Lola Young, Aurora, and Fontenses Grian Chaten Featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Europe 2025

Young Artists Making Waves

Lola Young, Aurora, and Grian Chaten from Fontaines DC are featured in Forbes ’30 Under 30′ Europe 2025. Explore the highlights below.

• Read more: Fontaines DC discuss their stunning new single “It Is Amazing to Be Young” and what lies ahead

This annual list was released to highlight young individuals who “reshape industries” and “mold the future of Europe and the world.”

Rising Stars in the Music Scene

In its 10th edition, this list includes notable British talents like singer Ray, The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, actor Leo Woodle, and Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.

Among the featured talents for the 2025 edition is Lola Young, a 24-year-old London singer who gained prominence with her hit “Messy.” The track went viral on TikTok and topped charts in three countries, including the UK. Young has since collaborated with Tyler, the Creator, and Baby Keem, performing at the Brit Awards 2025.

29-year-old Grian Chaten is also on the list as the frontman of the Irish rock band Fontaines DC, following their breakout hit “The Death of Hero” in 2020, which earned them Grammy, Brit, and Ivor Novello nominations and major festival performances.

Recently, he and his band released their acclaimed fourth studio album “Romance,” which debuted at number two in the UK and secured a spot in the top 10 best-selling vinyl albums of 2025.

The list also features 29-year-old CMAT, whose second album “Crazymad for Me” gained acclaim, allowing her to perform at significant venues and earn nominations for the Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello Award.

Aurora, a 28-year-old Norwegian singer, is another honoree, boasting 14 million monthly listeners on Spotify. She continues to captivate audiences, most recently with a performance at Glastonbury 2024. February marked the 10th anniversary of her breakthrough single “Runaway” with a new documentary titled Portrait of the Song. She gained attention when her song “In the Eyes of the Child” featured in the finale of the hit Netflix series Teenage. This year, she plans to embark on a British and European tour, including a notable show at London’s Wembley Arena. Visit tickets here for more information.

Recognizing Diverse Talent

Other musicians on the Forbes list include Miles Smith, the 2025 Brit Rising Star Award winner with over 20 million monthly listeners, and Spanish singer Bad Gyal, known for hits like “Fiebre” and “Santa María.”

NME 100 featured Sudanese artist Elmien, 23, along with Eros Gors, 29, the head of A&R at Warner Music for ADA France, and stars from Fallout, Yellow, and Sweet including Ella Purnell.

The list also includes actor Harris Dickinson, who is set to portray legendary songwriter John Lennon in four upcoming Beatles biographies alongside Irish actors Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan, and British star Joseph Quinn.

To finalize the list, Forbes editors collaborated with an Expert Judging Group including Sam Smith, Spotify’s head of podcasts for Central Europe, Sarul Krauze-Vozhnsh, and fashion designer Stella Jin, ultimately narrowing down from over 10,000 candidates.

Alexandra York, assistant editor for Forbes, remarked: “As we celebrate the 10th publication of Forbes ’30 Under 30′ Europe, we recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of young innovators shaping the future in the region and beyond, especially amidst rapid cultural and technological changes.”

She further noted: “This year’s honorees break boundaries and tackle new challenges with innovation, sustainability, and bold ideas. This publication highlights not only outstanding talent today but also future leaders and innovators.”

Find the complete list here.

In related news, yesterday (April 16), Fontaines DC released the deluxe version of their latest album “Romance” on digital platforms, which includes three new tracks, such as the dreamy “Before You, I Just Forgot,” the standalone single “It Is Amazing to Be Young,” and a previously unreleased live version of “Starburster,” featuring David Lynch’s “Lady in the Radiator Song.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc3gtkw8j-4

Lola Young recently overcame an illness to perform at her first show at Coachella on April 11 and shared with NME about the massive response to her hit “Dirty.” “I think it’s an idea that you don’t need to be what women are expected to be,” she expressed. “Although it’s not always easy, because everyone can feel inadequate. I just want to be myself—isn’t that permitted?”—an inspiring sentiment indeed!