European Youth Award Names Three Nominees
Hold Onto Me, I Matter and Iron Boy are in contention for the European Young Audience Award 2027, with a winner set for January.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Youth
The European Film Academy has nominated three films for the European Young Audience Award 2027, including Hold Onto Me, a Cyprus-Greece-Denmark co-production directed by Myrsini Aristidou. The other nominees are I Matter by Alina Șerban and Iron Boy by Louis Clichy, with nominations announced on 1 November in Glasgow.
Why it matters
The award, which has recognised European films for viewers aged 12 and above since 2012, gives young people a direct role in choosing the winner through juries and a pan-European ballot. It reflects a broader effort to bring European cinema to younger audiences across multiple countries.
Three films are nominated for the 2027 award, and this year's programme involves 45 partner organisations across 30 countries. The eligible films are aimed at viewers aged 12 and above, and the final winner has not yet been determined.
The players
European Film Academy
The European Film Academy is the body that runs the European Film Awards and oversees the European Young Audience Award, which it has been presenting to European films since 2012.
Myrsini Aristidou
Myrsini Aristidou is the director of Hold Onto Me, a Cyprus-Greece-Denmark co-production that is one of the three films competing for the 2027 award.
The details
Young jurors help evaluate submissions and select the finalists before connecting by video link to cast votes in a pan-European ballot. Screenings and discussions will run from November through January as part of the European Awards Season, and this year marks the first collaboration with the Glasgow Film Festival.
Timeline
2012: The European Young Audience Award begins recognising European films for viewers aged 12 and above.
1 November 2026: Nominations are announced in Glasgow, concluding with a screening of Hold Onto Me at the Grosvenor Picture Theatre.
November 2026 to January 2027: Screenings and discussions take place during the European Awards Season.
16 January 2027: The winning film is announced during the 39th European Film Awards in Athens.
Season Trajectory
The 2027 nominations extend an award that has recognised youth-oriented European cinema since its 2012 launch, and this year's first partnership with the Glasgow Film Festival broadens its reach. The result will feed into the 39th European Film Awards, positioning the award as a fixed event within the European awards calendar.
Young viewers across participating countries can watch the nominated films during screenings and discussions held from November to January. Those aged 12 and above can take part in the process by joining the youth juries and voting.
The takeaway
Audiences interested in European film can follow the nominated titles through the November to January screenings and see the result at the January ceremony in Athens.
What happens next
The winning film will be announced on 16 January 2027 during the 39th European Film Awards ceremony in Athens, after youth juries cast votes in a pan-European ballot.
Further reading
Explore more stories in the Youth section for context on how young audiences shape cultural trends.
