Now in its 10th year, #YoungWoodPro has become more than a contest, offering a varied resource for anyone new to professional woodworking.

The #YoungWoodPro contest is designed to spotlight and honor people who are at the early stages of their woodworking career. The contest has attracted a wide range of spectacular work, ranging from full kitchens to custom furniture and even a boat.
This year the contest continues a partnership with Grizzly Industrial to not only up the ante on prizes for the contest but extend past the contest to a full year of resources for those starting out in professional woodworking.

Matt Buell of M. Buell Design continues as host of the contest and lead coach for the people who make up the #YoungWoodPro audience. As part of his role, he is also a judge in the contest.

Entries open
Beginning March 10, the 2025 #YoungWoodPro Contest will be open for entries. The contest extends to April 18.
During that time young woodworking professionals are encouraged to enter directly using the online form, or post a picture of their woodworking project along with a brief description on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter), using the hashtag #YoungWoodPro.

Joel Keener, a 24-year-old student at Thaddeus Stevens Technical College in Pennsylvania, captured the 2024 first prize with a credenza bar. It features cherry wood and makore veneer with brass accents. Since winning the contest, Keener has launched a career as a professional woodworker.

How to Enter
Entries are limited to one per person, and entrants must be between the ages of 18-35, (by year’s end 2025), be a professional woodworker, and be a current resident of the United States or Canada. Judging of your project is based on the photo you post so good photography is essential. Deadline for entries is April 18, 2025.

Big prizes
The 2025 #YoungWoodPro contest winner will receive a $500 monetary award from Woodworking Network and will be featured on WoodworkingNetwork.com and in an upcoming issue of FDMC magazine.

In addition, Grizzly Industrial is generously offering the winner a $2,000 shopping spree, redeemable for any of the tools & machinery or other products sold through their online store at Grizzly.com.

More details
To see photos and stories about past winners and get more information about the contest, go to woodworkingnetwork.com/community/youngwoodpro. 

You will also find there advice from Matt Buell about getting started as a woodworking professional, including notes to his younger self of things he wished he’d known when he got started and a number of videos talking about challenges for those starting out in professional woodworking.

For questions about the contest, you can also email [email protected].