Discover the best productions of young audience music 2025!
The 16th edition of the YAMawards took place last night in Viljandi, Estonia, crowning the very best live music productions for young audiences.
YAM (Young Audiences Music) is JM International’s program dedicated to bringing exceptional live music experience to children and youth worldwide, with over 30,000 concerts held annually throughout the network. Since 2008, the YAMawards have been on the search for the very best in young audiences music productions from around the world. The YAMawards evening in Viljandi, Estonia was a truly unforgettable event, filled with magic, emotions, and joy. The level of music, depth of storytelling and passion inherent to each nominee is a testament to what it takes to engage and inspire young minds.
INTRODUCING THE 2025 WINNERS!
It’s time to meet the best live music productions for young audiences in 2025. These productions have been chosen from over 60 phenomenal submissions from 25 countries.
The YAMawards winners of 2025 are…
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: Best Small Ensemble
Production: Cavalcade en Cocazie
Producer: Rédèr Nouhaj
Country: France
Captivating from the very first moment, this performance brings imagination to life in its fullest sense. Blending musical brilliance with humour, clever costumes, and inventive props inspired by the natural world, the artist delights audiences of all ages. The observer is reminded that the world is filled with wonders waiting to be discovered. Each moment reveals a new turn, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. People, animals, and trees become powerful storytellers. Using music as a bridge between worlds, traditional melodies and rhythms merge with personal artistry to create a timeless and distinctive soundscape. In this space, characters speak in their own voices—leaving room for our imagination to complete the picture, a reminder that the best stories are often the ones we finish ourselves.
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: Best Large Ensemble
Production: "What on earth"
Producer: Cornelia Voglmayr
Country: Austria
With their riveting production ”What on Earth” the energetic and ambitious, young Austrian String ensemble, Inn:Wien Ensemble, has created a deeply engaging concert experience in close collaboration with their artistic director and choreographer Cornelia Voglmayr. With this impressive and poetic performance the ensemble not only manages to mix music by Vivaldi and Grieg with composers like Ethel Smyth and Victoria Yagling with great virtuosity; the 11 musicians have also put in the extra effort of enhancing and strengthening their skillful musical expression with a perfectly honed scenic approach. This includes extensive choreographed movement, storylines without words and everchanging tableaus and add extra layers of expression to the music. The combination of highly skilled musicianship with this playful and experimental kind of body movement presentation not only succeeds in weaving a strong artistic thread from start to finish – it creates a unique, compelling and quite unforgettable concert experience for all ages to enjoy!
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: Best Opera (Powered by RESEO)
Production: A la vie, à la mort! - forever -
Producer: Helene Bracke
Country: Belgium
With tenderness, honesty, and humour, À la vie, à la mort – forever – opens up one of the most delicate subjects of all: death and the experience of separation. Yet, rather than dwelling in sorrow, the performance ultimately becomes a heartfelt celebration of life in all its fragility, absurdity, and beauty. Using a minimalist set—a coffin, a few clouds—the show transports us through various imagined versions of the afterlife. It's a poetic, dreamlike space where grief and joy coexist. On stage, we meet a small, unusual ensemble: a live orchestra, a grandmother, a father... and a clown. Physical performer Anatoli Akerman, with his finely tuned gestures and understated humour, masterfully walks the tightrope between sorrow and playfulness, creating moments that are both moving and delightfully absurd. His performance invites us to laugh even through tears, and to feel deeply without fear. At the heart of the piece is the voice of children—heard in an evocative audio collage of real recorded conversations. Through their innocent, searching questions and candid reflections, we are drawn into a world where meaning is not given, but explored. Their voices guide us, offering a perspective on loss that is both disarming and wise. Directed by Hélène Bracke, À la vie, à la mort – forever – is a show for all generations. It speaks as much to children as it does to their parents and grandparents, opening up space for shared reflection, gentle conversation, and collective healing. In a world that often avoids speaking of death, this production dares to face it—gently, imaginatively, and with a deep love for life itself.
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: Best Participatory Project
Production: The Sound of the Northside
Producer: James Bingham
Country: Ireland
What happens when you hand over the stage to teenagers? The Sound of the Northside dares to do just that. The show creates a space not just for performance, but for real, unfiltered self-expression. The result is something both powerful and deeply moving: a performance that is as compelling to witness as it is to hear. This vibrant production is the result of a unique collaboration between the hip-hop collective The Kabin Crew and the Irish National Opera—two groups from very different musical worlds coming together to blend their traditions, skills, and creative energy. The outcome is a genre-defying theatrical showcase where music, dance, and theatre collide in the best possible way. Directed by One Two One, The Sound of the Northside is more than just a show—it's a participatory project that brings young people into the heart of the creative process. From the very first moments on stage, it's clear that these teenagers are not just performers; they are artists, storytellers, and collaborators. Their presence is electric, their voices are honest, and their joy is infectious. For the audience, it’s a reminder of what live performance can be: raw, joyful, and deeply human. It's a night that lives on in the memory—not just for the spectacle, but for the sense of community and celebration it inspires. You leave not just entertained, but moved, energized, and maybe even dancing.
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: Ebbe Høyrup Best School Concert
Production: Next Station
Producer: Meraki
Country: Serbia
The YAM Award for Best School Concert was awarded to Meraki String Quartet's production of "Next Station" in recognition of its outstanding artistic and educational value. The performance innovatively rethinks the form of the string quartet, integrating music, movement, and theatrical narrative into a coherent and accessible experience tailored to a young audience. A carefully selected repertoire, which includes masterpieces of classical music and traditional music from different cultures, contributes to the development of intercultural understanding and emotional connection. By performing by hearth and introducing choreographic elements, the ensemble breaks down the usual boundary between performer and audience, encouraging active listening and imaginative involvement. The quartet embodies commitment to innovation, a high level of musical performance, and pedagogical sensitivity in designing a concert that speaks to young audiences in a meaningful way, while remaining artistically consistent.
Photo: Silver Tõnisson
Category: The Public Choice Award
Production: Mifletset Baktanah (Kind of Monster)
Producer: Andy Cohen
Country: Israel
The Public Choice Award is the only YAMaward decided entirely by the fans, and this year, the competition was a close one. With nearly 200 votes cast, Mifletset Baktanah (Kind of Monster) rose to the top, winning audiences over with its exceptional performance, earning its well-deserved recognition! The production is a groundbreaking children’s opera composed by Ady Cohen with a libretto by Shira Patchornik. Performed by the Bat-Kol Girls Choir and the Israel Conservatory of Music in Tel Aviv, it tells the story of Shiri, a girl who struggles to connect with others until she discovers the power of song to break fear and misunderstanding.
RELIVE THE CEREMONY!
For those who couldn’t attend in person, you can relive the YAMawards experience through the official YouTube livestream by clicking here.
STAY IN TOUCH
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