Qantas set to celebrate a successful 2013 with its ninth annual Spirit of Youth Awards tonight

Qantas will tonight hold its ninth annual Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA365), recognising 11 outstanding young Australians for their creative talent.

SOYA is the leading grants program for emerging creative talent and Qantas provides young Australians with financial and professional support to help them achieve their artistic goals.

Qantas group executive for brand, marketing and corporate affairs, Olivia Wirth said Qantas has supported the SOYA awards since their inception in 2004.

Says Wirth: “As Australia’s national carrier, we’ve been helping showcase Australian talent on the world stage for many decades, through business, food and wine, fashion, film and many varied industries.

“Qantas recognises the high level of skill and creativity that Australia has to offer and we are privileged to foster and promote such creative potential, particularly among young Australians.”

SOYA365 winners receive $5000 worth of air travel and a further $5,000 in cash aimed to help them expand their horizons and develop their contacts nationally and internationally.

Winners also receive a 12 month mentorship with a professional leader in their chosen field. Mentors offer strategic advice on the next steps forward on the road to success.

The evening, hosted by Adam Spencer, will showcase the work of each winner and will include special performances by ARIA award winners Birds of Tokyo, SOYA Music category runner-up Brendan McLean and DJs Stereogamous.

SOYA365 is a creative melting pot spanning 11 key creative disciplines; Visual Arts; Visual Design & Communications; The Written Word; Architecture & Interior Design; Fashion; Animation; Music; Interactive Content & Gaming; Photography; Craft & Object Design; Film & Video.

2014 marks the tenth year of SOYA and a new and exciting direction for the program.