Could you be the
Young Historian of the Year?
Share your passion for the past
We are looking for people aged 11-18 living or studying in Devon and Cornwall to join our Young Historian of the Year competition and show off their love for history.
The subject – British History. We want to know more about your favourite part of British history.
Whether you’re into Romans, Vikings, Tudors, or something more modern – there’s so many topics to choose from. You could explore epic battles, how people actually lived day-to-day, or how Britain responded to world events. As long as it’s about British history, you can pick whatever fascinates you the most.
Registration opens on Wednesday 1 April 2026.
How to apply
To apply for the Young Historian of the Year Competition, you must be aged 11-18 and be living or studying in Devon or Cornwall.
There will be two ways to submit your research for the competition:
Written Presentation – A traditional typed essay
Digital Presentation – A podcast or video presentation
To register your interest please complete the registration form using the button below. Please register your interest by Friday 29 May 2026.
How the competition works
The Young Historian of the Year competition will be split into two stages, and prizes will be awarded throughout the competition.
Stage One
Stage one is a chance for you to tell us about your history interests, and there are two ways to submit your research.
During this stage, you will be asked to answer the following questions, presented as either a Written Presentation (Traditional Typed Essay) or a Digital Presentation (Podcast or Video):
- Which is your favourite historical period?
- Which is your favourite historical site and why?
- What subject you would like to write about in British History and why if selected to be part of Stage Two?
Stage One Submission Deadline: Monday 29 June 2026. Any submissions
received after this date will not be included for judging.
We will notify everyone who has qualified from Stage One and are being invited to enter Stage Two by email by Monday 27 July 2026.
The Passion for the Past Award will be presented to those who have shown exceptional enthusiasm and love for history during their work within the first stage.
Stage Two
If you are selected to go through to Stage Two, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your history knowledge and show us your skills as a historian.
You will be asked to expand on the subject you told us about in the first stage of the competition. This is an opportunity to show off your research skills and tell us why you selected your chosen topic.
This should also be presented as either a Written Presentation (Traditional Typed Essay) or a Digital Presentation (Podcast or Video).
Stage Two Submission Deadline: Monday 1 November 2026. Any submissions received after this date will not be included for judging.
The Young Historian of the Year final results will be presented on Monday 28 December 2026.
The following awards will be given:
- Best Written Presentation (11-14 year olds)
- Best Digital Presentation (11-14 year olds)
- Best Written Presentation (15-16 year olds)
- Best Digital Presentation (15-16 year olds)
- Best Written Presentation (17-18 year olds)
- Best Digital Presentation (17-18 year olds)
The South West Awards are additional ‘special’ awards given to the best
presentations from Stage Two with a focus on the histories of the South West, particularly relating to Devon or Cornwall. These awards will also be presented on Monday 28 December. All winners will be notified by email.
Further Information
If you have any questions or queries relating to the competition, do not hesitate to get in touch at [email protected].