Alyssa Thabisile Sibanda of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Senam Akpokavi of Arts Educational Schools win the Spotlight Prize 2024.
Since the 1950s, the Spotlight Prize has been an exciting opportunity for graduates to perform in front of an audience of industry professionals. A £2000 prize is awarded each year to two of the students who demonstrate incredible talent in either screen or stage performance, and this year our expert panels of judges were in for a tough choice.
Over 70 drama schools and universities were invited to nominate a student from their graduating class, and of the 22 finalists selected, we now have a winner for the Stage and Screen awards.
We’re delighted to announce that Alyssa Thabisile Sibanda of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has won the prize for Best Actor (Stage) and Senam Akpokavi of Arts Educational Schools has won the prize for Best Actor (Screen). Congratulations to you both!
For her winning stage piece, Alyssa performed Many Moons by Alice Birch. She, along with the rest of the finalists, worked with director Lyndsey Turner and performed in front of a select industry audience and judging panel of high-profile performers and casting directors.
The judging panel for the Stage award were actors Danny Sapani, Fra Fee and Louisa Harland and casting directors Harry Blumenau, Jatinder Chera, Lucinda Syson, Olissa Rogers, Rachel Freck and Verity Naughton.
For his winning screen piece, Senam performed For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy by Ryan Calais Cameron. The finalists filmed their screen piece with Paulette Randall MBE as the director, and these were judged by a panel of casting directors from across the world.
For the Screen award, the judges were Andy Brierley, Anna Dawson, Bernard Telsey, Claudia Blunt, Dan Jackson, Fiona Weir, Makis Gazis, Olivia Grant, Rich Mento, Sam Stevenson and Sharon Bialy.
Spotlight Prize winners Alyssa Thabisile Sibanda and Senam Akpokavi / Image credit: Joanna Nicole Photography
Spotlight’s Managing Director, Matt Hood, had this to say about the winners: “Huge congratulations to Alyssa on winning the Spotlight Prize for Stage, and to Senam for securing the Spotlight Prize for Screen. The judging panels faced a tough challenge, given the remarkable calibre of stage and screen performances showcased. Choosing just two winners was no small feat. We at Spotlight are thrilled to have supported all 22 nominees as they forge the start of exciting connections within our industry. We look forward to watching their careers flourish.”
Alyssa and Senam join our list of previous Spotlight Prize winners, including Jodie Whittaker, Faye Marsay, Rhiannon Clements, Kurt Egyiawan, Mimi Mdiweni, Jim Broadbent and Dame Judi Dench.
A huge congratulations to Alyssa, Senam, and all 22 of this year’s finalists. We can’t wait to see your careers flourish and hope to see you in our casting studios for future auditions!
Find out more about the Spotlight Prize.
