Five nominees announced for EE Rising Star Award 2025

Today, EE and BAFTA announced this year’s prestigious EE Rising Star Award nominees...

The nominees were introduced by BAFTA CEO, Jane Millichip, and Marketing Communications Director at EE, Pete Jeavons, and hosted by Film Critic and Radio Host, Ali Plumb and Actor, Jack O’Connell.

This year, the EE Rising Star Award jury panel was tasked with selecting the 2025 nominees from a comprehensive list of talented actors. The jury met at The Savoy Hotel in November 2024 where they whittled down the longlisted names to reveal these five nominees: Marisa Abela, Jharrel Jerome, David Jonsson, Mikey Madison and Nabhaan Rizwan. 

Anna Higgs, Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee:

“It was an honour to select the five nominees for the 2025 EE Rising Star Award, which this year marks its 20th anniversary. These exceptional artists on the rise represent an exciting future for the film industry, captivating audiences around the globe and inspiring the next generation. I am looking forward to seeing who will take home the award on 16th February, and know we’ll get to enjoy so much more from all our incredible Rising Stars in the future.” 

Celebrating its twentieth year, the EE Rising Star Award boasts previous winners including Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lashana Lynch, Bukky Bakray, Micheal Ward, Letitia Wright, James McAvoy, Daniel Kaluuya, John Boyega, Tom Hardy and Emma Mackey, and is the only award at the EE BAFTA Film Awards voted for by the British public.

Voting is now open at ee.co.uk/BAFTA until Friday 14th February 2025 at 12pm. The winner will be announced on Sunday 16th February 2025 at the awards ceremony, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

BAFTA/Carlo Paloni

The EE Rising Star Award nominees for 2025 are:

MARISA ABELA most recently starred in Sam Taylor Johnson’s film Back to Black, where she has garnered critical acclaim and accolades for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse. The biographical drama follows Amy’s life from adolescence through to the creation of her groundbreaking album, for which the film is named. Marisa has also starred as Yasmin Kara-Hanani in the popular BBC/HBO TV drama series, Industry, which just launched its third season and will resume production on Season 4 this Spring. In March 2025, Abela co-stars alongside Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller Black Bag. Abela is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

JHARREL JEROME most recently appeared on our screens as the lead in the biopic Unstoppable. Starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle, the biographical sports drama sees Jharrel play Anthony Robles, who was born without a leg and was determined to pursue his dreams of becoming a wrestler. Jharrel made his on-screen debut in 2016, in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight, while his 2019 performance in When They See Us won him a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as an NAACP Image Award. 

DAVID JONSSON is a British actor who most recently starred in Alien: Romulus, where he plays Andy. The sci-fi horror film follows a group of space colonizers as they come face-to-face with the most terrifying life form in the universe while scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station. David rose to fame following his performances in Industry, and his film debut in Rye Lane, which received critical acclaim. He is set to appear in Wasteman, The Long Walk, and Scandalous over the coming years, and was recently featured on Variety’s 2024 “10 actors to watch” list.

MIKEY MADISON can currently be seen starring in Sean Baker’s award season contender, the comedy drama, Anora. The film, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. In 2022, Mikey appeared in the fifth installment of Scream alongside the cast of the original 1996 cult classic. She also performed in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, alongside Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, garnering her international recognition. 

NABHAAN RIZWAN can be seen in the British independent film, In Camera. The film, which received critical acclaim when released, follows Aden (Rizwan) who dreams of becoming a successful actor, but the nightmarish grind of the audition circuit, with its callous rejections and upsetting micro-aggressions, is starting to take its toll. Nabhaan was most recently seen alongside Jeff Goldblum in KAOS, a darkly comedic and contemporary reimagining of Greek mythology. Nabhaan made his screen debut with the leading role in BBC’s thriller Informer, winning him the Breakthrough Award at the RTS Awards.