YLJC Students Win 2026 National YoungArts Competition 🎹 🎷 🎉

🎉 YLJC Students Malik Minert and Kahlil Childs Named 2026 National YoungArts Winners

Celebrating outstanding achievement in jazz and artistic excellence

We are proud to announce that Kahlil Childs and Malik Minert, students at Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, have been named 2026 Winners of the National YoungArts Competition. This prestigious national honor recognizes the top emerging young artists in the country through a highly competitive blind adjudication process, representing roughly the top seven percent of applicants nationwide.

Each year, YoungArts winners are selected from a national pool of artists ages 15–18 across visual, literary, and performing arts. Award recipients are eligible for mentorship, financial awards, and national performance opportunities, along with long-term creative and professional support. Past winners include artists such as Viola Davis, Terence Blanchard, Amanda Gorman, and Timothée Chalamet, placing Kahlil and Malik among an extraordinary community of young creatives.

Kahlil Childs, a 16-year-old multi-reedist and composer from San Diego, was recognized for jazz saxophone. A featured student at Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, Kahlil studies closely under the mentorship of Gilbert Castellanos and has built an impressive résumé that includes performances at the Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and a recent European debut leading his quartet in Hungary. His work reflects a deep commitment to the jazz tradition and original composition at a remarkably young age.

Kahlil shared the following about his experience at Young Lions Jazz Conservatory:

“I have been a student at Young Lions Jazz Conservatory for almost seven years. I began playing the saxophone when I was nine and joined YLJC when I was ten. The instruction and experience at YLJC have been instrumental in giving me the tools to become a better musician. Gilbert’s mentorship has taught me so much about this great tradition. Young Lions has provided me with wisdom, guidance, and performance opportunities, and has strengthened and supported me to be the musician I am today.”

— Kahlil Childs

Malik Minert earned the 2026 YoungArts Jazz Piano Award, marking his second consecutive year receiving this national recognition. Malik credits his musical growth to the immersive performance environment and mentorship he receives each week through Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, both in the classroom and on the bandstand.

Malik shared the following reflection on YLJC:

“It was truly a great honor to receive the 2026 YoungArts Jazz Piano Award. Though there are so many people to thank, I want to express my deep gratitude to the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory. YLJC has been inexpressibly important in my development as a musician, and I could not have received this YoungArts award without it. Working with Gilbert Castellanos every week, both in the classroom and on the bandstand, has given me a knowledge of jazz and its rich history that I could not have gained anywhere else. Learning the hard bop tradition through the music of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Freddie Hubbard, and having unlimited opportunities to play with both peers and professionals, has helped me grow immensely, not only as a musician but as a person. Most importantly, YLJC introduced me to a community of like-minded musicians who care deeply about the music and its enduring tradition. Without this community, I would not be where I am today.”

— Malik Minert

We congratulate Kahlil and Malik on this outstanding achievement. Their success reflects their dedication, artistry, and the impact of sustained mentorship, performance opportunities, and community at Young Lions Jazz Conservatory.