12 Rising Stars To Look Out For In 2026
A new year definitely offers up the chance to get reflective, and in the last few days, we’ve been counting back some of the best albums, shows and movies that entertained us over the last 12 months.
But it’s equally as important to look to the future, too.
While 2025 introduced us to plenty of exciting new names who’ve had the whole world talking in recent history, next year looks set to be a big one for plenty of other artists and performers from the world of music, film, TV and beyond.
Here are just 12 of the people we’re predicting big things for in 2026…
Debbii Dawson
In an age when anyone can achieve TikTok virality with a video of themself singing without even having to leave the house, it’s increasingly rare for a TV talent show audition to really cut through – but somehow Debbii Dawson managed it with her unique cover of ABBA’s Dancing Queen on America’s Got Talent three years ago.
Since then, Debbii has earned a loyal following thanks to her distinct sound, mixing the unmistakable flourishes of 70s hitmakers like Queen, Dolly Parton and, of course, ABBA with a forward-looking approach to pop.
Even more excitingly, she’s managed to incorporate her own quirky personality into her music, making her brand of pop even more irresistible.
Tyriq Withers
Over the last year has seen Tyriq Withers catching our eye in not one but two major horror projects, appearing alongside a star-studded cast in the latest iteration of I Knew What You Did Last Summer and more than holding his own in the unfairly-maligned sports nightmare Him.
Already in 2026, he’s slated to appear in Reminders Of Him, a new romantic drama adapted from the Colleen Hoover novel of the same name co-starring Longlegs’ Maika Monroe, which means a whole new audience is most likely about to fall head over heels for him in 2026, too.
That being said, the less said about the last major Colleen Hoover adaptation, the better…
Yerin Ha
Since it burst onto our screens in 2020, Netflix’s flagship period drama Bridgerton has helped make household names of cast members like Nicola Coughlan, Regé-Jean Page and, of course, Jonathan Bailey.
The long-awaited fourth season premieres in the first few weeks of 2026, with Yerin Ha joining the cast as part of a new love story, playing Sophie Baek, the new love interest of Luke Thompson’s character.
Part two of the new season arrives in February, and we don’t think it’ll be all too long afterwards until Yerin finds herself as sought-after as many of her new co-stars.
Connor Storrie
Connor Storrie first grabbed our attention with a small, though impactful, role in the ill-fated Joker sequel Folie À Deux back in 2024, and a year later, he had his international breakthrough with one of the last year’s most unexpected TV smash hits – the Canadian hockey romance Heated Rivalry.
Few could have predicted quite how much Heated Rivalry would blow up, with Connor currently riding the huge wave of success that’s come his way in the last couple of months, with offers no doubt flooding in left, right and centre off the back of his new-found status.
With a UK release date for Heated Rivalry already announced, and a second run confirmed to be in the works, get ready to see a whole lot more of him in the year ahead.
Audrey Hobert
Audrey Hobert was already enjoying success as a screenwriter when she began coming up with songs for fun with her flatmate, a certain Gracie Abrams. When their collabs wound up becoming worldwide smash hits, Audrey kept on writing music for herself, resulting in one of our favourite albums of 2025, Who’s The Clown?.
Merging Audrey’s storytelling skills with the musical chops she already showed in her Grace Abrams co-writes, her music features the hyper-specificity of recent hitmakers like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde with her irresistible sense of humour, resulting in tunes that grab your attention from the audacious Sue Me (an extremely relatable ode to falling back on the ex you swore you wouldn’t) to the self-deprecating, vulnerable and, indeed, zeitgeist-referencing Thirst Traps, Phoebe and Sex And The City.
Louis Partridge
Until recently known to most of us for his relationship with Olivia Rorigo, British actor Louis Partridge’s profile blew up even further in 2025 thanks to his work in the Netflix projects House Of Guinness and Jay Kelly (in which he was chosen to play a younger version of George Clooney’s title character).
