For the first time in two years, National Medalists in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, along with their friends, families, educators, and supporters, gathered in New York City to celebrate their accomplishments at an in-person National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall! To honor their achievement, the days surrounding the National Ceremony were filled with activities, such as art and writing workshops, a panel discussion and a meet and greet with top editors and artists in publishing, and an in-person exhibition featuring hundreds of Gold Medal artwork and writing.

Awards Week started off with two days of registration where students, families, and educators arrived at the Millennium Hotel to check in with Scholastic Awards staff, receive their tickets to the National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall, grab a copy of Yearbook 2022, get their pictures taken, and purchase memorabilia at the Gold Key Boutique.

During registration, we hosted two workshops. The art workshop showed how to create unique portraits of family and friends while the writing workshop used the motif “I am breaking up with ________” to create personal and thoughtful poems. In the evening, editors and art directors from Scholastic Inc. held a panel about being a working creative and getting started in the publishing industry. After the discussion, the panelists participated in a meet and greet with the attendees where students were able to ask the panelists their questions about publishing, writing, and their future plans.

Students can view, download, and purchase prints of their pictures from registration!

The big event, the National Ceremony, was held on June 9 at Carnegie Hall. Hundreds of National Medalists from across the nation attended this live event which featured opening remarks from singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson; interviews with Awards alumnus and fashion designer Zac Posen, Awards alumna and artist Tschabalala Self, and author Jason Reynolds; a keynote speech from actress Mayim Bialik; and a closing address by entertainer Nick Cannon. In addition to the celebrity guests, works of award-winning art and writing were showcased throughout the ceremony and the Gold Medal Portfolio Award winners graced the stage to take a bow. Spotlights were shone on this year’s Alumni Achievement Award recipient Derek Fordjour, as well as Isabella Ramírez, a 2020 National Student Poet who read an original poem during the ceremony, and all of the educators who supported their students’ creative efforts. The MC for the night, Billy DiMichele, went out into the audience to speak with the 2021 National Student Poets and two educators of award-winning students. It was truly an exciting night!

Throughout the week, the National Exhibition was on display at Scholastic Inc.’s headquarters in New York City. The exhibition, titled RE-ENTRY, featured hundreds of works from Gold Medalists, including Portfolios, Film & Animations, and works that won scholarships. A virtual exhibition of more than 600 works is available to view online.

Getting to see everyone in person, shaking hands with students, their families, and their educators, and connecting face-to-face with other creatives makes Awards Week a special time of year for all of us at the Scholastic Awards. We had a blast reconnecting with our community and we can’t wait to do it again next year!

In the meantime, show your Scholastic Awards support by visiting our online store where you can buy t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, shoes, and more!