Adil Ray

Adil has risen to prominence during 2014 but is due to go even higher next year.

The Birmingham actor, writer and broadcaster has turned his sitcom Citizen Khan into one of the nation's favourites, now shown at primetime before the watershed. A third series received high ratings and a fourth has been commissioned.

But Adil also has plenty of other material up his sleeve. As well as taking Citizen Khan on the road live to theatres, he would also like to make a TV series from another of his comic creations, MC Raa.

While Citizen Khan meant ageing 15 years to play a self-appointed Sparkhill community leader, MC Raa will mean Adil appearing almost 15 years younger, as a "sweet young man confused about his identity".

Adil, 40, adds: "I think I can just about get away with it!"

All that and, in election year, Adil also hopes to make a documentary on immigration and identity.

Claudia Jessie

This fresh-faced Birmingham actress is one to watch. Born in Moseley, she has now moved back to Birmingham after a spell in London.

In February Claudia, 25, takes over the title role in the Birmingham-set drama WPC 56. She plays WPC Annie Taylor, the only female officer in the Brinford Police in 1956.

If you're wondering where you might have already seen Claudia, she starred in the Boots Christmas advert as a nurse's daughter who flew home from backpacking to make her mum's day.

Steven Knight

The second series of Peaky Blinders was better than the first, and Birmingham writer Steven promises it's just going to keep improving as a third series hits our screens in 2015.

Steven created the excellent BBC2 drama about Birmingham gangsters in 1922 and has ideas for what is going to happen to the Shelby family for years to come.

Steven grew up in Streetly and his family, like the Shelbys, is from Small Heath. The 55-year-old's star is set to rise even higher with Peaky Blinders taking off in America and his film work continuing. He is writing World War Z 2, the sequel to the Brad Pitt zombie film.

Look out too for the two young actors who got their big breaks through Peaky Blinders. Harry Kirton from Northfield and Jordan Bolger from Coventry are two teens with bright futures.

Roxana Silbert

Roxana is really finding her feet as the artistic director of Birmingham Rep. Her first full year in the job saw her produce quality shows with a Birmingham feel, such as setting Tartuffe, starring Mark Williams, in the city and triumphing with the hit show Khandan.

She is becoming known for encouraging Brummie writers, directors and actors to produce work at the Rep.

Next year looks even brighter, thanks to producing shows like The King's Speech with Jason Donovan and Meera Syal's Anita and Me.

Joe Lycett

The Hall Green comedian's star is set to rise even higher in 2015 after a promising end to this year.

Joe had several high-profile TV and radio appearances, including Live at the Apollo alongside his good pal Sarah Millican, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Radio 4's Just a Minute. He was even commenting on The Apprentice in their spin-off show You're Fired.

Joe's guest appearance on Dictionary Corner in 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, in which he recounted his battle with Birmingham City Council over a parking ticket, remains a comedy highlight of the year.

In 2015 the 26-year-old has more TV up his sleeve, including a new show on Comedy Central called Drunk History with Jimmy Carr, which involves him getting sloshed then acting out slurred versions of history.

Emma Willis

Emma, from Sutton Coldfield, will be all over TV next year as she consolidates her position as possibly the best presenter of live shows.

Early next year we will see her return to host both Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4 and The Voice on BBC1.

But the BBC are keen to keep her presenting on primetime Saturday nights so they have nabbed Emma to host a new show. She will join Reggie Yates in the spring as the hosts of new entertainment show Prized Apart. They will lead 10 contestants through a range of gruelling challenges in foreign climes. Contestants will travel around the world while their partners remain in the UK and answer questions. The losers fly back to the UK while the winners jet off to continue the game.

Abigail Kelly

A soprano who works mainly with English Touring Opera, Abigail was born in Handsworth 31 years ago and learned to sing with the choir at her local church of St Faith and St Laurence in Harborne.

She won a scholarship to Birmingham Conservatoire, from where she graduated with a first-class honours degree.

She was one of the experts on the panel choosing the top 20 Midland songs on the B-Side project and was also chosen to sing at the House of Commons during Birmingham Day.

Abigail is set to be busier than ever in 2015, touring the world as a featured artist.

Percy Pursglove

The wonderfully-named musician is a talented all-rounder, who can play both the trumpet and the double bass and is increasingly sought after to play with the top flight of jazz players.

When he's not performing with the likes of Elbow, he runs a regular Monday evening jazz session at Yorks Barkery in Newhall Street in his native Birmingham.

And he's also been making a name for himself as a composer. His suite for jazz ensemble and choir, Far Reaching Dreams Of Mortal Souls, was performed for the first time in concert in October and is due for recording in 2015.

The text of the piece is drawn from the writings or speeches of Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin and Leonardo Da Vinci, among others.

Esther Smith

Actress Esther, 27 from Stourbridge, was thrust into the limelight this year when she starred in the hit BBC3 sitcom Cuckoo.

Her enviable task was to kiss Twilight star Taylor Lautner in the second series of the comedy drama set in Lichfield.

Now 2015 starts with her starring in the new ITV2 series Cockroaches. Billed as a post-apocalyptic romcom, she and Daniel Lawrence Taylor play Suze and Tom, who are among the few survivors of a nuclear war. The cast also features Jack Whitehall, Nigel Planer and Caroline Quentin.

Felicity Jones

The Birmingham actress has been bubbling under for years, ever since she played Emma Grundy in The Archers.

But after a series of high profile though not quite breakthrough roles, she is finally getting the recognition she deserves. She takes top billing in the film The Theory of Everything, which is released on New Year's Day and which has won her a Golden Globe nomination.

Felicity, aged 31 who grew up in Bournville, plays Jane Hawking in the film, opposite Eddie Redmayne as physicist Stephen Hawking.

The former pupil of King Edward VI Handsworth School, who has an English degree from Oxford, has also appeared in Brideshead Revisited, Cemetery Junction, Chalet Girl, Like Crazy, The Invisible Woman and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Felicity's schedule is certainly packed in 2015. Forthcoming roles include True Story with James Franco and Jonah Hill, the action film Autobahn with Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley and the horror movie A Monster Calls with Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver.

Ones to watch 2015: Business

Ones to watch 2015: Sport