Jugendtheaterpreis Baden-Württemberg
The Baden-Württemberg Youth Theatre Prize is traditionally awarded as part of SCHÖNE AUSSICHT. With a total of €27,500, the prize is one of the most highly endowed playwright prizes in the German-speaking world and includes a main prize, a sponsorship prize and a scholarship for play development with an author. The Youth Theatre Prize is sponsored by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.
Please register here: ticket@jes-stuttgart.de
Jugendtheaterpreis 2024 Photo: Domenique Brewing
The winners of the 2026 Baden-Württemberg Youth Theatre Prize have been announced:
Sergej Gößner has been awarded the 2026 Baden-Württemberg Youth Theatre Prize for “ich sehe was / was du nicht siehst.” The sponsorship prize goes to Leah Luna Winzely (“Der Wassermann”), and the scholarship goes to Kai Bosch and the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart (JES) for “10 von 10.”
With a total of €27,500, the prize is one of the most highly endowed playwright prizes in the German-speaking world. The Youth Theatre Prize is sponsored by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, and is open for submissions every two years.
The selection was made by a jury of experts comprising representatives from the member theaters of the Arbeitskreis Junges Theater Baden-Württemberg, as well as external experts. Around 100 plays were submitted. In addition to the winners, the jury compiled a longlist for the first time this year featuring plays it deemed particularly noteworthy. The award ceremony will take place on May 19, 2026, as part of the international children’s and youth theater festival “SCHÖNE AUSSICHT” at the Junges Ensemble Stuttgart.
Sergej Gößner (Photo: Magdalena Höfner)
Leah Luna Winzely
Main Prize (€15.000)
Sergej Gößner:„ich sehe was / was du nicht siehst“
Witth this play, Sergej Gößner invites us to remember: a house party, spin the bottle, the first kiss—perhaps more? But what if the memory isn’t carefree, but rather akin to a borderline experience? In sensitive, almost poetic tones, we navigate between remembering, guessing, and (wanting to) forget. Gößner sketches multifaceted perspectives on sexualized violence among young people, abuse of power, insecurity, shame, and the difficulty of setting boundaries – and finding the right words, above all, to be taken seriously.
Sponsorship Prize (€5.000)
Leah Luna Winzely:
„Der Wassermann“
The play opens up a world where longing, in all its forms, is given space to breathe. For Lasse firmly believes that his dad isn’t with him and his mom simply because he’s an Aquarius. But his classmates laugh at him for it. Fortunately, there’s Ju, who doesn’t leave Lasse alone. With rich, effervescent language, Leah Luna Winzely draws us into a torrent of emotions and portrays a loving friendship. that offers room for new, personal ways of coping with loss.
Scholarship (€7.500 )
Kai Bosch and Junges Ensemble Stuttgart: „10 von 10“
The play “10 von 10,” aimed at 10- to 13-year-olds, is intended to explore the everyday realities of young people with disabilities—not from a deficit perspective, but with humor. The development and implementation of the idea is planned as a close collaboration between the JES and young Stuttgart comedian Kai Bosch, who was born with tetraplegia and stuttering. A mixed-ability cast is also planned for the stage.
Longlist:
Lili Roesing: “Rückenschwimmen”
Regina Dürig: “Neue Körper am Ende der Welt”
Jara Nassar: “Zweihundert Grad Kalt”