YAMawards
Terms & Conditions
Download the nomination agreement here.
Award Categories Criteria:
The YAMawards jury will select up to 4 productions per category. All nominated productions are automatically in the running for the Public Choice.
1. Best Small Ensemble for Young Audiences Award:
The Best Small Ensemble Category is open to live music productions by professionals of groups from 1 - 8 musicians. Productions can be for school or theatre settings and are judged by their artist integrity, relevance and impact. We are looking for productions that inspire, push artistic boundaries and engage audiences in new ways. Multidisciplinary productions (musical theatre, etc) are welcome, but music must always remain the focal element of the production.
2. Best Large Ensemble for Young Audiences Award:
The Best Large Ensemble Category is open to professional orchestras and other large music ensembles (8+ musicians) performing for young audiences. We look for ensembles that go beyond playing their regular repertoire, productions that are either designed specifically for young audiences or that have made a considerable effort to appeal to a young public. On top of artistic excellence, the award aims to honour innovation within the form, whether that be artistic, production or other.
3. The “Ebbe Hoyrup” Best School Concert for Young Audiences Award:
The Ebbe Hoyrup Best School Concert or Young Audiences Category is dedicated to productions designed for (or able to) tour in school settings. It is open to live music productions by groups of 1-8 musicians. Productions are judged by their artist integrity, relevance and impact. We are looking for productions that are able to inspire, push artistic boundaries and engage audiences in new ways by performing in schools. Multidisciplinary productions are welcome, but music must always remain the focal element of the production.
4. Best Opera for Young Audiences Award (Powered by RESEO):
Presented by RESEO (The European Network for Opera and Dance Education), the Best Opera for Young Audiences award is attributed to new works for young audiences of all ages, based upon new librettos (adaptations of existing stories are accepted) or new compositions.
5. Best Participatory Project with Young Audiences Award:
Celebrating young audiences' music projects where the value of the process outweighs the eventual artistic outcome. This category focuses on projects involving children and youth as participants or as amateur musicians; whether a performance, musical workshop, a co-production or simply using music to sensitise kids to musical ideas and concepts. The most important factor is that young audiences be directly engaged in the creative process.
6. Public Choice
The YAM Public Choice is decided by an open vote on www.yamawards.org. Voting begins one month before the YAMawards Ceremony.
Entry Criteria:
We require:
● A full-length video of the production.
● Entries will not be limited in duration, however, we will only present 2-minute promo videos of the finalists online for the public vote.
● Entries are to be submitted to the competition as an online link (Youtube/Vimeo).
● For productions not in English, subtitles or a detailed summary are requested.
● Entries are to be received no later than 17:00 CET on the closing date, 8th of May 2026, accompanied by all requested materials.
● YAM/JMI accepts no responsibility for late entries, as well as entries with missing or corrupt video files.
Judging Criteria:
The following constitutes the YAMawards Judging Criteria:
● The music and other artistic material (text, choreography, etc) must be of high quality within its chosen genre.
● The musicians/singers must be of a high calibre.
● Music must be the primary focus of the production.
● The communication between the musicians and the audience (if relevant to the production) should be qualified and inspiring.
● The relevance/necessity of the program: “Is this opening new musical horizons for the kids?” / “Is it innovative?”, “Is there additional educational value?”, etc.
● The international appeal of the production. I.e. Does/could this production work in multiple countries?
● For the Best Opera Category presented by RESEO (The European Network for Opera and Dance Education) :
○ The staging should be of high quality and in relation to the music.
○ The category is open to new opera works for young audiences of all ages, based upon new librettos (adaptations of existing stories are accepted) or new compositions.
● For the Best Participatory Project with Young Audiences, the jury will look at the following criteria:
○ Necessity/Relevance: of the project both artistically and socially.
○ Intention: What is the project trying to achieve and how well does it do so.
○ Engagement: How has the audience been engaged?
○ Artistic Expression: The overall artistic output in relation to the creative process.
YAMawards / Judging Procedure and Announcement:
1. YAMawards consists of the following awards:
a. Best Small Ensemble for Young Audiences (€1000)
b. Best Large Ensemble for Young Audiences (€1000)
c. Best School Concert for Young Audiences (€1000)
d. Best Opera* for Young Audiences (€1000)
* The Best Opera award is powered by RESEO: the European Network for Opera and Dance Education
e. Best Participatory Project with Young Audiences (€1000)
f. Public Choice
2. The Best Small Ensemble, Best Large Ensemble, Best School Concert, Best Opera and Best Participatory Project awards are evaluated by professional juries who select up to four productions in each category as YAMawards nominees.
3. The winner of each category will be announced on 29th of September, 2026, at the YAMawards ceremony in Helsingør, Denmark; during the 2026 YAMsession.
4. All nominees will be officially announced on the 29th of August 2026 and displayed online via the YAMawards website and social media. The public will then be able to vote for all nominated productions online (one vote per person) and the nominee with the most votes on 29 September 2026 will receive the Public Choice.
5. Decisions of the jury are final and are not subject to questioning, revisions or appeal.
6. Prizes are non-negotiable and non-transferable.
7. Prizes are awarded to support the creation and mobility of new works for young audiences.
YAMawards Ceremony / YAMsession:
The YAMawards Ceremony 2026 will take place at Helsingør, Denmark, on the 29th of September 2026 within the context of the YAMsession. For more info about YAMsession please visit www.yamsession.org
● All YAMawards nominees will be invited to attend the YAMawards Ceremony.
● JMI covers a one-night stay in Helsingør, Denmark, on the 29 September for one representative per nominated production, this includes their dinner at the YAMawards and participation at the YAMsession during the day of the 29th (including lunch).
● Finalists are expected to cover their own travels to/from Helsingør as well as any other expenses not mentioned above. (Please visit the YAMsession website for travel info).
● If the representatives wish to attend the YAMsession on the 28 September to 1 October, a special discounted price will be made available. The additional cost of any extra nights’ accommodation must be covered by the nominee.
Other conditions:
● All footage used must be original. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain all appropriate permissions & clearances for any music or video used. JM International excludes liability for any legal violations. The sole responsibility for this lies with the producers of the content. Please ensure that the Nomination Agreement is read thoroughly, understood and signed by the representative parties.
● By entering the competition, the participants agree to abide by these Terms & Conditions and consent to the Nomination Agreement.
● By entering the competitio,n the applicant gives YAM the right to share your general contact information with the YAMsession delegates and partners. If you do not wish us to do so, please mail us this request at mail@jmi.net.
Brought to you by JM International
The YAMawards are brought to you by JM International (JMI), the world’s largest youth-music nonprofit organisation. JMI’s work with young audiences is based on the principle that all children and youth must have access to music/culture as a fundamental human right. The YAMawards serve as a beacon of creativity and innovation to inspire those pushing the artistic and musical boundaries as well as those who instil hope in those working in difficult circumstances, supporting the fight to maintain and grow this crucial sector of human development.
For more information visit www.jmi.net.