From stylists to the stars, comedians and politicians to chefs, designers and models, these are the names and faces to watch out for throughout 2026.
Matt Benson (musician)
Musician Matt Benson (above) has just made his mark going solo in 2025 after touring the world with George Ezra for almost eight years as a trombonist. The multi-instrumentalist and singer debuted his first solo album, Sit Back Down Again, earlier this year, which stacked up over 130,000 streams on Spotify in less than six months. Ezra famously dubbed Benson’s EP “unrivalled in its charisma and charm”.
The musician, originally from Rostrevor, has performed at the likes of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, The Royal Albert Hall and the Brit Awards. Matt’s illustrious musical career started in 2010 when he landed his first professional gig. From 2013 to 2016, he joined the New Orleans virtuoso pianist Dom Pipkin to play in his band, The Ikos, later touring with Ska band Bad Manners from 2015 to 2017. He then joined Ezra’s band in 2017 and toured all over the UK, Europe and the US, and has had cameos with the likes of The Pogues and Amelia Warner.
Now, Matt has moved from the side of the stage to front and centre, with his debut album showcasing his vocals and impressive song-writing ability, selling out Whelan’s in Dublin on his first ever solo tour. Some more UK and Ireland dates on the cards for 2026.
Katie Bryce (stylist)
Katie Bryce
Katie Bryce (32) is a stylist and creative consultant from Belfast, based in London and working worldwide. Her background is in styling, social media and creative strategy. Having worked in vintage shops and Topshop as a teenager, her love of fashion began here, and being appointed personal shopper in Topshop was the beginning of her career into the styling world. Katie has worked with major brands such as Guinness, AVA Festival, JD Sports, eBay, Under Armour, UGG and many more.
Katie Bryce with Saoirse-Monica Jackson
Katie is known for being Saoirse-Monica Jackson’s stylist and styling her headline-making wedding in the summer of 2025. She has worked with some of Ireland’s top talent including Lola Petticrew, rap trio BIIRD and Katherine Devlin.
In her spare time, Katie is a director of the non-profit Menstruation Matters, campaigning for period equality.
Katie hopes to grow her career in 2026 alongside her clients and challenge herself through new creative projects including creative direction, brand development and mentorship.
Grace Surginor (designer)
Grace Surginor
Grace Surginor (22) is a Northern Ireland-based designer and the founder of Grace by Design, a handmade accessories and knitwear brand specialising in custom, bespoke crochet bags crafted from high-quality materials such as satin ribbon and T-shirt yarn. The Saul native graduated with a fashion degree from Ulster University and a master’s in digital marketing and communications. She creates made-to-order knitwear and crochet pieces, blending contemporary design with the timeless appeal of handcrafted textiles.
Grace by Design has built a loyal following through social media, where Grace showcases her process, commissions and modern approach to crochet and knitwear. Her work celebrates texture, colour and craftsmanship while offering customers something both stylish and meaningful.
In 2026, Grace plans to expand her bespoke bag range, release limited seasonal collections, and collaborate with local markets and creators. She also hopes to grow her online presence further and continue championing handcrafted fashion within NI’s vibrant creative scene.
Stevie McCarry (chef)
Stevie McCarry
Stevie McCarry, a self-taught chef hailing from the North Coast, is best known for cooking up a storm on Great British Menu last year, winning the Northern Ireland region of the TV competition. He is chef patron of Lir restaurant in Coleraine, which he opened together with his wife Rebekah in 2020. With lockdowns creating hurdles for the hospitality industry, the couple operated as a mobile fishmonger committed to sustainability, selling sustainable fish and minimising plastic packaging. As restrictions eased, their menu evolved daily, inspired by the day’s catch, featuring innovative dishes such as monkfish corn dogs, ling and langoustine ‘fish dogs’, squid shawarma and smoked dogfish sausage rolls. Finally, the couple were able to open Lir at Coleraine Marina, and Stevie continued his commitment to sustainability, using up every part of the fish in sausages, stocks and charcuterie.
In 2023, Stevie McCarry won Best Chef in Ulster at the Food & Wine Awards. As the business has grown, Stevie and Rebekah have committed themselves to providing the best hospitality experience possible and have recently celebrated winning ‘Best Restaurant in Ulster’ at the prestigious Food & Wine Awards.
James Moody (model)
James Moody
From being crowned Mr Northern Ireland in 2024 to now working with brands such as Gucci and Armani during recent fashion shows, 19-year-old James Moody (right) is making his mark in the world of fashion. Born in 2006 in London, James moved with his family to Northern Ireland when he was just eight years old. Prior to his interest in modelling, James focused his passions on sports and started playing rugby when he was five. But when he turned 15, he turned his attention to boxing, which he pursued for two years with Dockers ABC. It was during this time that he signed to ACA models and worked for brands including Douglas and Grahame and AHL Apparel.
