WHICH talented Islanders should we keep an eye on during 2020?

2019 was the year Derek Sandy finally blasted his way, albeit briefly, into the national psyche, with his dulcet tones and dexterous dance moves receiving unanimous approval from Britain's Got Talent judges.

Isle of Wight movie executive, Donna Langley, was named a Dame for services to film and entertainment. The former Lake Middle School and Carisbrooke High School pupil — who has been with Universal since 2001 — was given the title in the annual Queen’s honours list for 2020.

Lauran Hibberd continues to blossom as a musician, with the rosé-maned singer's debut EP Everything is Dogs, and appearances on various national platforms, including BBC Introducing, expanding her burgeoning spotlight.

Island-born musician/producer Jazzy Heath upped sticks from her UK base to head to Tokyo, Japan, in the summer, releasing a string of well-received singles and an EP in the second half of the year.

Raised in Ventnor, 31 year-old Adam Pacciti is arguably the pre-eminent wrestling analyst on YouTube. The Cultaholic channel with which he's affiliated topped the 500,000 subscriber mark just over a year after its inception.

Sub Pacific have had a stellar year. The alt-rock quartet — who are signed with Chalkpit Records — made it to the Isle of Wight Festival mainstage in the summer, subsequently winning a Wight Noize award.

Adam Hose, a top-order batsman at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, has found his niche in the T20 format of the game. The hard-hitting 27-year-old was recently selected in the draft for next summer's The Hundred competition, along with fellow Islander Danny Briggs.

With more than 750,000 YouTube subscribers, Sarah Close has constructed her music career online. Debut single Call Me Out charted at number one on the UK Official Physical Singles Chart in 2018, the first Isle of Wight solo artist to achieve the feat.

Despite taking a sabbatical in the second half of 2019, Dayita retained the aura of non-conforming human glitterball who can’t be pigeon-holed by genre, providing a vivid audio/visual experience that invigorated a principally pop-rock local landscape.

Jack Whitewood and Mhairi Macaulay are the brains behind the Ventnor Fringe, both having been regular champions for Isle of Wight arts, hosting and funding an abundance of productions from their south-east Island base.

Buddy Carson has been a trailblazer for the modern interpretation of spoken word on the Isle of Wight, a genre which has since spawned numerous local acts inspired by his emotionally charged delivery. The poet/singer now resides in Bristol, returning to the Island sporadically to perform.

Matthew Knights is a tennis influencer affiliated with Ventnor Tennis Club. With more than 25,000 Instagram followers, the 21 year-old Pro:Direct Tennis ambassador has enjoyed success both on the Island and mainland, he said: "I want to continue inspiring the people who follow my journey, and I'm grateful for the opportunities I've been given in the sport I love."

Bobbin Dixon is a comedian and host who spent 2019 compering on some of the UK's most prominent festival stages. The band he fronts, Bobbin and the Babymakers, continued their unrelenting rise, with the rock trio regularly headlining shows around the Island. 2020 promises to be another fruitful year for Bobbin, with his unique Isle of Wight tour guide currently in the works.

The marketing guru and chief whisky sampler behind the Mermaid Gin juggernaut, Malcolm McClellan is at the forefront of the brand's plastic-free philosophy — the company collaborating with the exalted Murano Glass company in Venice to produce an award-winning, fully-recyclable receptacle for the spirits. Malcolm's charisma and endeavour has dovetailed to ensure the Pondwell based distillery now delivers to or is in negotiations with every continent other than Antarctica.

In alignment with their intoxicating namesake, Plastic Mermaids enjoyed a break-out 2019. Their debut LP, Suddenly Everything Explodes, and subsequent sell-out 13-date UK tour — the group’s biggest to date — elevated them from captivating live act to a band on the cusp of the national consciousness.

Photographer Sienna Anderson has been shortlisted in the bird category of this year's British Photography Awards. The snapper will find out if she won later this month. Sienna will be heavily involved with the 2020 Round the Island Race, and continuing with Capture Perfect, the teaching element of her career.

Eccentric, wackily-coiffured bassist Alex Vanblaere, is the heartbeat of math-pop starlets Signals. Alex expertly tip-toes along the line between hipster and flower child, without ever coming across as contrived or overly rehearsed.

Charlotte Benz, from Ryde, received a Quilly Award for her book The Recipe For Success: The World’s Leading Entrepreneurs and Professionals Reveal Their Secret Ingredients for Health, Wealth, and Success. Having previously appeared on Come Dine With Me, the former drama and theatre studies teacher returned to the Isle of Wight from Ireland in 2019.

These are some of the many talented Islanders to look out for during 2020.

Let us know who you would have added to the list.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.