Next year, he’ll continue his work with the streaming giant, reprising his role as Viscount Tewkesbury in the third Enola Holmes movie – Millie Bobby Brown’s first project since bidding her final farewell to Stranger Things – and appearing in one of the year’s most hyped-new series, Netflix’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, in which he’ll share the screen with Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden, Olivia Colman and Daryl McCormack.
Eli
Eli is a true pop connoisseur, wearing her Y2K influences as a badge of honour on her 2025 album Stage Girl, named after a fictitious talent search of the same name that she created as a visual accompaniment to the project.
Just weeks after premiering Stage Girl, Eli kept the new material coming on the aptly-titled shimmering ballad Glitter, which showcased both the earnest emotion and relatable lyrics (“he doesn’t even have a job… I mean, we don’t have jobs either, but, like… he’s horrible”) that her devoted fanbase has already come to expect.
In addition to her knack for crafting fabulous pop hooks littered with Easter eggs for those who love the genre just as much as she does, Eli is also just a total scream, as evidenced on her must-follow social media accounts and the presenting stints she’s done on Apple Music to promote her own releases.
Sekou
Sekou has been quietly making waves in the music industry for the last few years, capturing people’s attention thanks to his songwriting prowess and distinct baritone vocal stylings, first playing the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury and eventually nabbing a nomination for the Brit Awards’ Rising Star title in 2024.
Over 2025, his star profile has only continued to grow, collaborating with Justin Bieber, getting the seal of approval from Brit Award winner Jade in her latest music video and receiving the strongest reviews of his career so far thanks to the first half of his In A World We Don’t Belong mixtape.
A second half to the project is already slated for release in 2026, and as the momentum only continues to build, it’s a fair bet you’ll be hearing a whole lot more of that unmistakable voice in the coming months.
Ciara O’Connor
Ciara O’Connor continued making waves in the stand-up world in 2025, with material ranging on everything from the relatable world of modern dating and the most cringe behaviour on social media to the pop culture moments we all can’t stop referencing.
This past year, she won over new audiences with shows around the UK, was selected to represent the esteemed So You Think You’re Funny? competition as part of its showcase at the Edinburgh Festival and then rounded off her 2025 with an appearance on the BBC’s New Comedy Awards tournament.
Oh, and if you’re not following her on Instagram, it’s worth it for her hilarious TwinkNews parody round-ups alone…
Jeff Hiller
Anyone lucky enough to have seen Jeff Hiller performing improv in New York over the last decade will already be well aware of what a unique comedy voice he holds, and after years of minor TV roles, his big break came when he was cast as Joel in the heartwarming comedy Somebody Somewhere.
Back in September, Jeff’s performance earned him an Emmy win – and the reaction in the room, most notably from his fellow nominees in the same category, should tell you all you need to know about just how much good will there is for him out there.
Somebody Somewhere has now come to an end, but Jeff’s Emmy win is evidence that he’s just getting going, and there’s no question that it won’t be long until he’s back on our screens in his next major role.
Aitana
You might not have heard of Aitana, but she’s already an absolute pop juggernaut in her native Spain, where 2025 saw her getting some of the best reviews of her latest album, Cuarto Azul, collaborating with major brands and selling out stadiums for her most recent epic tour.
Aitana has already teased that she’ll be hitting the road for some international dates in 2026, including shows here in the UK, and given the ear she has for great pop, we don’t think it’ll take much for her to win over British audiences, too.
La Voix
If, like us, you’d already seen La Voix on Drag Race UK back in 2024 will have known what a genius booking she was for the most recent season of Strictly Come Dancing – but even we were blown away by her scene-stealing star presence on the series.
She may have had to bow out early, but there’s no doubt that when we reflect on Strictly 2025, La Voix will be one of the first things we think of, whether she was going toe-to-toe with the judges, stealing the show during her back-and-forths with Tess Daly or just warming viewers’ hearts as we learned more about her story.
Clearly, the BBC has already cottoned on to her talent, inviting her to guest present their oft-overlooked daily breakfast show Morning Live as well as backstage coverage at Strictly, and if they have any sense, they’ll be cooking up a more permanent project for her ASAP (and as luck would have it, there just happens to be a vacancy on one of TV’s most popular shiny floor shows…).