BRITs 2025 Rising Star Shortlist Revealed
The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard today reveals the three artists shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 BRITs Rising Star supported by BBC Radio 1 as Elmiene, Good Neighbours and Myles Smith. These artists join an incredible roster of past winners and nominees, who have experienced phenomenal success since they were handpicked by the invited panel of music industry names.
The Rising Star award (originally known as Critics’ Choice) has, since 2008, successfully predicted the future stars of music through an impressive roll call of nominees and winners; those who have been awarded The BRITs Rising Star award previously include Adele, Sam Smith, Sam Fender, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Griff, FLO and 2024 winners The Last Dinner Party. Artists nominated for the award previously include Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, Lewis Capaldi, Cat Burns, Michael Kiwanuka, Mabel, Years & Years. Global track streams for all previous winners has surpassed 80 billion.
The BRITs Rising Star award shortlist is selected by an invited panel of music journalists from the national press, heads of music at major radio and music TV stations plus songwriters, producers and live bookers - those working with new rising talent on a regular basis. The award is open to British artists who, as of 31st October 2024, have not yet achieved an Official Album Charts Top 20 placing or achieved more than one Top 20 chart placing in the Official Singles Chart.
The 2025 Rising Star award winner will be announced on Thursday 5th December on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders at 6pm.
Introducing the 2025 BRITs Rising Star shortlist....
Elmiene
“I’m extremely grateful to be nominated for the Rising Star award. If I could put the feeling of being nominated into words, I would say it’s like being completely satisfied with a meal you bought and then finding out it comes with dessert and a drink. Didn’t know it could get any better.”
Elmiene’s voice is undeniable. Born Abdala Elamin and raised in Oxford, his first single ‘Golden’ was quite a monumental one. After a chance encounter with Louis Vuitton’s musical director and DJ Benji B, the track struck a chord and went on to form the soundtrack of Virgil Abloh’s final show for the brand, taking on an entirely new cultural gravitas.
Since then, Elmiene has continued to establish his position at the forefront of contemporary Soul & RnB. Last year he broke through with a pair of EPs, ‘El-Mean’ and ‘Marking My Time’ and has continued to build momentum with a string of singles, covers and live recordings including covers of songs by Frank Ocean, Prince, Jeff Buckley and Cleo Sol.
He has been embraced by a global community of creatives, collaborating with some of the most sought-after names in music including Stormzy, Syd, Sampha, Lil Silva, BADBADNOTGOOD, A$AP Ferg, D’Mile and Dahi. His most recent project on Polydor/Def Jam US, ‘Anyway I Can,’ shows Elmiene’s
ability to amplify his own specific emotional experiences into universally felt soul, RnB and pop songs.
Since his emergence, Elmiene has been known for his stunning live performances which included debut festival shows at Glastonbury and BST Hyde Park (hand-picked by SZA), and tickets have remained in high demand for his own headline shows. He’s completed two successful World Tours playing to sold-out crowds across North America, Europe and the UK, including a recent triumphant London show at the Troxy performing to 3000 enraptured fans.
Good Neighbours
“The BRITs have always been a huge dream for both of us growing up. We started Good Neighbours purely for the fun of it, so to be up for an actual BRIT award at this stage in our career is the biggest honour. Thank you.”
Optimism, positivity, and connection are the key ingredients of Good Neighbours - the duo of Scott Verrill and Oli Fox that have taken 2024 by the horns. What started off as one simple SoundCloud demo link emailed around to a few industry folk resulted in them having the most streamed debut single globally from a new artist this year, with 'Home'. This became the first truly viral success of the year, and has amassed more than 450 million global streams. It entered the singles charts in 13 counties including the UK (#26) and the Billboard Hot 100 in the US (for 11 weeks), where it has since been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Good Neighbours' music is bursting with hope and joyous abandon and an amalgamation of their emotive indie influences of yesteryear such as MGMT, Passion Pit and Bleachers. They came together to create an indie-euphoric dreamscape of sound and vision for a subdued generation. Live, they bring the inclusive party to fans every time -racing through the London gig circuit and beyond. Scott and Oli have enjoyed a packed summer festival season playing key slots for the first time, including shows at All Points East, Latitude, Boardmasters, Reading and Leeds, and selling out their first world tour. Oli and Scott have also graced stages supporting Benson Boone, and will join Foster The People for a full spread of US dates in 2025.
