New for 2026 - we've extended the Awards to 25 years.
The Young Creatives Awards are open to people aged 12 to 25 who live, work or study in the Inner West. Work can be submitted for the following categories:
- Writing
- Visual art
- Film
Each category has three awards based on age: 12 to 15, 16 to 18, and 19 to 25.
Submissions open 31 May 2026.
Get your work seen
The awards are a chance to get your work seen with the finalist's works printed, performed and exhibited later in the year. Previous finalists have been commissioned for Inner West Council marketing campaigns and led creative workshops showing how the Young Creatives Awards can be a springboard to a creative career.
Artwork L to R: 2025 finalists: Cockatoo by Shermin Shi Mun Tham, Distant Apparitions (Reflection) by Andreas Karadjis, A Paws in Time by Geneve Peacock, Sondor by Ennie Li. In breakout box: Salão Ferreira by Kosta Giitsidis.
- The total prize pool for 2026 is $8250
- Winner of each age group and category: $500
- Runner up of each age group and category: $250.
- Librarians Choice for each category: $250
- People's Choice Award for each category: $250
- Finalists' artwork in public exhibition at Chrissie Cotter Gallery.
- Finalists' film screening for finalists and members of the public
- Finalists' written works are collated into a book and kept in our library collection.
- Content producer roles for Young Creatives Take Over festival program in 2026.
Choose an item in our library collection (digital, print, audio or DVD) that has inspired or been referenced in your work. Search our collection here.
- Writers: Submit a piece of writing which can be a short story, poetry, a fan fiction or a piece of prose that is 1000 words (plus or minus 20%).
- Artists: Submit a photo of an artwork which can be a painting, drawing, sculpture, textile piece or still digital work.
- Filmmakers: Submit a MP4 file of a moving image digital work, animation, narrative film or music video between 2 and 7 minutes in duration.
The Young Creatives Awards celebrates original work made by artists, writers, and filmmakers. We know lots of young creators use AI as part of their process, and that’s okay, as long as the final work is truly yours.
What’s allowed.
You can use AI to help you:
- Get ideas, prompts, or inspiration
- Do research
- Use apps with AI features (like Photoshop, Blenda or Procreate) to edit or improve your own work
These uses are fine because you’re still the one making the creative decisions.
What’s not allowed.
Your entry will not be accepted if:
- The final artwork, story, or film was generated by AI from your prompts
- You can’t explain how you made your work or what choices you made
If a piece turns out to be AI-generated, it won’t be eligible for the award — even if it was chosen at first.
What counts as AI-generated work?
Anything a machine creates for you, using your prompt or instructions, with little or no human involvement. If AI is doing the creating, it’s not considered original work for this award.
Document your process.
We strongly encourage you to:
- Keep notes
- Save drafts
- Record your steps (even screenshots or quick videos help!)
If there are questions about originality, being able to show your process really helps.
Quick self-check.
Ask yourself:
- Did I make the important creative choices?
- Can I explain how I made this?
- Is this my own voice, style, or vision?
- Could I show proof of my process if needed?
- Would I feel honest calling this “my original work”?
If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.