More than 20 young people across Australia have been recognised for their creative talents in the 2012 National Youth Week National Talent Competition and Win Free Stuff competition.

Minister for Youth Peter Garrett today congratulated the winners of the National Talent Competition, which asked young Australians to showcase their talent in writing, short film, photography, music or design for their chance to win a share in almost $50,000 worth of prizes.

“The competition showcases the creativity and skills of young people and provides them with an opportunity to get a head-start in competitive and popular creative industries,” Mr Garrett said.

“It also help increase participation in the arts among our students. We know from the research that involvement in arts can help improve school performance, increase attendance and also helps boost self-esteem and social skills, so any program that encourages creativity is a good thing.

“I congratulate each of the winners in this year’s competitions for their efforts in expressing their ideas through film, image, stories and music.

“This competition not only offers prizes, it also opens the door to industry for young Australians to have their work reviewed by an expert in their field.”

Jacqui Norman from Victoria, winner of the DesignIT Senior category, said she was honoured to have her work recognised by some of Australia’s leading creative minds.

“For a young person to have the opportunity to put their work in front of a top industry professional is a rare and amazing opportunity. It’s a fantastic way to get a real head start in the highly competitive design industry,” Ms Norman said.

In addition to the winners selected by industry judges, nine People’s Choice winners were chosen by a popular vote. This year’s National Talent Competition was held during National Youth Week in April, which is Australia’s largest celebration of young people aged 12 to 25 years.

To find out more, and to view the full list of 2012 winners, visit the National Youth Week website 

National Youth Week is a Commonwealth, state, territory and local government initiative.