Glance

Each contest in this guide runs on its own calendar, and several of them have deadlines between October and March. This table lists the dates confirmed on official pages.

Conclusion

Entering high school art competitions can greatly impact your journey as a young artist. It will give you a chance to be recognized and to receive valuable scholarship, mentorship, or career opportunities in creative industries. It’s important to note that preparing for art competitions does not just require great artistic talent; you also need to have a compelling idea and narrative behind your piece. Investing in research programs will give you more exposure to art history, and cross-cultural perspectives that can help you develop and refine the themes of your projects. 

If you are looking for new opportunities to prepare for art competitions for high school students, you may consider Indigo Research. Here at Indigo Research, we allow students the opportunity to fuse their creativity with research and produce compelling artwork. In this program, students from across the globe can complete independent research projects in art. With the help of professional tutors and access to a great number of academic sources, you'll be able to approach chosen subjects critically and analyze them from a scholarly perspective.