Rebecca Black and Christopher Briney among Forbes’ new ‘30 Under 30’ stars

Forbes has unveiled its 2025 30 Under 30 list, spotlighting the young actors, musicians and digital creators shaping entertainment and culture in the year ahead.

The 15th edition of the annual list, released on 2 December, features 600 names across 20 industries in North America. Forbes says the average age of this year’s class is 27, with the included celebrities collectively drawing more than 200 million social media followers.

Alexandra York, associate editor at Forbes, said the new class reflects a shift in how Gen Z is stepping into leadership roles. “For this year’s 15th anniversary list, we are seeing Gen Z take on more leadership roles and rethink the ways we create impact through art, healthcare, education and more,” she said.

To be eligible, entrants had to be 29 or younger by the end of 2025. Earlier editions have featured names such as Timothée Chalamet, Bobbi Althoff, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.

Actors on the list

• Anna Cathcart
• Chase Infiniti
• Marissa Bode
• Christopher Briney
• Mikey Madison
• Auli’i Cravalho
• Jack Innanen
• Keyla Monterroso Mejia
• Lola Tung
• Emma Myers
• Lovie Simone
• Sophie Thatcher

Musicians recognised

• Rebecca Black
• Doechii
• Benson Boone
• Alex Warren
• Grace Bowers
• Jesús Ortiz Paz
• Role Model (Tucker Pillsbury)
• Audrey Nuna
• Jessie Murph
• Ty Myers
• Jensen McRae
• UMI
• Bailey Zimmerman

Social media creators featured

• Katie Fang
• Nicholas Campbell
• Xyla Foxlin
• Joe Mele
• Makenzie Fowler and Malia Fowler
• Sylvester Brewster
• Leana Deeb
• Aaron Parnas

How Forbes selects its ‘30 Under 30’

According to the magazine, the list is curated through online submissions, industry recommendations and input from past honourees. Selection focuses on “funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential”.