PAYPA Excellence Awards 2025
Sam Scott receiving the Peter Wilson Award for Significant Contribution to Performing Arts & Young People at the 2024 PAYPA Awards.
Closing Date for Nominations: October 15th 2025
PAYPA has an annual hui that brings together practitioners who make performing arts for/by/with young people. In 2025 we are celebrating our practitioners with two industry-nominated awards that highlight and champion the excellent work being produced throughout Aotearoa
For these awards, 'performing arts' encompasses theatre, dance, music, Māori performing arts and puppetry; 'young people' are ages 0-25.
The PAYPA Emerging Artists Award
For a new company or individual who has made a splash in the Performing Arts industry.
Eligibility: The recipient must be a New Zealand resident and work professionally in the field of Performing Arts and Young People.
Criteria: This award can be given to a company/individual who is new to making performing arts work for/with young people, or to an artist under 25 who is producing excellent work in the performing arts.
NB: You can nominate yourself or your own company.
Past Winners:
Ben Ashby, Long Cloud Youth Theatre - 2022
Te Kura Maninirau - 2024
Submit a nomination for the PAYPA Emerging Artists Award
The PAYPA Award for Production of The Year
For a production for/by or with young people that shows overall excellence in form and content and has resonated superbly with its intended audience.
Eligibility/Criteria: This award is for a single production and can be awarded to a company that works in a professional capacity making performing arts work for/by or with young people
NB: You can nominate yourself or your own company.
You MUST submit a full, unedited video of the show for judging.
Past Winners:
Dakota of The White Flats, Red Leap - 2022
Messy Magic Adventure, Rollicking Entertainment - 2024
Submit a nomination for the PAYPA Award for Production of the Year
The awards will be judged by a panel of practitioners appointed by PAYPA and announced at the PAYPA Hui - November 7-9th.