How do I enter work in PYAA?
Start as early as possible!
2026 Competition's New Format
Starting in 2026, PYAA will have four seasons, each season its own competition. In each of the four seasons, students will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals. In addition, Honorable Mentions will be awarded. Please see below for our judging criteria. These awards will be named after the season in which it was won, e.g. “Season 1 Gold Medal Winner.”
Any and all students who receive at least 1 Gold Medal from a minimum of two seasons, will be considered for the Annual Competition. In the Annual Competition, Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals will be awarded in a separate competition using the same judging criteria relative to the Annual Competition participant pool. Winners will be named PYAA Annual Medal Winners, e.g. “PYAA Annual Silver Medal Winner, 2026.”
Students and Teachers of students who win Annual Medals will receive recognition on our site and other media.
The Four Seasons
Season 1: “Change” – Opens January 1, 2026 / deadline March 15, 2026 / results by April 10, 2026.
Season 2: “Voice” – Opens April 1, 2026 / deadline June 15, 2026 / results by July 10, 2026.
Season 3: “Belong” – Opens July 1, 2026 / deadline September 15, 2026 / results by October 15, 2026.
Season 4: “Rainbow” – Opens October 1, 2026 / deadline December 15, 2026 / results by January 10, 2027.
Participating
Enter as often as you like. Entries must be submitted as JPG digital files online using our entry form during the Entry Period. Files under 5MB are more likely to upload properly. Entrants should be prepared to send a hi-resolution print-quality.
Start creating!
PYAA looks for original works that show cultivated proficiency, artistry, technical skill, and work that expresses students’ individualistic, creative voices and visions. Once you have created your work(s), you may then upload your submissions and fill out the form here.
Eligibility Requirements
- Participants must be currently enrolled in high school (grades 9–12 or equivalent) at the time of submission. Geographic location or nationality is not considered.
- Entrants must be 13 years of age or older.
- All submissions must be the original work of the student. Entries that contain plagiarized or AI-generated content will be disqualified.
- Work must have been created within the current or previous academic year.
- A valid teacher contact (name and school email) must be provided with each entry.
- Parental or guardian consent is required for all participants under 18 years of age.
- Entry fees must be submitted at the time of entry unless a fee waiver is requested and approved.
Judging
Disclaimer:
This is a skill-based competition. Judging is based solely on artistic merit and not on chance. Each entry will be evaluated using a fixed rubric by qualified judges. Awards will be granted based on total points earned through the scoring criteria below.
Judging Rubric (Total Score: 100 points):
- Creativity and Originality (25 points)
Judges will consider how unique and imaginative the concept is. Does the artwork show original thinking, risk-taking, or a fresh perspective? - Technical Skill (15 points)
This refers to the level of mastery of the chosen medium. Judges will look at attention to detail, control, and effective use of techniques. - Composition and Design (15 points)
Entries will be assessed on how well the elements of design are used. This includes balance, contrast, focal point, and spatial organization. - Relevance to Theme (30 points)
How clearly and powerfully does the piece relate to the assigned theme? Judges will look for thoughtful engagement with the theme, not just surface-level references. - Emotional or Intellectual Impact (15 points)
Judges will evaluate how effectively the piece evokes emotion, thought, or a strong connection in the viewer.
Blind Judging
Judging Criteria:
- work that defies artistic conventions
- work that challenges traditional artistic expectations
- work that subverts genres and tropes
- work that surprises us, startles us, makes us think
- work that defines and articulates emotions in new, exciting ways
- technical proficiency and skill (dependent upon the genre/category)
- work that pioneers unique, compelling personal styles, voices, and POVs
- work that speaks to larger, powerful truths about the human condition
Judging Process:
Each submission is reviewed by at least one qualified judge (such as a professional artist or experienced educator). Judges score each piece independently using the rubric above. Final awards (such as Gold, Silver, and Honorable Mention) are based on total cumulative scores. In the event of a tie, judges will confer and reach a consensus decision. All judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Additional Requirements for Entries
- All works must be original. “Original” means that the work must be from the hand of a single artist who submits the work for entry; pieces that originate from a workshop or a class under the direction of a teacher are not eligible.
- For works based on reference photographs, eligibility requires that the artist must have taken the photographs or have obtained written permission from the photographer to create the work and to enter it in the Contest.
- Reference images from royalty-free stock photography websites are acceptable.
- Artwork created using reference imagery generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will NOT be considered. Compositions based on published material or other artists’ work are NOT considered original and are not eligible.
- By entering, you represent and warrant that your entry is your original work, that your entry does not infringe the rights of any third party, and that you have all the rights necessary to submit the entry and to assign the rights in the entry as described in the Limited Grant of Rights.
- Works deemed unsuitable for publication or that do not meet above criteria, in the sole discretion of PYAA, are not eligible. Entry fees will not be refunded to artists whose works are deemed unsuitable or fail to meet the stated criteria.
- Entrants will not be refunded their entry fee if their entry is disqualified under any consideration listed in the Official Rules. All decisions regarding an entry’s eligibility will be made at the sole discretion of PYAA and all decisions made by PYAA will be final.
Limited Grant of Rights
By entering, you grant to PYAA, its licensees and designees, the worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free right to use the entry in PYAA magazines, on PYAA’s websites, in PYAA’s digital products, and in ads promoting future competitions, without further permission, compensation, or notification. You further agree that PYAA shall have the right, but not the obligation, to use your name and/or photograph for the same purposes.
