TIME celebrated the TIME100 Next honorees at a gala in Manhattan on October 30, 2025. The event showcased a diverse global cohort of emerging leaders across various industries.
The annual TIME100 Next list highlights individuals who are making significant strides in fields such as business, entertainment, politics, and health.
The evening provided a unique platform for advocates, athletes, actors, artists, founders, executives, and world leaders to engage in meaningful conversations. Throughout the dinner, five honorees shared heartfelt toasts, reflecting on their roots and envisioning their future aspirations.
Trammell Tillman and Jonathan Bailey were two of the honorees who gave toasts to their roots and also to the future during the dinner.
Tramell Tilman
Severance actor Tramell Tillman, who became the first Black person and the first openly gay person to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in September, toasted his grandparents James and Pearl Hill, who began their life together in the countryside of Prince George, Va., in 1947, raising a family while leading the local NAACP to ensure people of color exercised their right to vote during Jim Crow and that their children could receive a quality education.
“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams. So this toast is for the ancestors, those brave souls who wouldn’t settle for what was handed to them. Whose commitment to excellence, equity, humanity soared them from obscurity and right into history. Whose contributions not only make for a great story to tell at parties but encourage us all to make the world a better place,” Tillman said. “May their work never be forgotten and their voice never silenced.”
Jonathan Bailey
Actor Jonathan Bailey, who has charmingly commanded the theater stage, small screen, and now Hollywood blockbusters, dedicated the last toast of the night to togetherness and communal experiences.
The 37-year-old actor, who graced the cover of TIME in September, reminisced on his early career days as Tiny Tim in the West End production of A Christmas Carol and the joy of sharing space with other young artists, as he called on others to spend more time with their loved ones.
“When thinking about our lives and how fleeting they are in the context of the natural world, I am reminded that it is the moments of unadulterated joy and the people that we share them, that warp time and blissfully slow it down,” said Bailey. “At this moment in time, sharing ideas, stories and different perspectives in a room with other humans is a radical act.”
More photos from the TIME100 Next Gala red carpet
Damson Idris
Tate McRae
Manny Jacinto
Jack Quaid
Lainey Wilson
Maura Higgins
Erin Lichy
Meghann Fahy
Teyana Taylor
Becky G
Sai De Silva
