The British Academy has revealed the nominees for the prestigious 2025 BAFTA Rising Star Award, celebrating emerging talent in the film industry. This is the only BAFTA award voted on by the public, and it marks its 20th edition this year.
The nominees, announced over a week before the full BAFTA nominations on January 15, include some of the most talked-about names in film from the past year. The five nominees are Marisa Abela (“Back to Black”), Jharrel Jerome (“Unstoppable”), David Jonsson (“Alien: Romulus”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), and Nabhaan Rizwan (“In Camera”). Interestingly, three of the nominees — Abela, Jonsson, and Rizwan — all starred together in the TV series “Industry.”
The nominees were unveiled at the Savoy Hotel in London by Jack O’Connell, a former Rising Star winner in 2014, who also starred alongside Abela in “Back to Black.”
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip stated, “BAFTA created the EE Rising Star Award in honor of the late Mary Selway, a visionary casting director who dedicated her life to discovering and championing talent. Mary’s legacy lives on through this award, which celebrates two decades of our commitment to cultivating fresh voices, highlighting the transformative power of storytelling, creativity, and innovation in film.”
Notable previous winners of this prestigious award include Daniel Kaluuya, Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, John Boyega, James McAvoy, and Tom Hardy. Last year, Mia McKenna-Bruce, star of “How to Have Sex,” took home the honor, which could be a positive sign for fellow Brits Abela, Jonsson, and Rizwan.
The winner of the 2024 BAFTA Rising Star Award will be announced at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony on February 16, 2024, at the Royal Festival Hall.