ANNOUNCING THE 2025 LINBURY PRIZE RECIPIENTS

We are delighted to announce the twelve emerging designers who have been awarded the Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2025.

The twelve recipients are:

Cal Owens (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland)

Emily Mahon (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts)

Haiyan Hester Xue 薛海燕 (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)

Isaac O'Brien (The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts)

James Stibilj (National Institute of Dramatic Art)

Kathy Udaondo (London College of Fashion, University of Arts London)

Kezi Ferguson (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)

Miriam Dheva-Aksorn (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) 

Willoughby Brow (Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London)

Yi Gao (Wimbledon College of Arts, University of Arts London) 

Yuhe Zhang (Wimbledon College of Arts) 

Zidi Wu (Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London)

This year’s recipients will have their work showcased to the public at The Linbury Prize Exhibition which opens on Tuesday 2 December 2025 at the National Theatre, spotlighting fresh creative voices shaping the future of stage design. Additionally, they will receive a bursary prize of £6,000 to support an associate design placement with an established designer, giving them mentoring and first-hand experience of the production process.​

We would like to thank all candidates who took the time and effort to submit work for the Linbury Prize this year. We hope that the critical reflection involved in compiling a portfolio has been a useful exercise, regardless of the outcome of the application.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to the judges - Max Johns, Ian MacNeil, Jean-Marc Puissant and Rajha Shakiry - for their fastidious dedication and care for the next generation of designers.

Congratulations to the brilliant Prize recipients!