Myles Smith
“I’m incredibly honoured to be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star award. Growing up in Luton, I started playing pubs and open mic nights when I was just 12 and music quickly became my way of understanding the world and connecting with others. This recognition feels like a reflection of that journey – the highs, the challenges and the incredible people who’ve supported me along the way. Thank you for seeing me, for listening and for believing in the music. It means the world.”
Aged nine, Myles Smith received his first guitar – a gift from his mum. Soon after, Luton’s rising star taught himself to play the guitar along with the piano, and began performing on the local open-mic circuit from the age of 12, at pubs and Irish bars. In 2020, Myles started uploading cover songs to TikTok before, in 2022, he went viral with his version of the Neighbourhood’s ‘Sweater Weather’, and then again with his take on Amber Run’s ‘I Found’. After releasing a handful of gorgeous, acclaimed original songs like ‘Solo’ and ‘My Home’, he signed to Sony’s RCA label in 2023.
Now, aged 26, there’s a core of honesty in Myles Smith’s songwriting – perhaps because, through open mics and internet communities, he understands music as a way of drawing people together; of self-expression and communion. You can hear it on the soaring ‘Stargazing’, his smash hit earlier this year which charted and went platinum globally and, at the time of writing, is closing in on 550 million streams on Spotify alone.
Earlier this year came the folk-pop, occasionally-country-adjacent bops of his debut You Promised A Lifetime, and then, of course, came ‘Stargazing’; and, with it, accolades from the Guardian, who named him “one to watch”, support from the BBC, a lauded debut US late night TV show performance on Jimmy Kimmel. His singles since have been gathering acclaim and charting in their own right, culminating in an exclusive virtual concert on Fortnite Island. He has released his second EP, A Minute…, a magical collection that cements Myles as a stirring, timeless pop songwriter to be reckoned with. The EP explores fleeting encounters that have the power to change the course of your entire life.
Past BRITs Critics’ Choice / Rising Star winners and nominees:
2008 Adele (Duffy, Foals)
2009 Florence + The Machine (Little Boots, White Lies)
2010 Ellie Goulding (Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds)
2011 Jessie J (James Blake, The Vaccines)
2012 Emeli Sandé (Michael Kiwanuka, Maverick Sabre)
2013 Tom Odell (AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula)
2014 Sam Smith (Ella Eyre, Chlöe Howl)
2015 James Bay (George The Poet, Years & Years)
2016 Jack Garratt (Izzy Bizu, Frances)
2017 Rag ’n’ Bone Man (Anne Marie, Dua Lipa)
2018 Jorja Smith (Stefflon Don, Mabel)
2019 Sam Fender (Lewis Capaldi, Mahalia)
2020 Celeste (Beabadoobee, Joy Crookes)
2021 Griff (Pa Salieu, Rina Sawayama)
2022 Holly Humberstone (Bree Runway, Lola Young)
2023 FLO (Cat Burns, Nia Archives)
2024 The Last Dinner Party (Caity Baser, Sekou)
The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard will take place on Saturday 1st March and will broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX from The O2 arena. The BRITs announced last week that acclaimed British-Nigerian multimedia artist Gabriel Moses has designed the 2025 awards trophy.
Mastercard will be celebrating their headline sponsorship which is now in its 27th year; ITV remain as official broadcaster for the 32nd year, and The O2 arena will host The BRITs for its 14th year.
These long-standing partnerships will continue to support and amplify The BRITs’ vision and values, as the event maintains its fundraising for The BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the awards, who distribute funds to charities that promote education and well-being through music, including The BRIT School and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
Mastercard also continues to partner with the BRIT School to support and celebrate the next generation of creative talent.
