Mission & Vision | Artist of the Year

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MISSION

VISION

Artist of the Year is dedicated to identifying, celebrating, and empowering outstanding high school artists in the visual and performing arts. Through a prestigious, teacher-nominated platform, we recognize student talent, honor their artistic growth, and connect them to a vibrant and supportive creative community.

Our vision is to shape a vibrant and inclusive future for the arts by empowering student artists to see themselves not just as performers or creators, but as expressive, intentional artists. They are strengthened by recognition, confidence, and the skills needed to pursue college programs, earn scholarships, and launch professional creative careers.

ABOUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Orange County arts teachers are invited to recognize their top students through Artist of the Year, highlighting not just individual excellence, but the strength of their school’s arts programs. At its core, this is a competition—but more than that, it’s a celebration of artistry across Orange County’s high schools and arts programs.

The program launched in 2013 with input from more than 50 arts teachers across the county. The Orange County Register invited them to develop a way to honor their students in a way that would serve as a companion to Athlete of the Year—and this program is the result. Each year, we continue to consult with teachers to refine and evolve the process.

WHY YOU SHOULD NOMINATE

We want to encourage all teachers and instructors to nominate the top artists being cultivated by their program. Use this to celebrate artistry in your programs. Don’t worry about comparing yourselves to other programs or picking someone that is likely to be named Artist of the Year. Celebrate your students and where they are right now.

By nominating students, teachers can:

Highlight excellence in the arts programs at their schools. Being able to say your school has Artist of the Year nominees, semifinalists or finalists is a powerful way to spotlight your program and its success.
Give the arts their due. We often hear that the arts don’t get the same recognition as sports. This is one way to change that narrative. The Orange County Register can’t showcase outstanding students if you don’t help identify them.
Celebrate your top talent. A nomination means a student is among the best in your program. It’s a meaningful recognition of their work and dedication.
Help students prep for college, scholarships, and careers. For many, it is their first time creating work they can showcase to colleges, scholarship committees, or potential employers by building résumés, audition reels, or portfolios that strengthen their applications. This preparation helps them develop confidence, persistence, and critical thinking skills, all qualities that will serve them well beyond the arts.
Build artistic community. Nominees become part of a county-wide network of peers, giving them exposure to new styles, voices and ideas.
Connect students with arts professionals. We recruit top working artists, arts faculty and industry professionals from across Southern California to evaluate the nominees.
Extend a vote of confidence. Students feel seen when they’re invited to show their work. Parents beam. Friends brag. Schools cheer. Being chosen to represent their school? Priceless.
Encourage a mental shift. Many students tell us the process helped them stop thinking of themselves simply as dancers, musicians or designers and start seeing themselves as artists with a point of view. The questions we ask help them dig into the “why” of what they do.
Go public with your support. All nominees, semifinalists, finalists and Artists of the Year are published in The Orange County Register.

About Artist of the Year

What is an Artist of the Year?

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MISSION

VISION

ABOUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR

WHY YOU SHOULD NOMINATE

Highlight excellence in the arts programs at their schools. Being able to say your school has Artist of the Year nominees, semifinalists or finalists is a powerful way to spotlight your program and its success.

Give the arts their due. We often hear that the arts don’t get the same recognition as sports. This is one way to change that narrative. The Orange County Register can’t showcase outstanding students if you don’t help identify them. ​

​Celebrate your top talent. A nomination means a student is among the best in your program. It’s a meaningful recognition of their work and dedication.

Build artistic community. Nominees become part of a county-wide network of peers, giving them exposure to new styles, voices and ideas.

Connect students with arts professionals. We recruit top working artists, arts faculty and industry professionals from across Southern California to evaluate the nominees.

Extend a vote of confidence. Students feel seen when they’re invited to show their work. Parents beam. Friends brag. Schools cheer. Being chosen to represent their school? Priceless.

Encourage a mental shift. Many students tell us the process helped them stop thinking of themselves simply as dancers, musicians or designers and start seeing themselves as artists with a point of view. The questions we ask help them dig into the “why” of what they do.

Go public with your support. All nominees, semifinalists, finalists and Artists of the Year are published in The Orange County Register.

Give the arts their due. We often hear that the arts don’t get the same recognition as sports. This is one way to change that narrative. The Orange County Register can’t showcase outstanding students if you don’t help identify them.

Celebrate your top talent. A nomination means a student is among the best in your program. It’s a meaningful recognition of their work and dedication.