The Production Futures Breakthrough Talent Awards are all about celebrating emerging talent and innovation in the live event industry—a community brimming with creativity, passion, and technical expertise.
This year, we partnered with HOF and Claypaky to sponsor not one, but TWO fantastic award categories:
Rigging Newcomer Of The Year
Lighting Newcomer Of The Year
Read on to learn more about the talented winners and how Entedi is helping to shape the future of live events!
Rigging Newcomer Of The Year
Oliver Hewitt
Congratulations to Oliver Hewitt, who took home the title of Rigging Newcomer Of The Year.Â
This award, sponsored by Entedi in partnership with HOF, recognises excellence in rigging—a field that demands not only technical expertise but also creativity and problem-solving under immense pressure.
Oliver’s incredible work in this space set him apart, particularly his work at the Paris 2024 Olympics with OBS, where he assisted in rigging structures for speciality cameras at the opening ceremony. We couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate his hard work.
Oliver was presented with a custom-made, branded award designed from HOF’s Monobloq.
Monobloq is a rigging system designed to revolutionize the way of rigging: All you need is a single fix cable plus the Monobloq to create your hanging point. The patented system allows a cable adjustment in seconds and the installation of up to 8 bridles per hour with two technicians.
Curious about Monobloq? (Click here to find out more)
Beyond that, Oliver will have the unique opportunity to further enhance his skills with technical training provided by HOF in the new year. We are excited to see how this experience will enrich his career!
Lighting Newcomer of the Year Clara Sousa-Shaheed
Big congrats to Clara Sousa-Shaheed, for snagging the Lighting Newcomer Of The Year title!Â
Clara wowed everyone with her careful attention to detail and technical prowess, blended with thoughtful creativity - an art form that demands a great balance of innovation, precision, and artistry. Her dedication and fresh approach landed her this well-deserved recognition.
Clara is currently in her final year of university at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies
and has loved engaging in collaborative processes through work experience opportunities and placements.
As a reward for all of her hard work, Clara’s prize is truly one of a kind. She will be heading to Italy for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Claypaky Factory, visiting the Museum of Modern Show Lighting and eating as much pizza and pasta as possible.
We believe this trip will provide Clara with the inspiration and insight to fuel her exciting career ahead.
At Entedi, we believe in not just recognising talent but also in nurturing it. By supporting the Production Futures Breakthrough Talent Awards, we aim to encourage young professionals to discover their potential and strengthen the live production industry’s future.
We couldn’t be more proud of Oliver and Clara’s achievements, as well as the amazing talent pool that continues to emerge in the industry.
Here's to continuing to push boundaries and lighting up the future of live events!