Getting To Know: Rising Stars in the Entertainment Industry
As we close out 2023, we are taking a look at some of the year’s up-and-coming stars in the entertainment industry. These multi-faceted talents are on the rise and span music, film, television, comedy, and more.
Here’s who to look out for in 2024…
Originally from San Francisco, Nikki Mckenzie is a Filipina American actress known for her excellent comedic skills and dramatic depth. She’s an alum of the CBS diversity & Paramount Showcase and is a comedian. Her newest project is the Christmas rom-com “A Vineyard Christmas.” She plays the lead role of Heather Rivera, host of the popular show “Read Between the Vines.” The film is available now on Peacock and Paramount Plus as well as Amazon Freevee and XUMO. Next up she will be seen as the lead in another romantic comedy, “The Wedding Contest,” coming to the US 2024 and avail now to stream in Canada on Apple TV.
Notable roles include Magnum PI, Seal Team, Hawaii Five O, Lonestar 911, Allison on "The Joe Schmo Show, The Full Bounty", and David Spade's "Fameless" on TruTV. She also has an extensive background in theater and improvisation and studied at UCB and the Groundlings. She showcased her strong improvisation and comedy skills on the hilarious prank show “Prank Encounters” hosted by Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things). She performs regularly at UCB with her house team “Moon Goon” every first Saturday of the month, and frequently does standup in the LA comedy scene.
@nikkitabanana17
Photo Credit: Storm Santos
Nicole Travolta is a Los Angeles based Actor/Comedian. You will find her on Instagram (@nicoletravolta), or TikTok if you’re 15, creating fully absurd characters or doing impressions of her favorite public figures. When she is not dressed up in a wig, she can also be found performing comedy around LA. She is currently touring her one woman show “Doing Alright” that is headed to NYC Off-Broadway in the new year with a two week run in February at the SOHO Playhouse. Hot off of a successful run (including five star reviews) at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival in Scotland as well as sold out shows in Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, Nicole is ecstatic to bring the show to the city. Nicole has trained at The Groundlings and UCB, and has also appeared in sitcoms, such as Two and a Half Men (CBS), The Middle (ABC) and Anger Management (FX). Now that this dream has become a reality, Nicole hopes to tackle her next dream, which is to be discovered by Judd Apatow in a mall food court.
@nicoletravolta
Brett Landin is an emerging female country artist taking country music by storm. Bridging the gap between pop and country with a tinge of rock influence, her performances are both dainty yet powerful. With a set list of breakup songs that will get you on your feet and ready to block your ex and love songs that get you slow dancing with your partner- seeing Brett live is nothing short of artful storytelling. Backed by a band equipped with incredible musicians, seeing Brett Landin live is an opportunity to be transported by slide guitars, thumping bass and clean vocals. Having played venues such as The Troubadour, Hotel Cafe, and most recently, the Beachlife Ranch Musical Festival alongside Wynonna Judd, Midland, and Brad Paisley- her musical stylings have been compared to the stylings of Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, and LeeAnn Womack.
@brettlandin
28 year old West Virginia native Madison McGhee recently launched the true crime podcast “ICE COLD CASE” with the hope of solving the murder of her own father which remains unsolved after 21 years. The podcast has drawn international attention and a second part will be released early 2024. She produces, writes and hosts the podcast and it has been charting on the true crime charts the past few months with extensive love from press internationally.
Madison is originally from Charleston, West Virginia and currently lives in Los Angeles. After a challenging childhood to say the least, she is now a very accomplished self made young lady. A producer recognized most recently as the future of unscripted television by being selected for the Warner Brothers Access Program, Madison has worked with distinguished brands and networks like Hulu, Paramount, and Warner Brothers Discovery and been part of top-rated productions.
@madison_mcghee
Photo Credit: James Barton
Aliyah Turner is an actress, singer and professional dancer hailing from the Bay Area just outside of San Francisco. A former model, she began developing her craft at the age of 3 and is trained in competitive dance including tap, jazz and hip-hop. Additionally, having been performing in musical theatre from a young age and Acting at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television – making her a true triple threat.
Aliyah's career has spanned plays, musicals, and short films and was most recently known for her role in “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.“ Currently, she can be seen opposite Patina Miller, Hailey Kilgore, Mekai Curtis and London Brown in the third season of STARZ’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan as Krystal, a primped and pompous queen bee from the Bronx who will do whatever it takes to steal the spotlight. As a professional dancer and singer who began developing her craft at the age of 3, Turner is poised to showcase her gifts in her role when she joins an all-girl group akin to TLC. Outside of her blossoming career, Aliyah can be found focusing on both her physical and mental health. When she is not working on personal wellness projects, Aliyah is heavily involved in philanthropic endeavors.
@_aliyahturner
Ashlee Keating is taking the pop music scene by storm with her newest holiday single "In The Air," written and vocal produced by her. Christmas is her favorite time of the year nad she is excited to spread holiday cheer with this original song! "In The Air" follows her remake of the classic holiday hit “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (Nov 2022) where she put her own unique twist on the popular Christmas hit. The single is accompanied by a stunning music video, which both premiered on November 18th. The remake and video were developed with a top-notch team of creatives across the music industry, including: Creative Director Mikey Minden, DP/Editor Rob Fish, Choreographers Mikey Minden & Jamie Ruiz, Song Producer Alexander Newburgh, and more.
Ashlee released her hit summer single “SAUCY” in summer 2022, which quickly become an anthem for both female-empowerment and the LGBTQ+ community. As a Billboard-charting music sensation, Ashlee is a true multifaceted talent. Her music is a perfect mix of upbeat and inspirational, with lyrical themes of loving yourself and living your best life. Between her colorful style and dance-worthy music catalog, Ashlee has also become highly regarded within the LGBTQ+ community as an ally and activist. She strives to spread messages of love, positivity, and confidence through all of her work.
@ashleekeating
Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson
Shanti Lowry is an Emmy nominated actress/producer. She starred in and produced the upcoming feature film PERSONA, which will make its festival rounds early next year. PERSONA is unique in that it was comprised of 75% BIPOC and 50% female cast and crew. She acquired the script 7 years ago, and in addition to starring and producing, she also helped spearhead casting, costume design, and worked closely with the writer for years to find emotional layers to create complex female characters. Shanti also did the final cut of the script and served as prep and post director. To top it all off, she wanted to have a work environment that was family friendly and moved her baby daughter, husband, dog, and mother into her on-set trailer while filming so she could keep her breast-feeding schedule. She aspires to continue making content that creates more opportunity for women and people of color.
Previous film/TV credits for Shanti include NYPD Blue, Girlfriends, The Closer, Don’t Trust the B—in Apartment 23, The Game, School of Rock, Murder in the First, Uncle Buck, Kingdom, Code Black, Bronx SIU (Emmy nominated for the role of Yolanda), and several others. Shanti is also a singer and had a successful career as a professional dancer where she was an original member of The Pussycat Dolls, opened the Billboard Music Awards with Shaggy, toured with Chaka Khan, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and starred in music videos with N*SYNC, Diddy, and served as a dance assistant to Paula Abdul.
@shantilowry