The Cultural Stars Of Music, Fashion, Film And TV

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Sienna Spiro

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As a certain West End Girl who found her fame on MySpace reclaims the pop scene, another star who climbed the ranks on social media emerges. Sienna Spiro found legions of fans on TikTok where you’ll still find her posting covers and singing videos to her 1.7million-strong follower army. If you’ve yet to dive into her music, her deep, raspy voice will have you instantly hooked. Now’s the time to jump on the Spiro-train, she just performed her song, Die On This Hill (her first top 10 single) on Radio 1’s famous Live Lounge – and is set to tour internationally (including the States) in 2026. She’s also one of three nominees for The Brits Critics’ Choice Awards (an award previously won by Adele and Sam Fender).

Chase Infiniti

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To star in what some have called the film of 2025 -Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is one thing. To hold stage and still be so memorable alongside Leonardo DiCaprio is another. It’s no wonder Infiniti (her real middle name) has been nominated for a slew of awards for the role, including a Golden Globe for Best Actress. More nominations surely await, but that won’t be the only highlight for the American actress – she’ll also front the much-anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments.

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Archie Madekwe

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Chances are when you see Archie Madekwe star in Amazon Prime’s Steal (out January 21) you’ll recognise his face. The British acting star has been working on great TV and film projects for years, but 2026 seems sure to be the year you’ll not just recognise his face, but instantly know his name. From Midsommar to Saltburn to Apple TV’s See, Madekwe has seemingly made a habit of choosing great projects, but his performance leading critics fave Lurker, seems to have made his rise sure-fire.

4

Pauline Dujancourt

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Another Central Saint Martin’s graduate, this time in 2022, Pauline Dujancourt is one of a growing set of London-based female designers. She marked her LFW debut in SS25 and earlier this year won ELLE UK‘s inaugural Generation Next prize, awarded a financial bursary and mentorship from industry experts to grow her brand. Kenya Hunt, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK, said: ‘During a year in which we have seen so much flux and change within the fashion industry, it’s an honour to support our homegrown designers.’

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5

Rose Gray

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Rose Gray’s ascendency has been building for a while now – in fact ELLE UK called it early, naming her a rising star in our February 2025 issue. But 2026 will be the year the singer is everywhere after she was recently announced as one of three artists nominated for the Brits Critics’ Choice Award. Gray herself said of the award ‘I also feel like not many people know who I am yet, so it’s going to introduce me to a whole new audience.’ But those know, know – if you’ve yet to listen to Gray, her debut album Louder, Please is a great place to start, followed by the extended reissue, A Little Louder, Please.

6

Frank Dillane

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The world went wild for Frank Dillane after his star-turn in Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut Urchin saw him win the Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s an electric performance that will surely have the eyes of Hollywood on where he heads next. For now, we know he’ll be doing something completely different,playing John Willoughby in the new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, lead by Daisy Edgar Jones later this year. After that, we think the world (or at least LA) is his oyster.

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7

Paolo Carzana

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Welsh-born and now London-based designer Paolo Carzana has a shortcut straight to the heart of most fashion editors. As noted by Augustine Hammond in ELLE earlier this year his show last year ‘left editors in tears’. Carzana’s clothes are recognisable from his natural dyeing techniques and use twists, knots and drapes – he makes everything by hand in his Smithfield studio. His pedigree is already etched – he was a finalist for the LVMH prize in 2024, attending Sarabande, a McQueen foundation for young talent and is designer in residence at the studios run by Paul Smith’s foundation. Seats to his next LFW will be highly sough-after no doubt.

8

Robert Aramayo

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The latest Brit actor to become a huge star following a star in Game of Thrones is surely set to be Robert Aramayo. The Hull actor just scooped the Best Lead Performance award at the British Independent Film Awards for his performance in I Swear. If you missed the film, Aramayo pulls off an incredible performance in the film, as John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome and became famous after the 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad . You can watch purchase the film on streaming services now. And if you’re thinking, ‘No, but I know him from somewhere else’ it might be you remember his terrifying turn in Behind Her Eyes.

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9

Noah Jupe

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January could be renamed Jupe-uary… or maybe will be in the actor’s house, anyway. The British actor is part of the cast of Hamnet, out January 9 an looks sure to be a huge Oscar presence come awards season. Over on the small screen, Jupe will reprise his role in the BBC mega-hit The Night Manager as it returns to screens after a decade away. To jog memories, Jupe plays the son of Hugh Laurie’s arms dealer, Richard Roper – a decade on, where Danny now? The actor has another five upcoming projects in the works, but we’re most excited for his performance as the titular Engleby as the gripping Sebastian Faulks book gets a TV adaptation.

10

Skye Newman

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When it comes to UK music industry backers, Skye Newman couldn’t be doing much better. Ed Sheeran asked her to perform at his massive homecoming gig in July 2025, while she rounded out the year supporting Lewis Capaldi on his UK and Ireland tour. In 2026 she’ll take her soulful and distinctive sound (with brutally songs about her life and upbringing) on her on a UK and European tour – jump in by listening to her breakout hit Hairdresser and top 10 single, Family Matters.

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11

Erin LeCount

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Chances are you might have heard some of Erin LeCount’s songs without knowing, on a TikTok scroll one evening. Several of her songs, which she works on in her shed in her Essex home, have gone viral on the platform, including her stunningly haunting mash-up of Frank Ocean’s White Ferrari and Phoebe Bridgers’ I Know The End. The 22-year-old’s career has built and built in recent years – few will barely remember her inauspicious start on The Voice Kids in 2017. The start of 2026 beckons her to America for an almost sold-out tour, which surely signals worldwide success within touching distance.

12

Talia Lipkin-Connor

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Five years after leaving Central Saint Martins and being forced to create her brand from her sister’s flat, during lockdown, this year, Lipkin-Connor’s brand, Talia Byre held its first show at London Fashion Week with a Spring/Summer 2026 collection. The brand bears her family name and follows in the footsteps of her great uncle’s Liverpool-based fashion hotspot, Lucinda Byre. While the fashion world has been on board almost since the Talia started up those five years ago, 2026 seems sure to be the year the rest of us take notice.

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13

Miriam Petche

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In a show like Industry, which is the very definition of a strong ensemble cast, it can be hard to stand out – especially as a newbie. But, despite landing the role straight out of drama school, Miriam Petche managed it, playing Sweetpea Golightly in the BBC series’ third outing – even named the ‘stealth MVP’ by Collider. We’re itching to see what season four brings for Golightly – and 2026 brings for Petche.