23/03/26
The response to RTÉ’s ‘This is Art!’ 2025 competition saw a surge in participation, with entries from young artists across the island of Ireland nearly doubling year-on-year. From drawings and paintings to sculptures, decoupage and mixed media, the competition showcased the boundless creativity and imagination flourishing among the next generation of artists.
With great excitement, ‘This is Art!’ proudly announces 77 young artists who have been named category winners of this year’s competition. These talented young artists will receive trophies, bursaries and prizes worth €10,000 in recognition of their outstanding work. Alongside the winners, the competition celebrates every young person who submitted an entry, each contributing to a vibrant and inspiring showcase of creativity from every corner of Ireland.
Supported by Creative Ireland and the Shared Island Initiative, the annual competition continues its mission to champion young creativity across the island of Ireland. Open to young people aged 18 and under, the 2025 competition invited participants to respond to this year’s theme: “This is Nature!” Across five age categories, young artists explored the theme through a diverse range of mediums, offering thoughtful, imaginative and powerful interpretations of the natural world.
This year’s first-place winners are:
These winners will receive a bespoke award designed by artist and judge Maser, celebrating their outstanding creativity. In addition, second and third place winners will receive bursaries to support the development of their artistic practice, while the top 20 entrants in each category will receive special commendations from the judging panel.
This year’s judging panel brought together an inspiring group of creative voices, including 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. The panel met in Dublin to review the submissions and was deeply impressed by the imagination, skill and thoughtfulness displayed in the entries.
Reflecting on the experience, the judges shared their thoughts on the incredible talent on display.
Maser: “Art gave me a voice when I didn’t always have the words. Seeing the response to ‘This is Art!’ was seriously inspiring. The creativity, individuality and confidence coming through the work was next level. The future of Irish creativity is in very good hands.”
Joe Caslin: “One of the most powerful things about art is its ability to tell stories – stories about identity, community and belonging. What stood out throughout this competition was the honesty and bravery in the work.”
Helen Steele: “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.”
Mary Conlon: “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.”
Sean Ronayne: “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, Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s and Young People’s Content at RTÉ, shared her pride in the competition’s impact:
“‘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 inspires others across the country to express themselves through art. It’s a privilege to shine a light on the remarkable young artists we have across the island of Ireland.”
Explore the RTÉ ‘This is Art!’ Digital Gallery at thisisart.rte.ie/submissions to discover the incredible entries from this year and previous competitions, and immerse yourself in the creative visions of these talented young artists.
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