Copyright and Plagarism
Awards
Categories
Art
Drawing
Category Description: Art that is made on a two-dimensional surface.
- Examples (including but not limited to): Pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, crayon, scratchboard, marker, etc.
- Special Instructions: Drawing made from published photographs are not accepted.
- Submissions: You can upload one image for each Drawing.
Mixed Media
Category Description: Art made using more than one medium.
- Examples (including but not limited to): Collage, assemblage, cut paper, fabric, fiber-based art, etc.
- Special Instructions: Mixed media of just painting and drawing should be submitted to the painting or drawing category. Mixed media work meant to be viewed from multiple angles should be submitted to the Sculpture category.
- Submissions: You can upload four images for each Mixed Media submission.
Painting
Examples (including but not limited to) : Oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, tempera, ink, encaustic, fresco, spray paint, etc. applied on canvas, canvas board, paper or any flat surface.
- Special Instructions: Drawing made from published photographs are not accepted.
- Submissions: You can upload one image for each Painting submission.
Photography
Category Description: Images captured by any type of camera.
- Special Instructions: Submitting multiple similar images conveying the same theme is not recommended. The best photograph from a series should be selected for submission.
- Submissions: Students may enter up to 10 individual photo submissions.
Sculpture
- Example (including but not limited to): clay, metal, wood, found material etc.
- Special Instructions: For sculptural pieces, multiple photos from different angles may be submitted.
WRITING
Critical Essay
Category Description: Writing that aims to inform or persuade readers on a particular idea or topic. Examples include:
- Literary analysis, e.g. feminist critique of Jane Eyre
- Film & Media, e.g. analyzing social class and capitalism in Parasite
- Art & Culture, e.g. critical analysis of Picasso’s Guernica as political art
- Social Issues & Philosophy, e.g. a philosophical critique of meritocracy
- History & Politics, e.g. the role of civil disobedience in democratic movements
- SOURCES MUST BE CITED. WE DO NOT REQUIRE SPECIFIC CITATION FORMAT.
- WORD LIMIT IS 300-2,000 WORDS
Journalism
Category Description: News or blog articles that present facts or descriptions of events without analysis or opinion
- News article, e.g. a school district announces new lunch menu options
- Feature story, e.g. a profile of a student who balances school with training for national swim competitions
- Investigative report, e.g. a student journalist discovers the school’s bathrooms are cleaned only once a day, despite claims they’re cleaned three times.
- SOURCES MUST BE CITED. WE DO NOT REQUIRE SPECIFIC CITATION FORMAT.
- WORD LIMIT IS 300-2,000 WORDS
Personal Essay
Category Description: a piece of writing in which the author reflects on a personal experience, idea, or insight. It blends storytelling with reflection, using real events and thoughts to explore a deeper meaning or theme.
- Growth / Learning, e.g. a student describes failing their first chemistry test, what it felt like, and how it motivated them to change their study habits — eventually developing confidence and curiosity in science.
- Identity, e.g. a Chinese-American student writes about speaking two languages at home and school, feeling caught between cultures, and eventually discovering pride in being bilingual.
- Curiosity / Passion, e.g. a student tells the story of how building model rockets led them to explore physics videos late at night and dream of studying aerospace engineering.
- WORD LIMIT IS 300-2,000 WORDS
Creative Nonfiction
Category Description: true writing that uses storytelling techniques from fiction — such as vivid description, character, dialogue, and narrative pacing — to explore real experiences, ideas, or events. *Emphasis on writing skill and style.
- Memoir / Personal Moment, e.g. I still remember the weight of the violin in my hands and how my fingers shook before the first note. The gym lights felt too bright, like the whole school could see my heartbeat through my shirt. When I finally played, the sound cracked — tiny and shaky — but by the last measure it steadied, and so did I.
- Nature Observation, e.g. The trail smelled like pine needles and rain-soaked earth. Every step pressed into mud, leaving soft footprints that filled slowly with water. Above me, branches laced together like fingers praying, and somewhere ahead, a creek whispered over stones.
Portrait / Character Sketch: Mrs. Kim walks into class every morning with a stack of chalk pieces in her pocket and a thermos of barley tea in her hand. She never looks at the clock when she explains geometry; she looks at us, waiting for the tiny spark when a problem suddenly makes sense.
WORD LIMIT IS 300-2,000 WORDS
- Memoir / Personal Moment, e.g. I still remember the weight of the violin in my hands and how my fingers shook before the first note. The gym lights felt too bright, like the whole school could see my heartbeat through my shirt. When I finally played, the sound cracked — tiny and shaky — but by the last measure it steadied, and so did I.
Short Story
Category Description: a fictional story
- WORD LIMIT IS 1,500-5,000 WORDS
Flash Fiction
Category Description: a fictional narrative or story but shorter than a Short Story
- WORD LIMIT IS 150-1,000 WORDS
Poetry
Category Description: Poetry is a form of writing that uses rhythm, imagery, and carefully chosen words to express emotions, ideas, or moments in a powerful, artistic way.
- Each poem is one entry
- Ensure format is preserved in the doc you send
- WORD LIMIT IS 5-80 LINES
Speculative Fiction
Category Description: Speculative fiction is a broad category of storytelling that imagines worlds, ideas, or futures different from our own, often asking “what if?” It includes stories that explore possibilities beyond everyday reality — such as advanced technology, alternate histories, magical worlds, or future societies — to examine human nature, society, and imagination.
- WORD LIMIT IS 1,500-5,000 WORDS