Some of the most exciting rising names in music, film, TV, sport and social impact gathered in New York on Thursday night, October 29, for the 2026 TIME100 Next Gala. The event celebrated TIME’s list of 100 emerging leaders, which was revealed on September 30, and it mixed red-carpet glamour with some unexpectedly personal speeches.
Here are the highlights, based on reporting from TIME and Just Jared.
Who turned up
The gala took place at Pier 59 at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. Honorees and guests on the red carpet included Raye, Joey King, Sombr, Eiza González, Megan Moroney, Alex Warren, Marisa Abela, Troye Sivan, Druski, Molly Gordon, Himesh Patel, Isa Briones, Conan Gray, Dominic Sessa, Ashley Padilla, Sarah Pidgeon, Yerin Ha, Cooper Hoffman and Joshua Henry.
Fashion fans had plenty to look at. Just Jared reported that Joey King wore Miu Miu, Megan Moroney chose Zuhair Murad, Eiza González wore Monse with Aquazzura shoes, and Marisa Abela wore Dior.
Raye brings the music
The evening’s musical moment belonged to Raye, herself a TIME100 Next honoree. TIME noted that the Grammy-nominated singer’s recent hits, including “Where Is My Husband!”, have rocketed her into stardom after more than a decade of making music.
The toasts: hope, family and perseverance
The heart of the night was a series of short toasts in which honorees talked about what gives them hope and who helped them get where they are.
Tyrese Maxey opened the toasts. The Philadelphia 76ers guard thanked his fellow honorees, saying, “What motivates me, honestly, is y’all.” He shared a motto he has followed since childhood, to get “1% better every single day,” and spoke about using his platform to launch a nonprofit foundation that gives back to the community.
Himesh Patel spoke about growing up in a village in Cambridgeshire, England, where his parents ran a corner shop and he delivered newspapers, even after landing his first acting job at 16. Reflecting on his ancestors in Gujarat, India, he called hope “an act of defiance” and urged the room to “choose to hope.”
Alex Warren delivered one of the most emotional moments of the night. He recalled climbing a tree at age 7 and asking his father, “What if I fall?” His father replied, “What if you fly?” Warren then described losing his dad when he was 9, and how music later brought him comfort. He raised a glass “not to flying, but having someone there to catch you if you fall.”
Wawira Njiru, co-founder and CEO of Kenyan nonprofit Food4Education, reminded the room that the future is built by people. Her organisation, TIME reported, delivers more than 600,000 meals a day to children at over 1,500 schools across Africa, and aims to feed 1 million children a day by 2027. “The next scientific breakthrough, creative revolution, or great innovation could come from anywhere, from anyone,” she said.
Ashley Padilla, the “Saturday Night Live” star, had the room laughing with a joke about one of her best-known sketches before turning vulnerable. She admitted she had tried to quit comedy, and on herself, many times, and thanked the inner voice “pushing us all to keep going.”
Why the TIME100 Next Gala matters
TIME100 Next is an expansion of TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people, focused on the next generation of leaders across business, entertainment, sports, politics and more. The gala is a rare chance to see that mix in one room: a pop star, an NBA All-Star, an SNL cast member and a nonprofit founder sharing the same stage.
That variety was the point of the evening. While the red carpet delivered the photos, the speeches delivered the substance, with a recurring theme of hope, family and persistence running through almost every toast.
Key moments at a glance
- Raye performed for the room as one of this year’s honorees.
- Tyrese Maxey opened the toasts with his “1% better every single day” motto.
- Himesh Patel called hope “an act of defiance.”
- Alex Warren paid tribute to his late father.
- Wawira Njiru made the case for investing in Africa’s children.
- Ashley Padilla mixed SNL humour with a message about perseverance.
The takeaway
The 2026 TIME100 Next Gala was as much about stories as it was about style. If this list is any guide, the next wave of influential names is arriving with something to say, and plenty of people ready to listen.
Image: Purple night (Unsplash) by Antoine Meillet antoinem via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
