Written by Mimi Cotton
The BAFTA awards on the 22nd of February are just around the corner, a night that celebrates the best of British and international film, from acting and directing awards to sound and costume design. However, one award, and the huge success of its winners and nominees, feels particularly noteworthy and worth celebrating.
The EE Rising Star Award, first created in 2006, rewards young acting talent at the beginning of their careers. As the BAFTA’s state, the award honours actors who have “demonstrated exceptional talent and ambition and begun to capture the imagination of the British public.” The award is voted for by the public, honouring British audiences’ voices and reflecting their excitement for new talent on screen.
This year’s nominees are; Robert Aramayo for I Swear, Miles Caton for Sinners, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, Archie Madekwe for Lurker and Posy Sterling for Lollipop. All these actors have had a great year in 2025, delivering emotional, captivating and scene stealing performances. Madekwe and Aramayo’s run up to this nomination has also seen them previously star in films and TV Series such as Saltburn and Behind Her Eyes. Whereas, Caton, Infiniti and Sterling have all been nominated for breakout and debut roles.
In being nominated for this award, the actors are joining a pretty prestigious club. The list of previous nominees and winners is brimming with household names. In just the first year of the award James McAvoy, Rachel McAdams, Gael Garcia Bernal, Chiwetal Ejiofor and Michelle Williams were nominated, with McAvoy taking the win. Some other notable winners include Jack O’Connell, Tom Hardy, Lashana Lynch, Letitia Wright and Daniel Kaluuya. Over the years the nominees and winners have been huge successes in the acting world, going on to bag Oscar wins and become respected household names in the world of cinema.
Purely being nominated reflects the huge prospects for these young actors. A simple scroll through the awards previous nominees reflects the caliber of talent they are joining the ranks of. The award has kept a firm finger on the pulse of blossoming acting talent and seen its predictions of these rising stars end with award season success and list-topping names.
Through being voted for by the British public, the award shows the keen eye audiences have for young talent, with the ability to spot an acting superstar at the beginning of their career. The rising star award is unique in how it celebrates an excitement for, not only what actors have done, but also for what they will do next. It’s a hopeful award that envisions success for young talent and ambition, showing anticipation for the future of cinema.
This year’s nominees rely on the British public to vote, something they can do on the BAFTA’s website where they can choose their favourite performance and who they believe is the most promising name in the film world. However, it’s clear from the meteoric success of those tapped for the award in previous years, that it is not only the winner, but all of the nominees who are rising stars with an incredibly bright future in film.
Voting for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award is open now, ahead of the award ceremony on Sunday 22nd of February 2026.
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