Young people from across Australia have used writing, photography and digital media to explore how faith can inspire courage, compassion and action in the 2026 Australian Catholics Young Voices Awards.
Nearly 400 entries were received for the 2026 Australian Catholics Young Voices Awards (YVA), which invited students in years 5–12 to respond to the theme “To go boldly: The path of faith and justice”.
Presented by Australian Catholics in partnership with Australian Catholic University, the annual awards encourage young people to use their creativity to engage with issues that matter to them and to make their voices heard.
Entries came from schools around Australia and explored a range of subjects, including care for the environment, bullying, mental health, migration, disability, violence against women, cultural identity, community, faith and belonging.
Students competed across Junior (years 5–6), Intermediate (years 7–9) and Senior (years 10–12) sections, with awards presented in print, photography and digital media.
This year’s winning entries demonstrated that going boldly does not always mean making grand gestures. Many students instead focused on the courage found in everyday choices: noticing someone in need, caring for creation, standing against injustice, building community and recognising the dignity of others.
The judging panel praised the breadth of issues tackled by entrants and the particularly strong standard of this year’s digital work.
“Once again, the writers and creators showed a passion for numerous social justice issues, and the digital entries especially were excellent quality,” the judges said.
The judging panel comprised Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ; Jesuit Communications head of publishing and digital content Michael McVeigh; Australian Catholics editor Michele Frankeni; and Australian Catholics assistant editor – education and youth Laura Kings.
Writing educator Sarah Bakker, head of education at competition sponsor Seven Steps, said competitions such as the YVA provided students with something particularly valuable: an authentic audience.
She said encouraging students to see themselves as writers could transform the way they approached writing, giving them the confidence to make deliberate choices about how they engage, persuade and entertain their readers.
For the full list of winners, visit Australian Catholics.
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Catholic Teacher Blog: Young Australians go boldly for faith and justice (Australian Catholics)
