Rising Star

The 2025 CNE Rising Star Talent Competition will introduce its 38th year of showcasing young artists. The competition features talented performers in a wide variety of genres competing for prize money in front of a live audience of CNE fairgoers. The Rising Star Competition applications are now open! Deadline to apply is May 30, 2025 at 4pm.

Details for this year:

• Online application form is now available here. This competition is only open to residents of Ontario, Canada. Deadline for entering is May 30, 2025 at 4pm.
• Entries that make it into the competition level will be informed around the end of June.
• View the Guidelines, Rules & Regulations here. 
• There are two age divisions: Junior 6-12 year old and Youth 13 – 21 year old. 
• There are three levels: preliminaries, semi-finals & finals. 
• Prize amounts for 2025 will be: 
  • Junior Grand Champion $2,000
  • Junior First Runner Up $1,000
  • Junior Second Runner Up $700
  • Junior Third Runner Up $500
  • Youth Grand Champion $3,500
  • Youth First Runner Up $2,000
  • Youth Second Runner Up $1,000 
  • Youth Third Runner Up $800