Ocean Awareness Contest Awards

Cash awards are presented to winners in all of the categories at both the Junior and Senior Division levels. There are no requirements for what you must do with your cash award; we hope that you will use it to further your passion for the environment and your creative talent.

Image displaying six award levels with corresponding cash prizes: Gold $1,000, Silver $750, Bronze $500, Pearl $250, Distinguished Honorable Mention $100, Honorable Mention $50.

Student Artist: Aarav Dengla
Student Artist: Aarav Dengla
Smithsonian Creativity in Resilience Award

Bow Seat is thrilled to announce a new award for the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Creativity in Resilience Award recognizes exceptional work across all creative art categories that exemplify the Contest sub-theme of Resilience. 10 $250 awards in both the Junior Division (ages 11-14) and Senior Division (ages 15-18) – a total of 20 awards – will be offered. Smithsonian’s Life on a Sustainable Planet is designed to advance and inspire global engagement in environmental stewardship. This comprehensive program applies the Smithsonian’s expertise in science, outreach, and education to foster holistic approaches to preserving ecosystems, building resilience, and educating the world about sustainable climate solutions.

The 2025 Contest sub-theme of Resilience asks young people to consider how to build environmental resilience in their communities and explore what creative strategies could strengthen the connection between people and nature in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. All creative works from any country will be eligible for this award. Judges from the Smithsonian will select the winners, who will be announced alongside all other Contest winners. Selection for this award does not preclude participants from being considered for any other Bow Seat Contest award.

Student Artist: Orion Yang
Student Artist: Orion Yang
United by Nature “Author’s Spotlight”

U.S.-based students who participate in the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest in any category will automatically be considered for a United by Nature “Author’s Spotlight”. 15 entries will be featured and paired with themes in the groundbreaking United by Nature report by its writers. 

The United by Nature report, formerly known as the National Nature Assessment, aims to take stock of U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and the benefits they provide to our economy, health, climate, environmental justice, and national security. The report will also look ahead at how nature might change in the future, and what those changes may mean for our economy and our lives. It will be published in 2026.

Selection for this award does not preclude participants from being considered for any other Bow Seat Contest award.

Student Artist: Orion Yang
Student Artist: Orion Yang

Update: In the time since our initial collaboration was announced, the U.S. Global Change Research Program has been ordered to discontinue their work on the National Nature Assessment. However, the team of scientists working on this report, led by Dr. Phillip Levin, is currently pursuing other avenues to continue to build on and publish their work under its new name, United by Nature. As such, we are still fully committed to working with the authors of the report to spotlight works of art from this year’s Contest to advance the mission of protecting and raising awareness of natural environments. 

Through this collaboration, we hope to continue amplifying the National Nature Assessment and the work of the many scientists around the country who have contributed their time and expertise for the public good. We will share any information about this as we come to know more. 

We All Rise Prize

As part of Bow Seat’s long-term effort to increase the diversity of our program participants, we sponsor the We All Rise Prize, awards totaling $5,000 specifically for youth in the U.S. who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Latine.

Five $500 awards in both the Junior Division (ages 11-14) and Senior Division (ages 15-18)—a total of 10 awards—will be offered to students in the U.S. who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Latine in the Ocean Awareness Contest, and whose entries demonstrate notable artistic achievement in their chosen category. Cash awards are not restricted and can be used for tuition, art supplies, or personal expenses. Select winning artwork will also be featured in promotional materials for the following year’s We All Rise Prize.

Bow Seat has historically had awesome participation from students who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander—in 2022, they made up 50% of our participants—compared to 16% for those identifying as Black, Indigenous, and Latine combined. That’s why we’re making a concerted effort to engage these demographic groups.

Voice of the Sea Award

In Partnership with Poet/activist/educator Tayllor Johnson

As the Ocean Awareness Contest has grown over the years, young artists have continued to push the boundaries of our categories in ways that have intrigued and moved us. The Voice of the Sea Award was inspired by receiving a growing number of spoken word poems—pieces that truly came alive through performance. To celebrate this powerful mode of expression, Bow Seat recognizes one spoken word poetry submission with Voice of the Sea Awards in each age division: one $500 award for a Junior submission, and one $500 award for a Senior submission. Entries must follow the requirements for submitting in the Poetry & Spoken Word category.

Bay State Award (Massachusetts students only)

All Ocean Awareness Contest participants who reside in Massachusetts will be automatically considered for the Bay State Award, a special recognition to celebrate the creative young artists, thinkers, and activists in our home state! From the Housatonic River to the Quabbin Reservoir to the Atlantic Ocean, water connects us all and plays a wicked important role in the Commonwealth’s economy, culture, and health of our human and non-human residents. Up to 3 winners in each age division will each receive a $100 cash award.

Hometown Award (Boston, Massachusetts students only)

This award recognizes talented students in Bow Seat’s hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Up to 3 winners in each age division will each receive a $100 cash award.

Publishing, Art Exhibitions, and Special Opportunities

As a winner, you may have a special opportunity to showcase your talents worldwide while raising awareness of environmental issues to a broader community. Bow Seat organizes art exhibitions, pop-up shows, and social media campaigns; curates anthologies of art and poetry; finds opportunities to publish student writing; and showcases all winning student work in our online gallery. As part of Bow Seat’s student art collection, your creative piece will help to educate and inspire audiences to take action!

Upcoming Events & Exhibits
Awards for Educators

If you are a teacher or youth program coordinator who uses the 2025 Contest in your physical or remote classroom, we want to hear from you! Bow Seat grants Educator Innovation Awards to acknowledge the efforts of individuals who are teaching students about ocean issues and empowering them to be creative stewards of our blue planet. Educators can nominate themselves or a colleague.

Learn More