2010 Spotlight Prize winners announced

From 21 brilliant performances, two outstanding students are chosen as this year's 'faces to watch'

The winner of this year's Spotlight Prize is Andrew Gower, from Oxford School of Drama. Vivienne Bell, from Central School of Speech and Drama, won the highly commended award.

Andrew performed a scene from Me, As A Penguin by Tom Wells and Vivienne performed a scene from Anna Karenina by Helen Edmundson.

They beat stiff competition from a total of 21 talented acting students, all of whom had already been chosen as the very best actors graduating from the UK's most prestigious drama schools this year.

Competing for the Spotlight Prize, the young performers had just three minutes each to impress an exclusive industry audience at the Spotlight Showcase, which took place at the Bloomsbury Ballroom on 20 July 2010. As you'd expect, standards were incredibly high.

The VIP audience comprised over 300 leading casting directors, agents, producers, directors and successful actors, giving the performers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to launch their acting careers.

The final winners were selected by a prestigious judging panel which included actress Naomi Harris (28 Days Later, Small Island, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll), winner of Best Actress at the Royal Television Society Awards 2010; Oscar-nominated actress and President of the Conference of Drama Schools Janet Suzman (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Nicholas and Alexandra); actor Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes), actor Paul McGann (The Monocled Mutineer, Doctor Who); Nigel Seale, Head of Spotlight; Casting Director Pippa Ailion (The Lion King, Wicked, Billy Elliot); Hannah Miller, Head of Casting at The Royal Shakespeare Company; Casting Director Priscilla John (Mamma Mia!, Brideshead Revisited, Saving Private Ryan) and MD of The Stage newspaper, Catherine Comerford.

This year's winners will hope they can go on to achieve the success of previous winners who have included Albert Finney, Judi Dench, Robert Lindsay, Jim Broadbent, Zoe Wanamaker and, more recently, Jodie Whittaker.

Winner of the Spotlight Prize, Andrew, said of his success: "Tonight is just what I've wanted, everyone knows of Spotlight, and it's so prestigious to win the Spotlight Prize, it's incredible.''

Winner of the Highly Commended Award, Vivienne, said: "It's been an amazing experience regardless of winning and this has just topped it off for me, it's been amazing."

Ben Seale, Managing Partner at Spotlight, said: "We're thrilled for Andrew and Vivienne. The judges had such a difficult task as all the performers were so strong this year. It's very exciting for Andrew and Vivienne to have been recognised in this way at the start of what we hope will be long and successful acting careers. I'm absolutely sure we will be seeing a lot more of them.

"Even for those who didn't win, the Spotlight Showcase was an amazing and exclusive opportunity to perform in front of some of the industry's most influential figures and potential employers. Standards this year were very high, so big congratulations to everyone who took part. In my opinion, all twenty-two of them are destined for great things."

Full photo and video coverage of the event is available here.

Congratulations to all of this year's nominees, who are pictured below: Vivienne Bell (Central), Jesse Briton (East 15 Acting School), Lil Davis (Cygnet Training Theatre), Hayley Ellenbrook (ALRA), Herman Gambhir (LIPA), Andrew Gower (Oxford School of Drama), Lewis Hart (Italia Conti), Seline Hizli (RADA), Jane Horn (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Ellie Jacob (LAMDA), Katie Jacobs (Manchester Metropolitan), Fleur Keith (Arts Ed London School of Acting), Louis Maskell (Guildford School of Acting), Luke McConnell (QMU), Oliver Mott (Rose Bruford College), Patrick Osborne (Guildhall), Beth Park (Drama Centre London), Andy Rush (Birmingham School of Acting), Matthew Seadon-Young (Mountview), Leon Vickers (RSAMD), Olivia Vinall (Drama Studio London) and Rosie Wyatt (RWCMD). Click on an image to view the performer's CV.

Since winning the Best Actress prize last year Lauren O'Neil has appeared in 'Being Human' and 'Lewis' and is currently appearing in 'Women Beware Women' at the National. Her fellow nominees Joseph Timms and Sarah Ovens will be opening in a few weeks' time in plays at the Globe and the Royal Exchange respectively.

• Browse photos and video from last year's event