Young Performer Awards Competition 2024 *Under Construction!*

• The first round comprises of adjudicated events in each genre, where the adjudicator panels nominate participants to proceed to the quarter final round.
• The quarter finals take on a similar format: the adjudicator’s panel for each genre will select 15 – 20 participants / groups that will then compete in one of the four semi-final rounds.
• To provide for the challenges of creating a fair approach when adjudicating and ranking live and video performances in the Quarter Final round, live and video performances will be ranked separately. The final Quarter Final ranking order will then comprise of the top achievers from both lists.
• The 4 semi-final rounds of Young Performer Awards competition are presented in concert format at a theatre. Each concert is dedicated to a genre (classical and contemporary music, dance and drama. The best participants in the different categories, as decided by the adjudicators’ panel, are then invited to compete in the final round.
• In the final round, a panel of experts representative of the different genres finally decide on the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
• An auditors’ company oversees the adjudication process in the semi-final and final rounds.

Participants in the annual National Eisteddfod of South Africa®:

Diploma recipients in the National Eisteddfod 2023 have already qualified to enter the Young Performer Awards Competition 2024 and have TWO options available for participating in the FIRST and SECOND ROUNDS:

Participants in the National Eisteddfod of 2023 also have the following options available:

• Participants may submit their entries ONLINE at a lower entry fee.
• Participants also have the option to submit their entries in a Hard Copy format (a higher entry fee is charged for hard copy entries.)
• Individual participants are no longer limited to only the exact “approved” items as presented at the Eisteddfod in 2023:
  • Similar items have been grouped together to create new broader categories that require a similar “skill set”. (For example: Lyrical Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Free Verse Poetry etc. have been grouped together in a “Poetry Category“).
  • This approach now opens up new opportunities for the serious performer: If you have received a diploma award for any one item in this category, you may now enter any number of the other items in the same category. For example:  if you only qualified with your performance of a narrative poem, you may now also enter a lyrical poem and/or free verse and/or another narrative poem in the same category.
  • The rationale for this approach is that achievement on diploma level in any category is considered as confirmation that the participant has acquired the higher skills level required in the given category. This now provides for an opportunity to present additional items within the “approved” skill set and is also an incentive for the participant to stretch his/her wings.
  • When submitting entries ONLINE participants will notice that their approved entries include the item(s) that they received diplomas for, as well as all the other available items in the same category that they now may enter for. In addition the items now also reflect their current grades (except for the open section).

Participants in other festivals / events:

• Any participant that received a diploma or similar award in any other festival or event during 2023 may qualify (Achievement of 90%+ or on diploma level required and proof of achievement should be submitted with the entry / entries.)
• Most performance categories are accepted (except for reading and improvised categories  that are excluded).
• Proof of the said achievement needs to be submitted for approval with the entry.
• Entries can only be submitted in HARD COPY format at the applicable entry fee.

Important note regarding LIVE and VIDEO RECORDED performances:

Participants that are invited to the QUARTER FINAL Rounds will be allowed to choose between a LIVE PERFORMANCE or a NEWLY RECORDED VIDEO submission:

The reason for this allowance is the fact that the school terms of 3 and 4 term schools only correspond on a limited number of days in March – April. Subsequently, participants that have participated LIVE in the FIRST ROUND in March will be allowed to submit a video recording for adjudication in the QUARTER FINAL ROUND in April if they are unavailable on these dates. Participants that submitted video recordings for the First Round will also be allowed to opt for a LIVE PERFORMANCE in the Quarter Final Round, provided that their video recordings are submitted to the NEA by 18 March.  

To even the playing field in the adjudication and ranking of live and video performances, each will be ranked separately in both the first and second rounds. The final quarter-final ranking will then comprise of the top achievers from both groups.

IMPORTANT: Participants that are selected for particition in the Sem-final and Final Rounds will be required to perform LIVE. No video recordings will be allowed in these 2 rounds.

• All prepared and unprepared reading items.
• All unprepared and improvised acting categories, e.g. unprepared story telling, theatre sports, creative advert, improvisation and unprepared mime.
• One act plays and workshop productions
• Unprepared public speaking
• Debating and group public speaking.
• All Novice music items
• Elementary music items (Gr. R – 6)

The Preliminary Qualifying Round provides anyone that currently does not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition an opportunity to qualify. For this purpose an aspiring participant has to submit an ONLINE VIDEO entry as if it were submitted for Eisteddfod 2023. The closing date for these entries is 2 February 2024 and the proof of paying the non-refundable special entry fee of R170.00 needs to be submitted together with this entry.

