The first ever National Youth Poetry Slam is the culmination of a rigorous selection process.
The 20 young wordsmiths, aged between 11 and 24, were chosen from video submissions, and they've come from all around the country to compete.
The event is an extension of the original Bankstown Poetry Slam, which began in 2013.
Its co-founder is Sara Mansour.
"We work a lot with young people, especially from under-resourced and diverse backgrounds and we found that there was a gap in the market in terms of a competition that caters specifically to youth on a national level. So we just thought to fill that gap and so we're here tonight to celebrate some of the bravest and brightest young voices from all over Australia."
The event focuses on voices from diverse backgrounds, and it's those different perspectives which means the poetry at this event covered a range of themes.
As the event got underway, it was clear the performance poetry impressed the crowd in attendance, who clicked their fingers in approval.
Indigenous voices were also in the spotlight at the finals, such as Gomeroi-Pasifika man Daniel Mateo from central New South Wales.
