Best Young Artist
James Joyce’s *A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man* explores the formative years of Stephen Dedalus, an Irish intellectual grappling with identity and artistic vocation. This modernist novel meticulously charts his psychological and philosophical evolution from childhood through early adulthood....
The Young Concert Artists International Auditions were founded in 1961 in New York by Susan Wadsworth as a career development program for gifted young classical musicians. Operating differently from traditional ranked competitions, the auditions select a roster of exceptional instrumentalists and vo...
Why this score?
Highly regarded career-launching audition program with major alumni and strong US classical industry influence.
Scoring methodology
Jeremy Earl Smith Jr., known professionally as Young Thug, is a prominent American rapper and songwriter recognized for his distinctive melodic flow, experimental production choices, and significant influence on trap music’s evolution since the early 2010s.
Spectacular Class is a 2019 blues album by American singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jontavious Willis. Released by Kind of Blue Music, it contains ten songs written by Willis and draws on Delta, Piedmont, Texas, country, gospel, and acoustic blues traditions. Willis performs vocals and acoustic gu...
Why this score?
Acclaimed young traditionalist debut praised for stylistic knowledge, musicianship, songwriting promise, and authentic delivery.
Scoring methodology
Samara Joy is an American jazz vocalist recognized for her rich tone and interpretations of mid-20th-century jazz standards. Born into a musical family in the Bronx, she gained prominence while studying at Fordham University, eventually winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competi...
Joey Alexander is an Indonesian jazz pianist and composer who gained international attention while still a child. His debut album, My Favorite Things, was released in 2015 and featured interpretations of jazz standards performed with established musicians. Known for an improvisational style rooted i...
Marlon Starling, known professionally as Young Dolph, was a Memphis-based rapper and songwriter who rose to prominence in the late 2010s with hits like “You” and “Pop Out,” establishing himself as a significant figure within the trap music scene.
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, rose to prominence through prolific releases of trap and melodic rap music characterized by raw emotion and often violent lyrical themes, establishing himself as a significant figure in contemporary hip-hop.
