25
Morvern Cunningham
Co-founding Leith Kino, arguably Edinburgh’s hippest community cinema venture, has been only one achievement for this fixture of Edinburgh’s creative scene. They’ve also continued doing fine work with the Local Cinema Network and Whale Arts, and nabbed a Leadership Award at this year’s Creative Edinburgh Awards for their impressive ability to bring grassroots-focused projects to fruition. (KF)

24
Milly Sweeney
Sweeney’s play Water Colour had already won the St Andrews Playwriting Award before it had even been produced. When it opened at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, this study of two young people on the brink went on to win The Stage Debut Award for Best Writer. (NC)

23
Susan Riddell
After driving a van into the gates of defence and aerospace manufacturer Leonardo to protest its supplies to Israel, bail conditions precluded Riddell from entering Edinburgh. Yet she successfully performed her Fringe show for one night only via livestream in her flat. She’s also been a vocal pro-Palestine supporter and maintained her Material, Girl comedy showcases under adverse circumstances. (KF)

22
Taylor Dyson
Dundee-based writer and performer Dyson has had a ‘teckle’ 2025. She won a Scottish Book Trust new writer award, adapted an NHS book for new parents into Dundonian Scots and was appointed Dundee and Angus Scots Scriever, taking up a year-long residency with the National Library Of Scotland. (JMcL)

21
Paul Sng
After making feature documentaries on photographer Tish Murtha, Poly Styrene and Sleaford Mods, Edinburgh-based filmmaker Sng returned to cinemas with Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough. His revealing work about the Trainspotting author won a raft of acclaim after its Edinburgh International Film Festival screening. (EH)

20
Leah Byrne
Dept Q was the buzziest new TV crime drama in late spring and gave several strong Scottish actors a moment in the Netflix sun. But none shone more amiably than the Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland graduate who played Rose Dickson, a cop in recovery from a work-related breakdown. (BD)

19
Core Festival
David Weaver and Daniel Mutch’s festival has been a breath of fresh, noisy air since its 2023 debut in Glasgow. Now offering a year-round series of events, the Core team has a knack for snagging the most exciting new heavy bands, often just before they break big. (GT)

18
The Stand
After 25 years in its West End basement home, the Glasgow outpost of The Stand relocated to 300-seater premises in the church that once housed Websters Theatre. With greater accessibility and broader programming, including regular live podcast recordings and irreverent discussion events, early signs are that the new comedy venue has Glaswegian audiences flocking. (JR)

17
Errollyn Wallen
You don’t have to live in Orkney to be a royal Master Of Music but, like predecessor Peter Maxwell Davies, it’s where composer Wallen calls home. Awarded 2025 Personality Of The Year by BBC Music Magazine, her Proms commission, ‘The Elements’, was one of five world premieres this year. (CM)

16
Andy Goldsworthy
It’s rare that a living visual artist creates this much buzz on Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, but Goldsworthy’s 50th anniversary exhibition was quite the event. His ‘outside-inside’ takeover of the RSA responded to the building in unusual ways, bringing the land into a built environment in stunning large-scale installations that thrilled and provoked. (JL)

15
Jackie Wylie
The National Theatre Of Scotland’s artistic director, in post since 2017, shows no signs of running out of steam. This year’s NTS programme ranged from big-ticket shows such as Make It Happen, about the disgraced banker Fred Goodwin, and the West End transfer of David Ireland’s The Fifth Step, to new plays Keli and Through The Shortbread Tin, as well as countless co-productions and special projects. (AR)

14
Brooke Combe
Bringing soul music back into the cultural zeitgeist, Combe’s Dancing At The Edge Of The World earned her a Scottish Album Of The Year nomination and led to a support slot on Benson Boone’s US dates. She also set off on her own headline UK tour which included a sell-out show at Barrowlands. (MM)

13
Dawn Sievewright
Sievewright took centre stage this year in a hit adaptation of Nicole Taylor’s successful film Wild Rose. With an already impressive CV in shows such as Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour, she made the role of wannabe country music star Rose-Lynn Harlan her own in a towering performance. (NC)

12
Hannah Laing
This summer, the Dundonian DJ and producer launched electronic music festival Doof In The Park to roaring success with techno and trance sets from Armin van Buuren, Judge Jules and Lisa Lashes. Paul van Dyk is already announced for round two in 2026. (FS)

11
Michael Pedersen
Edinburgh’s Makar indulged in a year-long charm offensive in interviews and on stages as he launched his stunning debut novel, Muckle Flugga. Set in an as-northerly-as-it-gets lighthouse, the story (read by Jack Lowden in the audio version) featured a father, a son and a literary ghost with Robert Louis Stevenson showing up to offer the son some counsel. (BD)

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