Nominations are now open for the prestigious 2025 Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs), celebrating the brightest talents from the British Asian community. The ACTAs continue to recognise outstanding achievements across the arts, including theatre, TV, film, radio, music, and more.

Last year’s glittering ceremony in central London saw some of the most accomplished artists in the community honoured for their creativity and dedication. One of the highlights of the evening was Osman Yousefzada winning the Eastern Eye Award for Arts for his powerful exhibition, Welcome! A Palazzo for Immigrants, now showing at the Venice Biennale. The exhibition, presented in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum, challenges negative narratives about migrants and showcases Yousefzada’s versatility through handcrafted textile works, prints, images, and sculptures.

Claire Coutinho, former secretary of state for energy security and net zero, was the chief guest at the event and praised the artists for bringing communities together through their work. “Our national life would be so much poorer were it not for the contribution made by the people in this room,” she said. “It is through shared cultural experiences that we strengthen ties and open opportunities, ultimately leading to greater understanding across society.”

Among last year’s winners were some truly inspiring women breaking boundaries in the creative industry. Indhu Rubasingham was honoured for her outstanding contribution to the creative industry as she prepares to take on her new role as artistic director and joint CEO of the National Theatre.

Tanika Gupta and Meera Syal also took home awards for their remarkable work in theatre and television. Gupta received the trailblazer award for her three-decade-long career, while Syal was named best actress for her role in Mrs Sindhu Investigates.

Other notable winners included Meneka Das, who won best director for A Doll’s House, and Bhasker Patel, recognised for his long-running role in Emmerdale. Rising star Lucca Chadwick-Patel was named best actor, theatre, for his role in My Beautiful Laundrette, while Aysha Kala received the best actress, theatre, award for The Motive and The Cue.

In the world of literature and media, Shomit Dutta’s Stumped earned the best scriptwriter award, while Sheela Banerjee’s What’s in a Name? won the best non-fiction ACTA. Meanwhile, Najma Akhtar took home the music award for her album Five Rivers, and Jaivant Patel was recognised with the dance award for Waltzing the Blue Gods.

With nominations now open for this year’s awards, the ACTAs continue to be a vital platform celebrating creativity and cultural contributions from the British Asian community. The awards ceremony, once again set to be a dazzling event, will highlight both established and emerging talents.

For details on how to submit nominations please click here