Musician, composer, writer and actor, Maimuna Memon was named Best Newcomer at the 2025 Asian Media Awards.
Journalists and filmmakers joined content creators and actors at the 13th Asian Media Awards in Manchester.
The awards celebrate achievements in a range of categories in journalism, investigations, TV, radio, stage, online and creative media.
The ceremony is supported by the University of Salford and took place at The Manchester Deansgate Hotel on Friday (October 31). It follows a shortlist announcement which was held at BBC Broadcasting House in London.
The 2025 ceremony was hosted by Sky Sports presenter Bela Shah.
Maimuna was presented the honour by Chief operating officer for BBC News, Sam Taylor and Deputy Managing Editor, North West and North East, Nazia Mogra.
Maimuna “I am incredibly honoured and proud to be the recipient of The Best Newcomer award this year. To be recognised in this way means the world, and to receive it in Manchester, where I spent so much of my childhood, makes it all the more special.
“South Asian identity is beautifully vast and diverse, and Friday’s ceremony was a true celebration of that. It was so inspiring to be in the same room as so much talent from the South Asian community, and be witness to such incredible work from all areas of the media and arts sector.”
In 2025, Maimuna was the recipient of an Olivier Award for her role as Sonya in ‘Natasha Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812’ at The Donmar Warehouse.
She was nominated for the same award in 2023 for her role as Nikki in ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ at The National Theatre. She was the recipient of The Fringe First Award, Stage Award For Acting and The Mental Health Award for her self-penned show ‘Manic Street Creature’ which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022.
The show will be revived in London in 2026.
Maimuna is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Kiln Theatre, and heads up the representation and diversity committee on the board. Maimuna co-founded Wildcard Theatre Company, which ran from 2015-2023.
Throughout Wildcard’s eight years, they produced eight shows which toured nationwide, including the multi award winning ‘Electrolyte’, for which Maimuna was composer and lyricist.
Maimuna has just completed a writing placement with The National Theatre.
Her most recent writing and composition work for theatre includes: Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre); Portia Coughlan (Almeida Theatre); Manic Street Creature (Edinburgh Fringe and Southwark Playhouse); Nine Lessons and Carols (Almeida Theatre); Henry VIII (Globe Theatre); Electrolyte (Edinburgh 2018/19 and National Tour); Welcome to Iran (Stratford East, BBC Radio 3).
Her debut EP, ‘More Than I Bargained For’ was released in 2023, with her second EP to be released this year.
Maimuna’s acting work also includes: Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre); Living Newspaper Edition 6 (Royal Court); Nine Lessons and Carols (Almeida Theatre); The Band Plays On (Sheffield Theatres); Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Ghost Quartet (Boulevard Theatre); Hobson’s Choice; Into the Woods (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Electrolyte (Wildcard/Pleasance Dome); Lazarus (Kings Cross Theatre).
Her television credits include: Patience; Domino Day; Time; Sherwood and Unforgotten.
