A graduating Acting & Performance student from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh has been named a finalist in the prestigious Spotlight Prize 2025 – one of the industry’s most esteemed platforms for emerging talent.
24-year-old Gregor Curran from Laurencekirk is one of just 20 students to be selected from more than 65 drama schools and universities across UK and Ireland.
The Spotlight Prize is widely renowned for showcasing the very best of drama school graduates – Gregor’s selection is a testament to his exceptional ability and a shining reflection of the talent QMU nurtures.
Marion Scott, Lecturer in Acting and Performance at Queen Margaret University, said: “Over the past two years, Gregor has demonstrated exceptional commitment, collaborating with his peers to create work of outstanding quality.
He is a student who perfectly embodies the spirit of QMU—intellectually curious, ambitious, creative, respectful, and genuinely supportive of others.
“When we invited professionals from the industry to help our students with audition preparation and assess both their live and digital performances, we asked them which three students stood out.
“Gregor consistently appeared in their top three choices, making him a clear front runner for the Spotlight Prize. Having initially stepped away from acting after his HND to pursue a career in Early Years Education, we are absolutely delighted that he had a change of heart and chose to return to acting with us at QMU.”
Each year, nominated graduates for the Spotlight Prize submit a self-tape audition which is reviewed by an independent panel of experts.
From this, 20 outstanding performers are selected to take part in the annual Spotlight Prize Showcase, where they will present both a screen performance (recorded in advance under the direction of Paulette Randall MBE) and a live stage performance in front of a room of casting directors, agents, producers, and other industry professionals.
Gregor’s nomination was announced during QMU’s Acting and Performance Showcase at the end of April, where he was recognised as the University’s official nominee. Gregor has now gone on to secure a place in the national final — an exceptional achievement and a testament to his dedication and talent.
Gregor said: “I’m very honoured to have been recognised by my lecturers and external industry guests from a class with such incredibly talented people who over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside.
“To be a finalist and to represent QMU in London is to put it simply, pretty incredible. Right now, I’m feeling a mix of gratitude, nerves, and excitement, but I know that the training I’ve received at QMU, along with the support of my classmates and lecturers, will help me through.
“The BA (Hons) Acting and Performance course provides a real sense of family, where every effort is noticed and valued, and that’s something I’ll carry with me well beyond this experience.”
The 2025 Spotlight Prize Showcase will take place on Wednesday 2 July in London, where awards will be presented for Best Stage and Best Screen performance.
Past Spotlight Prize winners and nominees include some of the most recognisable names in the industry today, such as Ben Whishaw, Gwendoline Christie, Jodie Whittaker, and Sam Heughan. The prize, which evolved from the Rodney Millington Award, continues a rich tradition of spotlighting the UK and Ireland’s brightest new talent.
In 2008, another QMU graduate, Chloe Thorpe, made it to the finals of the acting competition and after wowing the judges, won the prize for best female actor and £1,500 for her performance of ‘Cowboy Mouth’.
Matt Hood, Spotlight’s Managing Director, said, “I am thrilled to welcome the finalists for the Spotlight Prize 2025.
“The UK and Ireland’s drama training is, rightly, world renowned and selecting the finalists from this year’s nominees proved challenging and exhilarating for our judges. We’re looking forward to welcoming the industry to our annual showcase in July, and to adding two more names to the long list of Spotlight Prize winners.”
QMU extends its heartfelt congratulations to Gregor and looks forward to supporting him as he prepares for the final stage of this incredible opportunity.
A full list of finalists and further details about the Spotlight Prize 2025 can be found at: Spotlight Prize 2025 Finalists Announced.
