National School Theatre Awards® is dedicated to recognising the talents of young people aged 11-18 in school performing arts. We provide a platform for young people to showcase their skills and gain recognition from industry professionals.

The National School Theatre Awards® are open to young people aged 11-18 with a passion for the performing arts. The awards recognise performances in both full-time and part-time school productions, which must be presented to a public audience.

To allow for Christmas, Easter and Summer productions, nominations can be submitted throughout the year but we advise completing the nomination form as soon as you can to give us to time allocate a Rep to your school. December and March is the busiest time for school productions.

Nominations are all year round but our annual ceremony usually falls around the last two weeks of June. If your production is in July, don’t worry, you will still be entered for an award and someone will attend your performance. You might also be invited to showcase something in the June ceremony. If your nominated performance wins, your award will be given to you at the next ceremony. We have rolling nominations so that all types of schools can enter.

Winners of the National School Theatre Awards® are selected by performing arts education and industry representatives. The National School Theatre Awards Talent Reps evaluate each entry based on a range of criteria, including skill, creativity, technique and submit their notes to our judges. Our Talent Reps are not judges so if they are watching your production please relax – they are there to enjoy the show! We have separated some awards into Independent and Maintained Schools as we are conscious of financial/facility variations.

Winning a National School Theatre Award is a remarkable achievement for students. Not only do they receive recognition from industry professionals, but they also have the chance to network with other young performers and artists. Additionally, we host ‘winners’ events and workshops throughout the year. Even if students do not win an award they may still be invited to perform at the annual awards ceremony.

While we are not a charity, our goal is to raise funds and donations to enhance opportunities for student performers. As part of our commitment to nurturing young talent, the NSTA Fund aims to support through bursaries, classes, and workshops. Additionally, we strive to improve performing arts facilities in schools across the UK. Importantly, students do not need to have won an award to benefit from the NSTA Fund.

There is a nomination fee which is invoiced to your school which covers administrative costs and, where applicable, Talent Rep travel expenses. We have four options to suit your school and budget. We have tried to keep this cost down so as many schools as possible can enter. Some schools may wish to get their cast to fundraise to motivate the cast before the National School Theatre Awards attend their show.

There are many ways to get involved with National School Theatre Awards. You can apply to participate in the awards ceremony, donate or even volunteer your time and expertise to help us support the next generation of performers and artists. See our ‘Join Us’ page for more information.