They are flying the flag for Nottinghamshire as they rise through the ranks of their respective industries. Here we shine a light on some talented rising stars who are doing some amazing work.
From stars of the acting world who are earning roles in Hollywood to culinary whizzes who are serving up delicious meals locally, we had a look at the burgeoning careers of some of Nottinghamshire's brightest rising stars.
If there's any rising stars from Nottinghamshire we've missed out who you feel deserve a shout out let us know in the comments section below.
Esmé Creed-Miles:
While she might not live in these parts, her parents are both Nottingham born and bred and both have had hugely successful acting careers, so we thought it was only fitting to give her a shout out here. Esmé is the daughter of acting stars Samantha Morton, who has starred in a number of Hollywood films and high profile television series such as The Walking Dead. Her father is fellow Nottingham actor Charlie Creed-Miles who played Billy Kimber in Peaky Blinders among other high profile roles. But Esmé is creating a name for herself in the industry, having starred in Amazon series Hanna. She also stars in American adult animated series The Legend of Vox Machina.
Sophia Di Martino:
2021 was quite the year for the actress, starring in the Marvel hit series Loki as one of the main characters. The Disney Plus series also starred Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson. The actress from Attenborough has starred in 'Sweetheart' alongside newcomers Nell Barlow and Ella-Rae Smith, and alongside heavyweights such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman and Claire Foy in 2021's The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. She's previously spoken to Nottinghamshire Live about her blossoming career but admitted she misses nothing more than the smell of Birds Bakery while she's away.
Aisling Loftus:
The Nottingham actress stars in British fantasy series A Discovery of Witches on Sky One. She honed her craft at Nottingham's renowned TV Workshop and her previous roles include playing Agnes in Mr Selfridge, playing Sonya in an adaptation of War & Peace and an appearance in Midsummer Murders. She grew up in Lady Bay and went to the Becket School. She has previously appeared in a number of hit shows, including The Borrowers, Good Cop and The Fattest Man In Britain.
Bella Ramsey:
Born in 2003, Game of Thrones actress Bella won many fans with her turn as Lyanna Mormont in the hit show. She grew up in Nottingham, starting to act as early as age four, and has a number of acting credits under her belt.. She starred alongside Renee Zellweger in the hit film Judy and her credits also include voicing the Netflix animation Hilda and playing Billie Piper's daughter in the film Two For Joy.
Bella will be returning to HBO as the leading role of 'Ellie' in their new flagship show 'The Last of Us' opposite the Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal, which is expected to be released in 2023. She is also expected to provide a voice for next year's Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and will feature in the soon to be released film by Lena Dunham's called 'Catherine, Called Birdy', where Bella has been cast in the titular roe. Bella hasn't forgotten her roots and has visited schools in areas such as St Ann's to inspire confidence in young people ever since.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason:
Already an established performer with an appearance at a royal wedding and a hit album. under his belt, it might be fair to say this star has already risen. But as he's still only in his early 20s, we think there's still more to come from this talented musician.
The former Trinity School pupil has a string of accolades to his name; he was the first black BBC Young Musician in 2016 and has performed at the BBC Proms every summer since 2017. Kanneh-Mason is the highest-charting cellist of all time in the UK, after his 2020 album Elgar, based on Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, hit number eight, making it the first to ever break into the top 10.
He is also the first British classical instrumentalist in more than 30 years to reach the top 10 after violinist Nigel Kennedy released Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in 1989, which peaked at number three. He was awarded an MBE last year at the age of 22. He is one of seven gifted Kanneh-Mason siblings expected to have bright futures.
Anjli Mohindra:
Born in London, Anjli Mohindra grew up in West Bridgford and attended Jessie Gray Primary School. The actress known for her television roles which include The Sarah Jane Adventures where she starred as Rani Chandra. She also featured as Nadia in the BBC One series Bodyguard, Wild Bill and as Josie Chancellor in the ITV series Dark Heart. In 2018. She has 45 acting credits to her name on the IMBD website and her latest roles include playing Archie in the TV series Extinction and the Peripheral.
Georgia Groome:
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging actress Georgia Groome. According to the IMBD website she has 26 acting credits to her name, including films and television series.
She was born in Nottingham in 1992 and trained at Nottingham Television Workshop. Despite being born in the city, she lived in Derbyshire but we felt her link was strong enough to give her a shout out here. She became a mother in 2020 when she and partner Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame welcomed a baby.
Keelan Burton:
A Masterchef Professionals contestant in 2018, Keelan is also a former finalist in the Nottinghamshire Food and Drink awards. The Wollaton-born chef used to work at the highly rated La Roc restaurant in Sandiacre before moving on to Green Olive Cafe in Newark. His Instagram page notes that he is now head chef Sans Patrie in Nottingham.
Laurence Henry:
He might have been around a bit too long and be a little too established to be classified as a rising star, but we think Nottingham chef and Masterchef winner is still young enough to be classed as one. It was announced in September he is set to oversee the food at a new restaurant on the eagerly awaited Island Quarter site.
He was named chef patron at Canal Turn – the restaurant and entertainment space currently on site at The Island Quarter development. Canal Turn, the first phase of the development which is set to open later this year, pays homage to the site’s eclectic past and the pioneering local Victorian businesses which flourished on what was known as 'the island' back in the 1800s.
The ground floor, including an outdoor plaza that will boast a large stage area for live entertainment, has been named Binks Yard after Henry Binks, a Victorian beer retailer based on the site in 1895. Laurence won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2018 when he was just 25.