In 2024, after being crowned Mr Northern Ireland, his modelling career took off. He competed in the Mr World competition in Vietnam and was placed within the top-five ‘top model’ section of the competition. Within the past year, he has worked with Gucci, Phix, Armani Exchange and on the runway for Emporio Armani in the recently passed SS26 collection for Milan Fashion Week. This year will see James sign to a top agency in Paris along with others in New York, Tokyo and Seoul, and pursue a further career in acting after working with a number of student film projects in QUB.
Niamh Hargan (author)
Niamh Hargan
Niamh Hargan was born in Derry but is currently based in Edinburgh. She is an entertainment lawyer, specialising in film and television, and has published two previous titles with HarperCollins: The Break-Up Clause and Twelve Days in May. She said that her work as a lawyer hasn’t directly influenced her writing in the way people might expect — not writing in the crime fiction genre — but said she finds value in storytelling. She thanks the Covid-19 lockdowns for encouraging her to start writing novels. Her newest and third, Nothing Good Happens After 2am, is due to be released on January 29. It follows the story of Robbie and El, who meet in a speakeasy bar in East London.
Niamh told the Belfast Telegraph that she has hit her stride with this latest release: “Set across 20 years and spanning various different countries, it’s a broader canvas than my previous books. And when the idea first came to me, I wasn’t totally sure I could pull it off.”
With a TV adaptation already in the works, this is one not to miss.
Brian Conway (entrepreneur)
Brian Conway
Brian Conway (23) founded Benchmark Sports last year and the young entrepreneur is now making his mark in the world of sport. He started working on the idea when he was studying for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. Through his own sporting experience in the GAA, he identified that there was a lack of tools to help sports coaches save time when planning training and organise and store their content for future training. This then evolved into Benchmark Sports. The app has a multilevel access drill library that allows sports clubs to input their own drills into a shared drill library and database, so that all coaches can learn from each other and share with each other. These drills can be organised also within different teams or age groups, meaning you can easily collaborate privately within your team. There is also a shared training session builder page.
Last year, Brian was awarded first prize in the QUB Dragons’ Den competition and was named winner of the Creative Leisure category at the Catalyst Invent final.
Benchmark Sports currently has 45 active users and more than 200 coaches on a waiting list, with the goal of launching into the GAA market in February in the hopes of becoming a multi-sport brand.
Ruairi Woods (comedian)
Ruairi Woods
Originally from Strabane, Ruairi Woods moved to Belfast when he was 18 to study a degree in film studies. In 2010 he was introduced to the world of comedy after being dared by a friend, but within a month or so he made his debut at the Monday Night Open Mic Night at The Pavilion Bar on the Ormeau Road. He told the Belfast Telegraph: “The scene was very different to what it is now. There were nowhere near the amount of gigs there are now, but it was a great time to start. Shane Todd was already on the scene at that stage. Micky Bartlett actually hosted my first gig and both Colin Geddis and Paddy McDonnell started around the same time, so I fell in with a great group from the outset.”
Ruairi has graced the stage at the Ulster Hall, Grand Opera House and SSE Arena as well as Vicar Street in Dublin and Leicester Square Theatre, London. He has also featured on The Blame Game and Sound Mate for BBC Sounds.
This year he is looking forward to welcoming his second child, due this month, as well as launching The Blind Rate podcast along with a string of live shows.
Mal O’Hara (Green Party NI leader)
Mal O’Hara, Green Party candidate for North Belfast
Elected leader of the Greens in 2022, Mal O’Hara is heading into 2026 riding on a surge of support after recent polling put his party at just over 5% — the largest increase of any NI party since the 2022 Assembly election.
Born in north Belfast, Mal was in the same class as fellow politician John Finucane. A prominent LGBTQ+ activist, Mal has worked in the past for the Rainbow Project, as well as being vice-chair of the Equal Marriage Campaign, contributing to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. He is also the founder of Alternative Queer Ulster, an evening event that brings LGBTQ+ people into the Assembly.
In 2024, Mal was announced as the Green Party candidate at the 2024 Seanad by-election and was elected unopposed, taking his seat in April of that year.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Mal, who is the first openly gay leader of an NI political party, has vowed to build on the Greens’ boost in popularity.
Angel Arutura (DJ and activist)
Angel Arutura
Angel Arutura is an Irish DJ, cultural curator and activist, using creativity as a tool for connection. In 2024, she was selected to perform at Red Bull’s inaugural Turn It Up DJ competition in Ireland, further establishing her presence within the country’s evolving DJ landscape. Alongside her work as a DJ, she has spoken internationally for organisations, including Meta and Adweek, on culture, creativity and community in the digital age. Angel has also been recognised within fashion spaces, being spotted at the Stella McCartney show at Paris Fashion Week 2025, and has performed as a DJ at events for Adidas, Nike and RedBull.
Beyond the decks, Angel is the founder of Mutuals — a community-led concept reimagining shared social spaces as places of familiarity rather than anonymity. Through music, movement and curated gatherings, her work focuses on restoring human connection and bridging fitness, culture and community.