Preliminary Qualifying Round

Once it has been received (with proof of payment), all Preliminary Qualifying Round videos will be submitted to a member of the NEA Adjudicators’ Forum for adjudication. Feedback and results will be distributed by e-mail to all participants in this round not later than 10 February. Any participant that then receive a diploma award for this recorded performance, will then be allowed to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition before any of the closing dates for live or video entries).

This Preliminary Qualifying Round opportunity is open for :

• Participant(s) in the National Eisteddfod 2023 that did not qualify to enter this Competition in any particular genre.
• Any one that did not participate in the National Eisteddfod 2023 or any other eisteddfod or similar event and subsequently could not qualify to enter for the Young Performer Awards Competition 2024

Procedure for submitting an entry for the Preliminary Qualifying Round:

• Register on the National Eisteddfod ONLINE ENTRY platform if you have not done so before.
  • Click here to register or
  • For help with the how, click here.
• Login to your existing or new Online Profile.
  • Click here to login or
  • For for help click here.
• Submit your entry ONLINE. For more information about submitting entries online, click here.
• Record your performance on video and submit your video for adjudication by following the Guidelines and requirements for Video Recorded Entries
• Should you get stuck or need further assistance, please call the NEA Office on 011 886 6005 (office hours). Kindly note that some of our staff members are working remotely on certain days and your call might be transferred. Alternatively, please send an email to admin@eisteddfod.co.za with more information about your query.

How to enter: Help file for Preliminary Qualifying Round

Participants are now allowed to present new material in the first round of the Young Performer Awards Competition, provided that it is on the same level or higher as the work performed in the previous year. 

This is more often the case in speech and drama items when students have moved on to new material.  Participants in the more senior grades in classical and contemporary music, as well as dance categories, mostly perform the same material as in the previous year. 

 Participants in the National Eisteddfod of South Africa 2022:

We will attempt to accommodate all requests submitted in advance, but please note that given the particular demands of this competition, we cannot give any guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all requests. 

In order to facilitate the adjudication process, events are scheduled according to the participant’s grade (e.g. it does not make sense to schedule a Gr R participant with a group of Gr. 6 learners). For this reason and in the interest of the participant, we will be reluctant to allow any rescheduling of events.

Update on activity dates  Live performances in the 20th Young Performer Awards Competition for will be  scheduled on dates and venues from 1 March until 13 May 2023 as follows: Venues: First Round: 1 March – 16 March 2023

• Linden Theatre (44 5th St, Linden, Randburg, 2104) (Classical, Crossover & Contemporary Music; Speech & Drama)
• Domus Dei Randburg Suid (30 Jean Rd, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2194) (Speech & Drama; Dance (individual and small group items))

Quarter Final Round: 12 – 19 April 2023  Venues:

• Linden Theatre (44 5th St, Linden, Randburg, 2104) (Classical, Crossover & Contemporary Music; Speech & Drama
• Domus Dei Randburg Suid (30 Jean Rd, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2194) (Dance (individual and small group items))

Combined First Round and Quarter Final Round for larger groups (Music, dance & drama): Saturday 11 March 2023 Venue:

• Roodepoort Theatre (100 Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709) (It will be considered to also include all dance groups (6 and more participants) in this session)

Semi Final Rounds: 10 – 11 May 2023 100 Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709)Venue: Roodepoort Theatre (

• 10 May 15:00 – 17:00 Semi-final 1 (Speech & Drama)
• 10 May 19:00 – 21:00 Semi-final 2 (Classical & Crossover Music
• 11 May 15:00 – 17:00 Semi-final 3 (Dance)
• 11 May 19:00 – 22:00 Semi-final 4 (Contemporary Music)

Final Round: 13 May 2023 (18:00 -22:00) Venue: Roodepoort Theatre (100 Christiaan de Wet Rd, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709) The winners of the various categories in the 4 semi-final rounds will compete in the Final Round.

Participants that are invited to the QUARTER FINAL Rounds will be allowed to choose between a LIVE PERFORMANCE or a NEWLY RECORDED VIDEO submision: The reason for this allowance is the fact that the school terms of 3 and 4 term schools only correspond on a limited number of days in March – April. Subsequently, participants that have participated LIVE in the FIRST ROUND in March will be allowed to submit a video recording for adjudication in the QUARTER FINAL ROUND in April if they are unavailable on these dates. Participants that submitted video recordings for the First Round will also be allowed to opt for a LIVE PERFORMANCE in the Quarter Final Round, provided that their video recordings are submitted to the NEA by 18 March. To even the playing field in the adjudication and ranking of live and video performances, each will be ranked separately in both the first and second rounds. The final quarter-final ranking will then comprise of the top achievers from both groups. IMPORTANT: Participants that are selected for particition in the Sem-final and Final Rounds will be required to perform LIVE. No video recordings will be allowed in these 2 rounds.