National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) announces the 2021 YoungArts award winners—659 of the most accomplished young visual, literary and performing artists from across the country. Selected through the organization’s prestigious competition, YoungArts award winners are chosen for their caliber of artistic achievement by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. Students must be 15–18 years old or in grades 10–12 to be eligible for the program, and compete within artistic disciplines of Classical Music, Dance, Design Arts, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing.

Of the 659 national awards winners, five are from San Diego Unified. YoungArts awards are given in three categories: Finalist, Honorable Mention and Merit.

Finalists from SDUSD:

• Malvyn Lai (Mount Everest Academy), Classical Music: Piano

• Luc Simpson (San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts), Dance: Modern, Contemporary

• John Murray (San Diego School of Creative & Performing Arts), Jazz: Double Bass

Honorable Mentions from SDUSD:

• Nick Caldwell (San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts), Jazz: Tenor Saxophone

• Brenda Greggio (San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts), Jazz: Composition

YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most comprehensive programs for artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for financial, creative and professional development support throughout their entire careers. This year, YoungArts award winners at all levels will receive:

• Cash prizes between $100 and $10,000,

• Opportunities to learn from leading artists such as Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frank Gehry, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie and Mickalene Thomas,

• Exclusive creative and professional development support including a wide range of fellowships, residencies and awards, and

• Access to YoungArts Post, a free, private digital network for YoungArts artists to connect, collaborate and learn about additional opportunities.

YoungArts award winners at the Finalist level are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week + in January 2021 featuring virtual classes, workshops and mentorship from leading artists in their fields as well as virtual performances and an exhibition for the public. In addition, every year YoungArts nominates 60 artists to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. The Commission then selects the 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the highest honors given high school seniors bestowed by the President of the United States.