The change young people in Turkey have long been calling for is becoming a reality on a national scale for the first time this year. At a time when the credibility of popular award ceremonies is being questioned, amid growing criticism of the same names winning again and again, the impartiality of juries and pressure from managers and companies, young people are now having their say! Shaped entirely by the votes of university students, “Türkiye’nin Öğrenci Ödülleri” (Turkey’s Student Awards) is being launched with the participation of more than 300 clubs from 79 universities in 43 cities. Transparent, independent and without precedent in Turkey, this model allows young people to build their own national awards platform for the first time.
At a time when debate over award mechanisms in Turkey has intensified in recent years, and young people’s trust in particular has been shaken, a national awards ceremony that leaves every decision to university students is being launched for the first time. “Türkiye’nin Öğrenci Ödülleri” is decided entirely by young people, with the participation of more than 300 student clubs at 79 universities in 43 cities.
Young People Have the Final Say! No Jury, No Management Lobbying, No Sponsor Pressure
The most striking aspect of this new model is that, from start to finish, no jury, production company, manager or corporate lobby has any role in the process. Nominees are chosen in a preliminary vote by student clubs active at universities; then comes the general vote, open to all university students in Turkey. A total of 144 names across 36 categories, with four finalists in each, are determined entirely by this preliminary selection made by young people. For the names that rise above hundreds of nominees, the final word once again belongs solely to university students. The aim is that young people who have complained for years that “the same names win every year” will, for the first time, see a set of winners that truly reflects their own choices.
79 universities and more than 300 student clubs from every corner of Turkey
This year, for the first time, university students are not merely voters but decision-makers who shape every step of the process. In the preliminary vote held from 6 to 14 November, more than 300 clubs from 79 universities chose the names to feature in 36 categories. Four finalists were then selected in each category and put to a general vote open to university students across the country. The general vote, running from 17 November to 7 December, can only be cast using an email address ending in edu.tr and through a two-step verification system, raising vote security and transparency to the highest level.
The Year’s Best in 36 Categories to Be Chosen for the First Time by All Universities Together
Awards will be presented in a total of 36 categories spanning acting, music, sport, social media content creation, production and many more fields. The ceremony will be streamed live on YouTube for around five hours. All revenue generated during the broadcast, along with “super chat” donations, will go into a special scholarship fund set up to support university students.
The Grand Final at Haliç Congress Centre on 21 December
The final night will be staged as a spectacular event at the Haliç Congress Centre, which seats 3,004 people. Going beyond a conventional awards ceremony, the event is turning into a major youth festival bringing together students from all over Turkey. Borusan Next, the event’s Silver Sponsor, is providing significant support for empowering the young talents of the future and for launching a new youth platform in Turkey. All preparations for the ceremony are being carried out by a team of young volunteers from various universities.
