Rocco Haynes Wins Prestigious Yorkshire Young Achievers Award For ‘Young Achiever In The Arts’

The child actor Rocco Haynes, 10, joins his talented brother in winning a Young Achiever award.

Rocco was honoured with the prestigious Young Achiever in the Arts award at last night’s award ceremony [14 Nov], recognising his exceptional acting talent and contributions to the arts community. His brother Austin won the same category in 2022 when he was 14.

This accolade, sponsored by Mary and Jeremy Carter, highlights Rocco’s dedication and success in his field, following in the footsteps of his older brother.

Both boys are from Leeds and trained at the Bradford-based Articulate Drama School, and are represented by Articulate Agency.

Rocco’s breakout role was busking on the streets in the Co-op advert for Christmas in 2020 to Oasis' Round Are Way with his older brother, Austin. The commercial went on to win several awards, including Best Casting Featuring Children at the Casting Directors Association Awards 2021, at BAFTA.

His first cast role was Billy Hardcastle in the acclaimed drama Gentleman Jack and since then he has appeared in a number of well-known TV productions, including Wolfe, The A Word, All Creatures Great and Small and Odd Squad.

His film roles include parts in the 2023 folk horror, Starve Acre, and the role of Mikey in the upcoming sports biopic on boxer Prince Naseem Hamed, ‘Giant’ starring Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan. His brother Austin Haynes, also features in the film, as ‘Trev.’

Articulate Agency, based in Baildon West Yorkshire, is a preferred acting agency for major casting directors. It has a reputation for securing significant roles – particularly for children (4-15) and young adult (16-25) actors. Its talent star across all major TV networks, including Netflix, Sky, ITV, Channel 5, and BBC, as well as independent and major UK and US film studios, and are trusted by Disney, Universal, and Fox.

Articulate also runs a competitively priced drama school in locations across Yorkshire, helping to break down barriers into the acting industry.

Rocco first began acting classes aged just four at Articulate Agency’s drama school with weekly acting lessons since 2017. He is currently filming with an Oscar winning director on a film that’s under tight wraps, due for release next year.

Rocco's mum Gemma said:
"We are all so proud of Rocco for his achievements in the arts since a very young age. The TV and film industry can be incredibly tough, but Rocco continues to demonstrate resilience and tenacity, particularly with his most recent roles, proving that anyone can achieve anything if they put in the hard work."

Rocco

Rocco, said:
I was so excited to be invited to the Yorkshires Young Achievers Awards and really pleased to find out I had won! I have had so much fun when I am on set and have worked with some amazing people!"

Stacey Burrows, founder and director of Articulate Agency, said:
“I am beyond proud of Rocco for winning this well-deserved recognition. His talent, dedication, and relentless pursuit of excellence has set him apart. It’s truly inspiring to see him follow in Austin’s footsteps.”

His brother Austin first started acting aged eight, and has had roles in the TV seriesGentleman Jack, the Jim Broadbent film, The Duke, and played the lead role of Thomas inThe Railway Children Return movie with Tom Courtenay. He’s also had roles in George Clooney’s film, Boys in the Boat, and the acclaimed ‘i>Somewhere Boy for Channel 4.

Stacey added:
“To nurture the talent of both brothers, and help secure major roles for both is incredibly fulfilling. It’s a real testament to our acting schools and agency, and shows how they complement each other, by training young actors and also securing significant roles that launch careers.”

The Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards celebrate outstanding young people who have made significant achievements across various sectors.

The Chairman of the Yorkshire Young Achievers’ Awards, Peter McCormick OBE, said:
“The judges were impressed by Rocco’s catalogue of work to date, including some outstanding performances, together with the prospect of seeing him next year in a Hollywood film, directed by a legendary director. Rocco has a great future ahead of him.”

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the awards, sponsored by McCormicks Solicitors. Young people from as young as five were recognised in front of a crowd of 400 people at Leeds United’s Centenary Pavilion for their courage, commitment, and talent across seven categories, from the Arts to Sport. Organised by the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation, the annual event has now raised more than £1.5m to support young people in Yorkshire.