Next Up Awards
Who We Are
The Next Up Awards is a groundbreaking celebration dedicated to honoring the remarkable young stars of the performing arts. We shine a spotlight on the extraordinary talent, creativity, and passion of children under 16 who are redefining what it means to inspire and captivate through their art.
More than just an awards ceremony, the Next Up Awards is a movement - a platform that uplifts and empowers the next generation of performers. From dazzling dancers to captivating actors, we celebrate the journeys of these rising stars as they transform their dreams into reality.
2025 marked the launch of our very first awards year. We chose blue as our inaugural colour - symbolising trust - as we built meaningful connections within the performing arts community. Following a community vote, green will define 2026, representing growth as we continue to evolve and expand from our first successful year.
The spotlight is shining brighter than ever - and the Next Up Awards is where tomorrow’s icons take centre stage.
For Next Up Awards 2025 Winners and photo's
Categories
Industry Categories
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Best Child In A Musical
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Best Child In A Play
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Best Child In A Commercial
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Best Child In A Film
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Best Child In A Series
Non-Industry Categories
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Most Promising Child Vocalist
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Most Promising Child Actor/Actress
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Most Promising Child Commercial Dancer
(for street, hip hop, commercial, breakdance, vogue, waacking, etc.) -
Most Promising Child Classical Dancer
(for ballet, tap, modern, lyrical, acrobatic, etc.)
Additional Categories
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Limitless Performer Award
(Children shining with a disability)
How To Nominate
Only a parent or guardian can nominate a child.
To nominate a talented young performer, please complete a nomination form, including evidence of the child's talent. This can be a performance clip on stage, in class, or from a TV commercial, among other examples.
Industry Categories
To be eligible to be nominated we will accept nominations for professional work completed/aired between
1st January 2025 and 31st December 2025.
All nominees must be under 16 at time of participation of project.
If evidence from a stage production cannot be filmed please film (in style of a self tape) a section of their song, monologue or dance they perform in the professional production.
Non-Industry Categories
To be eligible to be nominated we will accept nominations such as class video's, self tape style videos, video from amateur production (school show, festival, competition etc.)
The videos must have been taken between 1st January 2025 and 31st December 2025.
All nominees must be under 16 at time of participation of the videos.
Additional Categories
Limitless Performer Award: Open to children with disabilities who are working in the performing arts or awaiting their big break. This award celebrates a young performer who has shown exceptional talent, passion and resilience, inspiring others through their creativity and spirit. Videos or productions must have been performed, recorded, or aired between 1st January 2025 and 31st December 2025 and all nominees must be under 16 at the time of participation.
Video evidence must NOT exceed 1 minute. Board members will not watch past 1 minute. Please ensure you have cropped the video to what you wish the Board Members to view.
Key Dates:
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Nominations Open:1st March 2026 12pm GMT
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Nominations Close: 31st March 2026 11.59pm GMT
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Finalists Announced: 1st May 2026 12pm GMT
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Public Voting Opens: 1st May 2026 12pm GMT
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Public Voting Closes: 14th May 2026 12pm GMT
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Award Ceremony: Saturday 6th June 2026
(Central London location to be announced)
Selection Process:
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Industry Board Review: After nominations close, our professional board members will review all submissions and select 3 finalists per category.
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Public Voting: Online voting systems opens.
Winner Selection:
The winner is the finalist with the most votes by the public.
The final voting numbers will not be disclosed publicly.
In the event of a tie, the board will make the final decision.
We look forward to celebrating the incredible talents of young performers!
Next Up Awards 2026
Partnerships & Sponsors
TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
If your interested in our Sponsorship and/or Advertising packages please CLICK HERE