Young Performer Awards
On , the festival’s best young performers come back to the Main Hall for one more performance. Four awards are presented on the night.
The awards
- Young Dancer of the Year
- Young Musician of the Year
- Young Actor of the Year
- Young Performer of the Year, for the highest mark of the evening across all three
Each discipline winner receives a cup and £250. The Young Performer of the Year receives a second cup and another £250.
Who is invited
You can’t enter the awards directly. Six performers from each discipline, all aged 17 or under, are invited on the strength of their results at this year’s festival.
Dance
- Winner of the Senior Classical Aggregate Cup, aged 15 and over
- Winner of the Senior Cabaret Aggregate Cup, aged 15 and over
- Winner of the Classical Aggregate Cup, aged 13 and 14
- Winner of the Cabaret Aggregate Cup, aged 13 and 14
- Highest solo mark in the festival, aged 13 and over
- The adjudicator’s choice of senior performer
Music
- One string player, chosen by the adjudicator from any string class, including Open and Performance classes
- One wind player, chosen by the adjudicator from any wind class, including Open and Performance classes
- Two singers, chosen by the adjudicator from the Junior Vocal classes
- Two pianists, chosen by the adjudicator from any piano class, including Open and Performance classes
Speech and Drama
Enter at least three of the five solo classes: Acting, Shakespeare, Verse Speaking, Musical Theatre and Sonnet. Your three highest marks are averaged, and the six best averages are invited.
If someone qualifies in more than one discipline, they choose one. The next performer in the other discipline takes their place.
On the night
- Perform up to two of the pieces that earned your place.
- Five minutes at most, not counting your introduction. Going over costs a mark for every minute or part of a minute.
- The running order is drawn by lots on the evening.
- Musicians and speech and drama performers give the adjudicator a copy of their piece and introduce it. Dancers can introduce theirs if they wish.
- There’s nowhere to warm up in the Town Hall, so arrive ready.
Who judges
A panel of four: the festival’s Chair or Vice Chair, who chairs it, plus one adjudicator each from dance, music and speech and drama. Marks follow the same criteria as the rest of the festival and aren’t announced. If there’s a tie, the Chair has the casting vote.
Past winners
The awards began in 2025 and replaced the Nutland Competition. See the 2026 winners.