RTÉ & Creative Ireland, supported by the Shared Island Initiative, announce 77 young winners as part of RTÉ’s This is Art! competition, as entries nearly double year-on-year

Today, RTÉ’s This is Art! announces 77 children and young people as winners of its 2025 competition, with trophies, bursaries and prizes worth €10,000 set to be awarded. The 2025 competition saw an extraordinary surge in participation, with entries almost doubling year-on-year reflecting the growing appetite for creative expression among young people across the island of Ireland.

While 77 young artists have been named category winners, the competition celebrates every single young person who shared their creativity this year. Each submission contributed to a vibrant, diverse and inspiring showcase of talent from every corner of Ireland.

Supported by Creative Ireland and the Shared Island Initiative, RTÉ’s This is Art! continues its mission to champion and platform young creativity across the island of Ireland. The annual all-island competition invited young people aged 18 and under to respond to this year’s theme: This is Nature! Across five age categories, entrants submitted work in a wide range of mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture, decoupage and mixed media.

77 young artists will receive prizes this year. First-place winners across all categories will receive a bespoke award created by artist and judge Maser. Second and third-place winners – 28 entrants – will receive bursaries to further develop their artistic practice. In addition, the top 20 entrants in each category will receive personal commendations from the judging panel.

2025 Category Winners

• Age 7 and under: Henry Sheehy (7), Clare – ‘The Woods’

• Age 8 to 11: Keira Shand (11), Offaly – ‘Roots of dreams under moonlit beams’

• Age 12 to 15: Robyn Summerbell (14), Wicklow – ‘A Wasted Life’

• Age 16 to 18: Evan Shanahan (17), Dublin – ‘Nature’s Call’

• Group Category: Dominican College, Taylors Hill, Galway – ‘Legend to Life’

This year’s judging panel – graffiti and street artist Maser, muralist and educator Joe Caslin, artist and fashion designer Helen Steele, Director of The Dock Mary Conlon, and ornithologist Sean Ronayne – met in Dublin last month to review the entries and select the winners. The judges were inspired by the depth of thought, imagination and confidence shown across the submissions, noting the powerful ways young people interpreted the theme, ‘This is Nature!’

Speaking about the entries, the judges had this to say:

• Visual artist Maser said, “Art gave me a voice when I didn’t always have the words. It’s powerful like that – it lets you express who you are without asking for permission. Seeing the response to This is Art! was seriously inspiring. The creativity, individuality and confidence coming through the work was next level. You could feel the personality in every piece. That’s what it’s about – young people backing themselves and putting their ideas out into the world. The future of Irish creativity is in very good hands.”

• Muralist and educator Joe Caslin said, “One of the most powerful things about art is its ability to tell stories – stories about identity, community and belonging. What stood out to me throughout this competition was the honesty and bravery in the work. These young artists aren’t afraid to express who they are and what matters to them. The depth of thought and the level of skill on display made judging both inspiring and incredibly challenging.”

• Artist and fashion designer Helen Steele said, “We have so many incredibly talented young artists in this country – it’s something I’ve always believed, but now I can say it with absolute certainty. It was a pleasure to look through entries from children and young adults and see such originality, skill, passion and joy woven throughout their work. The only difficult part was choosing the winners – when so much talent was present, every decision felt monumental.”

• Director of the Dock, Mary Conlon, said, “At The Dock, we are committed to championing creativity at every stage of life, and this competition is a powerful reminder of why that matters. The imagination and confidence shown by the entrants was extraordinary. It’s vital that young people feel their creativity is valued and celebrated, and This is Art! does exactly that. We are immensely proud of all who took part.”

• Ornithologist Sean Ronayne said, “I wasn’t sure what to expect joining the judging panel as a representative of this year’s theme, ‘This is Nature!’, but reviewing the entries was an absolute joy. The talent and heart evident in so many pieces was deeply moving. It was fascinating to see the wide range of interpretations and the genuine care and dedication shown towards nature. I’m delighted to have been part of the judging line-up and proud to say we have a generation of thoughtful, talented young people in this country.”

Commenting on the winners’ announcement, RTÉ’s Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s and Young People’s Content, said:

“This Is Art! truly embodies our mission within Children’s & Young People’s Content at RTÉ. It provides a platform for talented young people to showcase their creativity and, in doing so, inspires others across the country to express themselves through art. It’s a privilege to be able to support young people in this way and to shine a light on the remarkable artists we have across the island of Ireland. We would encourage everyone to explore the digital gallery to experience the extraordinary entries from every corner of the country. If you haven’t already, visit the online gallery and see the talent for yourself.”

Visit the RTÉ This is Art! Digital gallery here: thisisart.rte.ie/submissions and explore entries from this and previous years. Follow @tia.ie on Instagram, @thisisart.ie on TikTok and @RTEjr on Facebook for more from RTÉ This is Art!

ENDS