MARQUETTE — The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running scholarship and recognition program for creative writers and artists nationwide in seventh through 12th grade, are accepting entries through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.

More than $450,000 in monetary prizes — the most in program history — will be awarded. The Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project site at Northern Michigan University serves as the Upper Peninsula affiliate of the awards.

“Serving as an affiliate is our opportunity to make sure creative rural teens know about the awards and have equitable access to the benefits,” NMU Professor Kel Sassi said.

Students ages 13 and older are invited to submit their original works in any of the awards’ 28 art and writing categories, which include drawing and illustration, photography, flash fiction, poetry, film and animation, and journalism.

All works are selected for awards based on originality, skill and the emergence of personal vision or voice, and without knowledge of the teen’s biographical or demographic information.

Works are reviewed first on a regional level. Those that receive Gold Keys are then adjudicated nationally by a panel of industry experts. Entry fees are $10 for individual entries and $30 for portfolios. Participants who find the fees a barrier to entry can obtain waivers, thanks in part to BLICK Art Materials.

The regional awards ceremony will be held Saturday, March 14, in the School of Art and Design at NMU. The National Medalists of the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards will be announced in March 2026. Two Upper Peninsula students were national award winners last year.

Participants nationwide will be eligible for recognition and scholarship/cash award opportunities ranging from $500 to $12,500. They will also have a chance to join the ranks of the program’s esteemed alumni, including Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Jose Parla, Amanda Gorman, Joyce Carol Oates and Andy Warhol.

For more than a century, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, currently presented by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, have advocated for and uplifted the interests and experiences of countless creative teens, validating their artistic abilities and certifying that their voices truly do matter. 

“We here at the Alliance make it our mission to open the door for teens to freely explore their talents, follow their creative pursuits, and speak their minds through their chosen medium. In our current climate, it is more important than ever that teens have a creative outlet, and we are delighted to welcome young people nationwide to our community, where they can feel comfortable in expressing their ideas and themselves,” said Christopher Wisniewski, executive director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

For more information about the 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and to enter work in any of the program’s 28 categories, go to artandwriting.org.