JULY 11-17, 2026 : BALL STATE UNIVERSITY : MUNCIE, IN
NATIONAL YOUTH
CONFERENCE PAGEANT
2026
PAGEANT INFORMATION
This year’s conference will include the annual pageant for Mr. and Miss National Youth Conference (ages 16-20) and Mr. & Miss National Congeniality (ages 13-15).
Contestants for these titles must be the winners of their respective state pageants in these categories.
Click here to download the 2026 national pageant registration packet.
REGISTRATION:
Pageant registration forms MUST be submitted to the National Youth Conference via the address provided, attention Brother Phillip Wade, by mid-night on June 15th, 2026, with the following necessary information completed: Position competing for, Phone number, Date of birth, Local congregation, Talent to be displayed, Speech topic with all information legible (easy to read). Please NOTE: Only the Youth Workers of youth competing can submit registration forms.
Letters of Recommendation for all contestants must come from one of the following sources: (1) Minister of their congregation, (2) Church Counselor, (3) Youth Worker, (4) School Counselor or Principal. If the contestant is not in high school, the recommendation letter from his/her place of employer will suffice. If they are not employed, a letter from an Elder of their congregation will be allowed. Whoever writes a letter must identify their position of authority to qualify the letter. Failure to register a contestant by the deadline date could result in their disqualification. ALL LETTERS MUST BE TYPED and Signed with Pen and Ink!
NOTE: Bonus Points: Three (3) additional points will be awarded for sending no less than two (2) letters of recommendation; Five (5) points for all three recommendations. Additionally, the following documentation is required to be submitted for each contestant.
• A completed NYC Conference registration form and registration fee submitted by
May 31, 2026
• A completed Pageant registration form and Pageant Participation fees submitted by
June 15, 2026
• A 4x6 or 5x7 good quality head shot photo submitted with Pageant Registration Form
• An essay of 100 words or more stating why they desire the title for which they are competing submitted with Pageant Registration Form
• A $30.00 Pageant Participation fee submitted with Pageant Registration Form
• A separate letter stating what their talent is going to consist of (please be specific). Talents that are original and spiritual are greatly encouraged. Please refrain from morbid skits such as murder, suicide, and drunkenness, etc. We do not want to glorify something that the Scriptures do not condone.
• Failure to submit all documents above could result in disqualification of the contestant.
• For questions, please contact Director Phillip Wade, at pwade0454@gmail.com or Pageant Coordinator Barbara Davis at barbaradavis730@gmail.com.
ONLY ONE YOUTH CAN COMPETE IN EACH DIVISION FROM A STATE
1. No youth who won a national title may compete again in the same division. If the age of a winner in Division – B changes to qualify youth to move into Division – A, this youth may compete again only in Division – A.
2. All youth must compete and win on the STATE level before competing at the National level. Youth may compete locally and win the state title and proceed to the National Conference to compete. If the youth does not win the title he or she is competing for on the National level in that same year, then that youth must start over again the next year from the state level. A youth must compete locally and win and proceed to the respective National division to represent his or her state in each category.
LOCAL STATE CONFERENCE AND STATE PAGEANT:
To select a representative from a given state, one congregation should be responsible for hosting the program. They should notify the other congregations in the state of their intentions, set a date, and have a program. All contestants will have an equal amount of time to perform before an impartial group of judges, usually made up of a panel of five (5). All contestants should be judged by the same criteria locally as they will be nationally. There should be, if enough contestants compete, four (4) state winners and four (4) runners-up. Trophies and awards should be given as encouragement and incentive.
REIGN OF WINNERS:
Reign of winners in a division will be for one (1) year. Those who do not win in the National Miss & Mr. National Youth Conference may compete again ONLY IN THIS DIVISION UNTIL HE OR SHE EITHER WINS OR EXCEEDS AGE LIMIT.
AGE:
A. The age qualification is from 13 to 20 years of age. There will be two divisions:
Division “A” (Ages 16 to 20): Miss National Youth Conference – and – Mr. National Youth Conference
Division “B” (Ages 13 to 15): Miss National Congeniality – and – Mr. National Congeniality
B. Married Youth Are Not Qualified. (Cannot Run).
C. NO Youth Who Is a Parent of a Child Is Qualified to Run.
Bro. Phillip Wade
Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ
2431 S. Marsalis Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75216
Contestants MUST compete by presenting a SPEECH ON THE CONFERENCE THEME AND A TALENT.
NOTE: Speech may be on any subtopic as well. Talent: Music, Dramatic reading, Compositions, Crafts, etc. Judges will allow contestants six (6) minutes to present his or her talent and speech using the time to the contestant’s best advantage. However, contestants will be penalized points for going over the time limit. A point will be subtracted from a contestant’s score for each minute over the limit for his or her performance.
NOTE: Each second will count as overtime. No other person (s) may vocalize in said performance or have an active part to lend additional performance credit to the contestant competing. Only one person is competing as an individual and not as a group, partners, etc. Check with Bro. Phillip Wade if there is doubt as to how another person (s) may be used. All extras must be silent.
PROPS: A voice recording on tape recorder or music background recorded may be used in moderation. Props should be kept to a bare minimum if any at all. If a youth does use props during their performance, then the following will apply to said youth: There will be only one (1) minute allowed for set-up of props and one (1) minute allowed for removal of props. The removal must be done smoothly and quietly.
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DRESS: If a contestant desires to wear a special outfit for his or her talent competition or performance, this is allowable. Youth should be dressed in said outfit when time to go on stage. After performance, there will be a time to change into formal attire. Dress should not be too extreme, lewd, or offensive. Formal wear is permissible throughout performance if desired. It is recommended that all young men wear ties with formal
A. There will be five (5) judges selected by Bro. Philip Wade. He may work through the local congregation or local college administrator.
B. Judges will decide winners by their markings of points on the score sheet for individual contestants. Scores are computed during the performance of contestants by a panel of scorekeepers. Upon reaching the completion of computation of scores, the winner’s name will be placed in a sealed envelope to be announced at the program’s finale.
C. Judges should be knowledgeable in the following: Music performance, speech delivery, and have keen perception and appreciation for individual personal talent. In addition, judges must be able to stay through the entire phase of the program, to listen to all contestants and judge fairly. Judges should be non-partisan.
D. Each contestant will be Judged on the following:
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Personal Appearance
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Poise
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Speech, content, delivery, originality
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Personality
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Special talent displayed
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E. The point system used by which a contestant may receive from one (1) to five (5) points in each category:
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1 Point – Poor
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2 Points – Fair
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3 Points – Good
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4 Points – Very Good
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5 Points – Outstanding!
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F. A total of (25) maximum points can be obtained, plus the extra points for registering letters on time. In the event of a tie, judges will render the tie breaking decision. Each contestant will appear on stage before the audience and judges. A relatively easy question on current affairs will be asked to each finalist. The contestant will then have to respond. The judges will determine which contestant answered best.
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Note: Any individuals desiring to attend the National Youth Conference Pageant that aren’t registered with the conference must pay a $15.00 entry fee.
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REGISTRATION: All pageant registration documents MUST BE POSTMARKED BY JUNE 15, 2026. To register for the pageant, mail all NYC Pageant Forms and fees to:
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Bro. Phillip Wade
Marsalis Avenue Church of Christ
2431 S. Marsalis Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75216
For questions regarding pageants, please contact Director Phillip Wade, I at pwade0454@gmail.com or Pageant Coordinator Barbara Davis at BarbaraDavis730@gmail.com.
