Steven D. Young II, a student at Tyler Legacy High School, has been named a 2025 YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Theatre, the highest honor awarded by the National YoungArts Foundation. This prestigious recognition celebrates Young’s exceptional artistic achievement and places him among more than 800 of the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists nationwide.
YoungArts Winners are selected through a highly competitive process, evaluated by panels of renowned artists in their respective disciplines. As a Winner with Distinction, Young will participate in National YoungArts Week, January 5–12, 2025, in Miami, where he will showcase his work, attend interdisciplinary workshops, and receive mentorship from esteemed artists such as ballerina Misty Copeland and actress Lorna Courtney. Participants are also eligible for cash awards of up to $10,000.
“We’re thrilled to award our largest-ever cohort of artists, selected from a record-breaking number of applications this year,” said YoungArts President & CEO Clive Chang. “We hope this recognition provides these young people with the encouragement to keep pursuing their artistry.”
As part of the YoungArts community, Young is eligible for lifelong professional development opportunities and may be nominated as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school seniors.
For more information and a complete list of 2025 YoungArts winners, visit youngarts.org/winners.
About YoungArts
YoungArts—the national foundation for the advancement of artists—was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify exceptional young artists, amplify their potential, and invest in their lifelong creative freedom. YoungArts provides space, funding, mentorship, professional development and community throughout artists’ careers. Entrance into this prestigious organization starts with a highly competitive application for talented artists ages 15–18, or grades 10–12, in the United States that is judged by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous adjudication process.