GEMA International Student Speaker Competition 2026
About This Tournament
GEMA's International Student Speaker Competition is an online contest for Kindergarten to Grade 12: each student records one 1 to 3 minute speech on their category's topic and submits the video by 31 October.
GEMA's International Student Speaker Competition is a recorded-video contest for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, run from Dubai and open to every country. Each student gives one speech of 1 to 3 minutes, in English, on the topic set for their category, and the video is submitted by 31 October 2026. Three judges score content, oratory, presentation, clarity of thought and confidence. Each category has a winner (trophy and certificate) and five medallists, and every entrant receives a certificate. Results are published online in late November.
This year's topics: KG, "Why I Love My Family"; Grades 1-3, "If I Could Invent One Law"; Grades 4-6, "Is Competition Good or Harmful?"; Grades 7-9, "Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Human Creativity?"; Grades 10-12, "Is Academic Success Overrated?". It is a friendly first competition for younger speakers and a quick, low-pressure entry for older ones. Our coach helps your child plan and write the speech, rehearses the delivery, and checks the recording against GEMA's rules before we submit it.
What's included if you sign up through us
- 2 hours of 1-on-1 coaching: planning, writing and rehearsing the speech
- A check of the final video against GEMA's rules before it goes in
- Registration and the US$15 GEMA entry fee, handled by us
- Written feedback from the coach on the finished speech
Tournament Details
Dates
Oct 31, 2026, 11:59 PM (GST)
Duration
1 day
Location
Online
Timezone
Asia/Dubai
Eligibility
Ages 4–18
Max Team Size
1 student
Registration Deadline
Oct 17, 2026, 11:59 PM (GST)
Organiser
GEMAFrequently Asked Questions
What does the video need to look like?
One take, 1 to 3 minutes, filmed landscape on a phone or camera, in a quiet, well-lit room, with formal dress. The student speaks to the camera rather than reading, and opens with GEMA's set introduction (name, country, grade, school and topic); we give you the exact wording. The video must be new and made only for this competition.
What do you need from us to register?
After you sign up we ask for a copy of an ID (school ID, passport, residence permit or birth certificate) and a clear photo of your child, which GEMA requires with every entry. We book the coaching sessions, and the finished video goes in well before the 31 October deadline.
$278.57 USD
per student
Secure payment via Stripe · Bank transfer accepted
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