This year we have an esteemed panel of judges who will be casting their vote on the winners and runners-up of the Cygnets National Art Awards across 7 categories. We’re delighted to have them on board and ahead of the competition closing on the 30th October, we thought you should get to know them a little better…
Tabby Booth
Tabby is a British artist, illustrator and curator, as well as the original co-founder of Cygnets Art School. Known for her distinctive silhouette style, her work treads a captivating line between contemporary illustration and traditional folk art painting, threaded with themes of beasts, folklore and the sea.
Tabby has collaborated with leading international brands across fashion, interiors and design, applying her distinctive visual language to collections ranging from textiles and wallpaper to objects and apparel. She is the co-founder of Sailor’s Jail Gallery, and her original paintings are exhibited and collected internationally.
We’re thrilled to have Tabby judging our awards this year. As an original co-founder of Cygnets, she knows our values inside out and understands what we hope to nurture in every young artist. Combined with her wonderful artistic eye, she’s perfectly placed to recognise the skill, imagination and confidence that shine through in this year’s entries.
Dr Jenni Bradford
Dr Jenni is an education expert and entrepreneur. She started, franchised, scaled and sold her first business within just eight years and before the age of 35. During that time, she worked with more than 103,000 children, won 19 prestigious awards, collaborated with 53 franchisees and over 1,300 teaching staff, and appeared on multiple local and national news outlets.
Today, Jenni heads up Team ICAP (the Institute of Children’s Activity Providers), supporting children’s activity providers to build brilliant, sustainable and responsible businesses. Through education, advocacy and professional development, ICAP champions quality across the children’s activity sector, helping more providers reach more families.
Jenni loves everything that Cygnets stands for – encouraging young artists to develop real skills, build confidence and express their creativity. She is delighted to be a judge for this year’s Cygnets National Art Awards and looks forward to seeing how young artists from across the UK bring this year’s theme, Colours of the Rainbow, to life. She can’t wait to celebrate the imagination, originality and talent of the next generation of creative artists. We’re so pleased to have Jenni’s experience and expertise on the panel.
Sophie Derrick
Sophie Derrick is a Wiltshire based artist whose practice sits between painting and photography, exploring portraiture, transformation and identity. She completed an MA in Fine Art at Wimbledon College of Art after graduating with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University of Leeds.
She has presented multiple solo exhibitions in London and exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, including at the London Art Fair, The British Art Fair, Affordable Art Fair (UK and US), Pulse Miami and Scope Miami. Her work has been selected twice for the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize, shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award, and exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, where one of her works was selected for reproduction as a poster for the Royal Academy shop.
Her work has been featured in publications including Create! Magazine, The Times, Wallpaper*, Livingetc and Art Maze Magazine, and she has collaborated with Liquitex on its 2025 campaign.
We’re delighted to welcome Sophie to this year’s judging panel. She has a fantastic artistic eye, and her own work shows a brilliant use of colour, which makes her a perfect fit for this year’s theme, Colours of the Rainbow. We can’t wait to see how she responds to the creativity and vibrancy our young artists bring to their entries.
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The Cygnets National Art Awards 2026 is a national competition designed to inspire, empower, and showcase the incredible work of children and young artists across the UK. This year’s theme is Colours of the Rainbow! We invite children aged 5+ to explore their creativity and submit their work for the chance to gain national recognition, win exciting prizes, and share their talent with the world.
Whether you’re a budding artist or a teacher guiding students, this competition offers a unique opportunity to shine on a national stage – all for free! Entries close on the 30th October. We’ll be announcing the finalists on the 9th November and then winners on the 16th November. You can enter here >
