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NYAA 2026

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Open to 3 age groups: 13-14 years. 15-19 years and 20-25 years old.

All media are welcome to enter.

Please note conditions below:

Do not send your original artwork until you have been notified as a finalist.

  • All work must be for sale. Minimum price $125.00
    • Artwork is not to exceed the dimensions of 1500mm x 1500mm.
    • Maximum weight of artwork must not exceed 10 kg.
    • Entries are limited to 2 entries per artist.
    • Please include up to 3 high-quality images of the work. Make your photos catalogue perfect if you are chosen as a finalist this is what will go in the exhibition catalogue.
    • Finalists will be provided instructions for delivery of works – please note all freight/transport costs are to be met by the artist.
    • Include your artist’s statement (maximum 50 words). This is a description about your work and what inspired this.
  • Preparing-your-work-for-Exhibition

The rationale behind this year’s Logo palette.

Electric Blue (#3A7DFF) – Electric blue brings a sense of energy, ambition and forward momentum, which aligns strongly with the purpose of the National Youth Art Awards. It reflects the boldness and confidence required for young artists to put their work into the world. The colour also has a contemporary, digital‑native feel that resonates with the age group entering the awards. It signals innovation, creativity and a future‑focused arts community. Soft Lilac (#C8B7FF) – Soft lilac introduces imagination, experimentation and artistic curiosity. It is a colour associated with creative thinking and expressive individuality, making it ideal for an award that celebrates emerging talent. Lilac softens the intensity of the blue, creating a palette that feels approachable and inclusive while still maintaining a modern edge. In this case, the pairing with electric blue creates a balanced, contemporary combination that feels inclusive, expressive and aligned with the spirit of the awards. The two colours work together to represent both the vibrancy and the diversity of young artists across Aotearoa. Cloud Dancer (Pantone 11-4201) – Cloud Dancer is Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2026 and has been used for the solid background treatments behind the logo variations.

Award Dates

Birth date (you must be between 13-25 on 21 June 2026) Entries open – 1 May 2026 Entries close 21 June 2026 @11.59pm Finalists and non-finalists notified 29 June 2026 by 5pm Awards and Opening 7 August 2026 @ 6pm Exhibition dates 8 – 29 August 2026

Award Prizes

OVER ALL CATEGORIES AWARD: $1500 15-19 years 20-25 years 13-14 Years First prize $2000 First prize $2000 First prize $1000 Merit prize $500 Merit prize $500 Merit Prize $250 Sustainability Award $500 Sustainability Award $500 Sustainability Award $250 Other Awards over all age categories Sculpture award $500 PICT Award – performance, installation, temporal, and conceptual art $500 Print award $500 Photography award $500 Drawing award $500 People’s choice award $500
Printable Entry Form

This Year's Judge:

Aisha Roberts (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa) is the Pou Tiaki Toi (Collections Curator) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, where she is responsible for the care and management of Te Kōpuni Kura, the organisation’s national art collection. Working across multiple sites, her role includes collection care, exhibition development, and supporting the placement and interpretation of artworks within learning environments. She particularly values opportunities to support and work alongside new and emerging artists. Aisha has two decades of experience in the arts and culture sector, beginning her career in a museum context working in imaging and collection care. Alongside her curatorial work, she maintains a creative practice with a background in photography and, since 2020, has been developing her practice as a weaver She is pleased to be part of the judging panel for the National Youth Art Awards, recognising the importance of supporting young artists as they develop their ideas and creative voice.   Tyrone Te Waa (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), born 1992, likens his preparations for art-making to foraging before cooking. His exuberant palette of materials — wood, fabric, paint and string — is found or gifted, then assembled through methods of binding, knotting, felting and wrapping to make wearable and unwearable objects, wall works and installations. His autobiographical and ancestral reflection is informed by research into takatāpui/gay/queer histories in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2021 Te Waa completed a Master of Creative Practice at Unitec Institute of Technology Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka. In 2022 he received an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi Springboard Award. Recent exhibitions include: How to Make a Home, Objectspace (2024); Kumara Kuīni (NZ Idol) Awards Ceremony in Aotearoa Contemporary, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (2024), Te Rūma Moenga / The Mattress Room (Memory Foam), Casula Powerhouse (2024), WīWī WāWā, Anna Miles Gallery, 2023 and Whetūrangitia/Made As Stars, Dowse Art Museum (2022).

Aisha Roberts and Tyrone Te Waa

i.e. Power source, plinth

I.e. Drawing, Painting, Illustration, Sculpture, Digital, Photograph, Mixed Media

If the artwork is sold, this is the bank account that will receive the payment

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Is there anything you would like to say about your artwork?

Please upload a copy of a valid ID that shows date of birth

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I consent to WSA collecting the contact details provided above. I understand that my entry fee entitles me to WSA membership if requested and that WSA may retain and use these details for the purposes of communicating with members. This consent is given in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993. I have read the entry conditions attached and agree to abide by them. The submitted entry is my own work and not copied from the work of another artist. I agree to the work being reproduced for the purposes of promotion from time to time.