YoungArts Announces the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Nominees

60 Talented High School Seniors from 22 States, Representing 10 Artistic Disciplines

MIAMI (January 30, 2025) – YoungArts announced today the nominees for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who exemplify artistic and academic excellence. YoungArts is the sole nominating agency for this prestigious honor, and the 60 candidates, representing 22 states and  10 artistic disciplines, are all YoungArts award winners with distinction. The students were nominated to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program following National YoungArts Week. Open to YoungArts award winners with distinction, National YoungArts Week includes classes and workshops with leading artists in their fields, performances, writers’ readings, film screenings and an exhibition, providing the artists opportunities to further advance their craft, and allowing audiences opportunities to meet and experience these outstanding artists and their work. During this life-changing week, YoungArts award winners were further evaluated for nomination to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

All completed and submitted U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts applications will be reviewed by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. The Commission will ultimately select 20 high school seniors to be recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts for their academic and artistic accomplishments, demonstrated leadership, community service and outreach initiatives, and overall creativity.

“YoungArts has the honor of being the sole nominating agency for the 60 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars,” said Clive Chang, President and CEO of YoungArts. “Each of these artists approaches their work with boundless curiosity and astounding intellect. We are eager to continue supporting them as they evolve on their journeys.”

The 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees are:

Interviews can be facilitated upon request.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees are actors, dancers, singers, songwriters, classical and jazz musicians, photographers, filmmakers, visual artists, designers and writers. Once selected, the 2025 awardees will join a distinguished group of YoungArts and U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts alumni including Tony Award-nominated performer and choreographer Desmond Richardson; Los Angeles Music Center President Rachel S. Moore; novelist and National Book Award Finalist Allegra Goodman; Grammy Award-nominated violinist Jennifer Koh; BRAVO’s “Work of Art” winner Abdi Farah; OBIE Award-winning actress Donna Lynne Champlin; Tony Award-nominated choreographer and educator Camille A. Brown and RCA Records award-winning singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-nominated artist Chris Young. 

The 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts will be announced in the coming months. For additional information, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/psp.

Becoming a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts

The first step to becoming a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts is to apply to YoungArts, which is the nominating agency for this honor. To be eligible for the YoungArts program, applicants must be 15–18 years old or in high school grades 10–12. To be further considered for a nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, applicants must be high school seniors and meet all of the U.S. Presidential Scholars requirements.

YoungArts award winners demonstrating excellence in the performing, visual or literary arts are selected annually through a blind adjudication process. This year, more than 800 YoungArts award winners were selected. In January, 175 winners with distinction from across the nation attended National YoungArts Week, where they participated in a week of intensive classes and workshops with internationally renowned artists, and shared their work through performances, readings, exhibitions and screenings that were be open to the public.

During National YoungArts Week, eligible participants are further evaluated, award levels are determined, and nominations are made for that year’s U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts candidates. After a rigorous selection process, YoungArts nominates 60 candidates for an invitation to apply to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Finally, the Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts each year. 

About U.S. Presidential Scholars

In 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by executive order of President Lyndon B. Johnson to recognize and honor the nation’s top graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrated talent in the visual, creative and performing arts.  In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

Scholars are selected annually by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by the President, based on academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and writing ability. This year, over 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2025 program determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, or other partner recognition programs or YoungArts.

Since its inception, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 8,000 of the nation’s high-performing students. U.S. Presidential Scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the online National Recognition Program each June. To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion.  The 161 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, and 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education.

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.

For more information, visit  youngarts.org, Instagram, YouTube or Facebook.