Competitions
National Awards Competition
The NSAL National Awards Competition offers young artists age 16-22 an exceptional opportunity to perform for a panel of top-ranked professional judges. The area of the competition rotates among four fields: Drama, Musical Theater, Dance, and Instrumental Music. The competition for 2027 will be in Drama. The first round of competition takes place at the Chapter level, and application details will be posted when available. The Chapter First Place Winner will receive financial support for participating in the National competition, at the NSAL Annual Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, May 20-22, 2027.
Awards, Prizes, and Eligibility
The First Place Chapter Winner receives $2,000, and will compete for several National prizes of up to $15,000. The Second Place Chapter Winner receives $1,000 and the Third Place Chapter Winner receives $750.
The St. Louis Chapter Competition is open to any U.S. citizen or legal resident living in the greater St. Louis NSAL region, including Missouri, southern Iowa, and southern Illinois. Competition contestants must have reached the age of 16 but not yet reached the age of 23 as of the competition date in May 2027. They must not have equity status or be under professional management as of the date of the competition.
National Awards Application Form and Rules
The 2027 National Awards Competition will be in Drama. Applications and rules for the 2027 Competition will be linked as downloadable pdf files at the bottom of this page when they are available.