The Spotlight Prize
2025 Finalists
The Spotlight Prize gives drama school graduates the chance to demonstrate their talents to a room full of industry professionals.
Each year, over 70 drama schools and universities are invited to nominate a student from their graduating class, and a panel of industry experts selects the finalists based on the quality of their self-tape audition. Each finalist performs a screen piece (recorded in advance) and a stage piece on the night of the showcase. Two awards are then presented for the best Stage and Screen performance.
Find out more about the history of the Spotlight Prize, and how it evolved from the Rodney Millington Award into what it is today.








Past winners have gone on to light up stages and screens, making their mark across the world of theatre and entertainment.
To find out more about last year’s talented winners, finalists and judges, and check out our gallery of previous Spotlight Prize winners and highly commended finalists.




News & Advice

ATG Entertainment joins The Spotlight Prize 2025 as headline sponsor and we introduce this year’s esteemed panel of judges. We’re thrilled to announce that ATG Entertainment is joining The Spotlight Prize as our exclusive headline sponsor. ATG will be supporting the event that sees 19 drama school and university graduates from the UK and Ireland […]

Check out our Spotlight Prize gallery of past winners and highly commended finalists listed by year. The first ever Spotlight Prize (or the Millington Award, as it was originally known) was held in 1954. The inaugural award was won by the late Jeremy Brett – best known for his iconic portrayal of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in […]

Spotlight Prize winner Alyssa reflects on her acting journey and shares insights and advice for drama school graduates. Since winning the Stage Award at the Spotlight Prize 2024 for her performance of Many Moons, Alyssa has quickly become one to watch in the world of theatre. But her journey from an enthusiastic young performer to […]