The makers of youth shows including Instant Star, Hope for the Future, Make Some Noise and The Snow Queen will compete for $50,000 and boasting rights, having been named finalists for the 2007 Shaw Rocket Prize on Thursday.

‘The programs selected represent the excellent breadth of talent in the Canadian television production industry,’ said Agnes Augustin, president of the Shaw Rocket Fund, in a release.

Two are documentaries. Hope for the Future, from producers Teresa MacInnes and Kent Nason of Sea to Sea Productions, follows Canadian students journeying to the Balkans; while Make Some Noise, from Omni Film Productions for CBC, offers youth a chance to tell their own stories.

On the teen drama front is CTV’s Instant Star, from Degrassi producers Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn of Epitome Pictures, and the fairytale holiday special The Snow Queen, produced by Amberwood Entertainment for CBC.

The prize recognizes the best in Canadian youth-aimed programming and will be judged by a jury comprised of middle-school students from across the country.

Shaw Communications has been under heavy fire by TV-makers since withdrawing its support from the Canadian Television Fund late last year.

The winner of the Shaw Rocket Prize will be announced May 3 in Toronto.