Baden-Württemberg Youth Theater Award 2026 Honors Bold Teen Stories and New Voices
Sergei Gößner Wins Baden-Württemberg Youth Theater Award 2026 for I See Something / You Don't
The Baden-Württemberg Youth Theater Award has honored Sergei Gößner's I See Something / You Don't as this year's outstanding production, while Leah Luna Winzely (The Water Man) receives the emerging artist prize, and Kai Bosch and the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart (JES) secure the project grant for their developmental work 10 Out of 10.
One of the most prestigious awards for young audiences in the German-speaking world, the Baden-Württemberg Youth Theater Award carries a total purse of €27,500. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts, it is presented biennially to celebrate innovative works in youth theater.
Engaging the Audience of Tomorrow
"Let's focus on the audience of the future—and what could be more powerful than young people seeing their own worries and dreams reflected on stage? Theater for young audiences is a vital space where they connect, explore their identities, and, above all, have fun," said Arne Braun, State Secretary for the Arts. "For over 40 years, this award has recognized exceptional new works that speak to young people. My warmest congratulations to Sergei Gößner, Leah Luna Winzely, and Kai Bosch with the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart on this well-deserved honor."
A specialist jury—comprising representatives from member theaters of the Arbeitskreis Junges Theater Baden-Württemberg, along with external experts—selected the winners from nearly 100 submissions. In a first for the award, the jury also compiled a longlist of particularly noteworthy works. The prizes will be presented on May 19, 2026, as part of the International Children's and Youth Theater Festival Beautiful View at the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart.
First Prize (€15,000): Sergei Gößner – I See Something / You Don't
With I See Something / You Don't, playwright Sergei Gößner invites audiences into a fragile world of adolescent memory: a house party, spin the bottle, a first kiss—maybe more? But what if those memories aren't carefree, but laced with trauma? Through sensitive, almost poetic language, the play navigates the blurred lines between recalling, suspecting, and wanting to forget. Gößner crafts a multilayered exploration of sexualized violence among teens, power imbalances, uncertainty, shame, and the struggle to set boundaries—and to find the right words to be heard.
Longlist: - Freek Mariën – Everyman - Simone Saftig – Heart Over Head - Lena Riemer – unripe
Emerging Artist Prize (€5,000): Leah Luna Winzely – The Water Man
The Water Man immerses its audience in a world where longing takes center stage. Lasse is convinced his father isn't with him and his mother because he's a water man—but his classmates mock him for it. Fortunately, Ju stands by him. With rich, effervescent prose, Winzely sweeps readers into a current of emotions, painting a tender friendship that offers space to grieve and grow in one's own way.
Longlist: - Lili Roesing – Backstroke - Regina Dürrig – New Bodies at the End of the World - Jara Nassar – Two Hundred Degrees Cold
Project Grant (€7,500): 10 Out of 10 – Kai Bosch & Junges Ensemble Stuttgart
10 Out of 10, a new work for 10- to 13-year-olds, will explore the lived experiences of young people with disabilities—not through a lens of limitation, but with humor. The project is a close collaboration between JES and Stuttgart-based comedian Kai Bosch, who was born with tetraspasticity and a stutter. The production will feature a mixed-ability cast, and JES is also in talks with disabled artists for directing roles, ensuring authentic representation both onstage and behind the scenes.
