“F1” star Damson Idris, “Sinners” standout Wunmi Mosaku and Simone Ashley, soon to be seen in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” are among the talent being recognized at the Newport Beach Film Festival’s U.K. and Ireland Honors event this month. Other talent being feted include “Pillion” co-lead Harry Melling, “Hamnet” standout Noah Jupe and “Steve” breakout Jay Lycurgo.
Now in its ninth year, the star-studded ceremony will be returning to London’s Raffles at the OWO on Feb. 19, hosted by Edith Bowman and Nick Mohammed.
The Breakout Award is given to early career talent, recognizing an extraordinary performance in an impactful project in the last 12-18 months. This year’s Breakout artists are BAFTA Rising Star nominee Archie Madekwe (“Lurker”), Melling, Lycurgo and Jupe.
Madekwe’s recognition follows his leading role as Oliver in Alex Russell’s debut feature “Lurker,” a gripping exploration of the darker edges of fame, parasocial relationships, and contemporary fan culture.
Melling is being honored for his work in Harry Lighton’s BAFTA nominated and British Independent Film Awards award-winning “Pillion,” in which he stars as Colin, a meek, suburban London traffic warden and barbershop singer who enters a sub/dom, kinky queer romance with Ray (Alexander Skarsgård).
Lycurgo’s Breakout role is Shy in Netflix’s “Steve,” in which he stars opposite Cillian Murphy, and for which he was awarded best supporting performance at the 2025 BIFAs. Jupe’s recognition comes after his acclaimed role as Hamlet in Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet,” and ahead of his professional stage debut in Robert Icke’s West End production of “Romeo & Juliet,” opposite “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink.
This year’s Spotlight category comprises Idris, Ashley and Mosaku, BAFTA and Oscar nominated for “Sinners.” The award recognizes “talent who are at a pivotal moment in their career, following an outstanding contribution to a particularly talked about project or projects.”
As well as “F1,” Idris’ credits include FX’s “Snowfall,” and he will next be seen in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “Children of Blood and Bone” for Paramount. Ashley’s recognition follows starring roles in Netflix’s hit show “Bridgerton” and Prime Video’s “Picture This,” ahead of her upcoming role in 20th Century Studios’ highly anticipated sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Mosaku’s upcoming work includes Idris Elba’s “This Is How It Goes” for Apple TV+ and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” a sequel to “The Social Network.”
President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, Gary Sherwin, said: “This latest raft of exceptional talent underscores the Newport Beach Film Festival’s commitment to celebrating and championing artists from across the industry. From historical fiction to horror and everything in between, our Breakout and Spotlight artists represent a broad range of genres and backgrounds, and speak to the rich diversity of the film industry this side of the Atlantic.”
Further honorees will be announced in the coming days, including the 10 Brits to Watch list, selected by Variety, the event’s trade press partner.
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