Terms

 THIS IS NOT A GAME OF CHANCE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

1. Entry Period. 

Entry dates and deadlines in the Progressive Young Artist Awards (the “Contest”) are as follows:

• 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.

2. 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.

3. Award Structure

• 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.

4. How to Enter. 

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 replacement file should their entry be selected as a Winner; detailed requirements will be provided at that time.

Entry fees of $5 USD for each work submitted are due with entries. Entry fees are non-refundable once artwork is submitted. Full refunds are granted only within 24 hours of payment when no file has been uploaded or if someone paid twice by mistake. Please email us at info@pya-awards.org for refunds.

5. Judging Criteria and Scoring Criteria

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):

1. 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?
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Emotional or Intellectual Impact (15 points)
   Judges will evaluate how effectively the piece evokes emotion, thought, or a strong connection in the viewer.

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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Odds

Odds of winning depend on the number and quality of eligible entries. PYAA cannot predict the number or quality of entries.

9. General Conditions

Void where prohibited. Any entrant suspected of tampering with or disrupting any aspect of the Contest will be disqualified. All decisions of Sponsor are final. By your participation in the Contest, you (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, (ii) agree to release, indemnify, and hold any related organizations including IvyZen, IvyZen Korea, their affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, and divisions, and all of their officers, directors, employees, and agents harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, and damages of any kind arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from your participation in the Contest, from PYAA’s use of your entry, or from your acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any Prize, and (iii) agree that any dispute or claim will be resolved individually and without resort to class action.

10. Limitation of Liability

PYAA MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE PRIZES. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT PERMIT LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. PYAA is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, or unintelligible entries, including entries not received because of interrupted or unavailable network servers, failed communications networks or equipment, computer hardware or software, or other errors or malfunctions whether human, mechanical, or electronic. Should PYAA , in its sole discretion, determine that the Contest has been compromised by virus, bugs, hackers, or other causes beyond its control, PYAA reserves the right to terminate or revise the contest and choose the Winner in a fair and reasonable manner from among all eligible entries submitted prior to termination.

11. Privacy 

With the exception of the Winner’s name, city, and state, information collected by Sponsor solely in connection with the Contest will not be shared with third parties unless expressly permitted by entrant at the time of entry.