BAFTA Rising Star Award Winners List: Every EE Honoree Since 2006

BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list — every public-voted honoree from the EE British Academy Film Awards’ breakout-actor prize, launched in 2006 to honor casting director Mary Selway. James McAvoy claimed the inaugural trophy; Robert Aramayo is the 2026 champion after fans crowned him at the February 22 Royal Festival Hall ceremony — the same night he won Leading Actor for I Swear. Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya, John Boyega, and Bukky Bakray (youngest winner at 18) headline a roll call that tracks British cinema’s next generation before Oscar season peaks. Below: the complete chronological BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list, how public voting works, and recent champions verified against BAFTA.org, BBC, and EE press releases. We cover winners and history — not red-carpet outfit breakdowns (Pillar F owns fashion analysis).

Cross-link to our sibling Pillar G BAFTA guides: BAFTA Awards 2026 winners list, BAFTA vs Oscar difference explained, and most BAFTAs won by an actor. For broader awards-season context, see our Hollywood awards season guide and Oscar winners 2026 full list.

BAFTA Rising Star Award Winners List: How the Category Works

The EE Rising Star Award — originally the Orange Rising Star Award from 2006 through 2012, then EE-sponsored from 2013 onward — is the only BAFTA Film Awards category decided entirely by public vote. BAFTA juries shortlist five nominees regardless of gender, nationality, or whether the breakthrough came in film or television; fans then vote via text, internet, and phone to crown the winner announced live during the EE BAFTA Film Awards telecast. That democratic twist makes the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list a fan-pulse barometer distinct from peer-voted acting categories covered in our BAFTA vs Oscar difference explained guide.

The award was created after legendary casting director Mary Selway died in 2004. Selway discovered generations of screen talent — making a public-voted Rising Star prize a fitting tribute. Sponsorship shifted from Orange UK to EE in 2013, but the mission stayed constant: spotlight performers who have “begun to capture the imagination of the British public,” per official BAFTA criteria. Nominees need not be British — Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf, and Kristen Stewart remain the notable international victors on the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list.

Complete BAFTA Rising Star Award Winners List by Year

Verified winners by ceremony year (February telecast), sourced from BAFTA.org, Wikipedia’s Rising Star tally, BBC reporting, and EE official announcements. The category has crowned exactly one winner every year since 2006 — no skipped ceremonies.

2006–2010: Launch Era

• 2006: James McAvoy — inaugural winner at the 59th BAFTAs; McAvoy presented the 2025 trophy alongside Letitia Wright
• 2007: Eva Green — first female winner; French actress honored after Casino Royale breakthrough
• 2008: Shia LaBeouf — American winner following Transformers and Disturbia momentum
• 2009: Noel Clarke — British writer-actor recognized for the Adulthood trilogy
• 2010: Kristen Stewart — second American winner during the global Twilight era

2011–2015: Blockbuster Breakouts

• 2011: Tom Hardy — pre-Bane recognition after Inception and Warrior
• 2012: Adam Deacon — first Black British male winner for urban drama breakthrough
• 2013: Juno Temple — character actress honored before Far North and indie stardom
• 2014: Will Poulter — teen breakout from We’re the Millers and The Maze Runner
• 2015: Jack O’Connell — prison drama star after Starred Up and Unbroken

2016–2020: Franchise Stars

• 2016: John Boyega — pre-Star Wars global fame after Attack the Block and Detroit
• 2017: Tom Holland — Spider-Man era lift after The Impossible and Captain America: Civil War
• 2018: Daniel Kaluuya — Get Out breakout before his later BAFTA supporting win for Judas and the Black Messiah
• 2019: Letitia Wright — Black Panther momentum; Wright co-presented the 2025 Rising Star envelope
• 2020: Micheal Ward — Top Boy and Blue Story recognition at the 73rd BAFTAs

2021–2026: Recent Champions

• 2021: Bukky Bakray — youngest winner at age 18 for Rocks; pandemic-delayed April 2021 ceremony
• 2022: Lashana Lynch — No Time to Die and Captain Marvel visibility before Bond-era stardom
• 2023: Emma Mackey — Sex Education and Emily crossover before Barbie ensemble fame
• 2024: Mia McKenna-Bruce — public-voted win for How to Have Sex at the February 18 ceremony
• 2025: David Jonsson — Rye Lane and Alien: Romulus breakout crowned February 16 at Royal Festival Hall
• 2026: Robert Aramayo — I Swear Tourette advocate dramedy; dual Leading Actor and Rising Star triumph same night

That 21-year span (2006–2026) makes the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list one of awards season’s best early-career predictors — though victory guarantees nothing. Tom Holland and Daniel Kaluuya parlayed Rising Star wins into global franchises; Adam Deacon’s path proved more independent. For how Rising Star results fit the wider February ceremony, read our BAFTA Awards 2026 winners list.

Robert Aramayo and the 2026 BAFTA Rising Star Win

Robert Aramayo dominated February 22, 2026 headlines by winning both the EE Rising Star Award and Leading Actor for Kirk Jones’ I Swear — a rare same-night double on the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list. Aramayo beat Rising Star nominees Miles Caton, Chase Infiniti, Archie Madekwe, and Posy Sterling in the public vote, then upset Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Michael B. Jordan for Lead Actor. The dual triumph mirrored how past Rising Star honorees like Daniel Kaluuya later collected major acting BAFTAs, though no previous winner had claimed both prizes the same evening.

Aramayo’s I Swear victory also anchored a three-trophy haul for the film alongside Best Casting — making the Tourette advocate dramedy the night’s audience surprise alongside One Battle After Another‘s six-win sweep documented in our BAFTA Awards 2026 winners list. For actors who accumulate the most total BAFTA trophies across their careers — a different metric from this one-off Rising Star prize — see most BAFTAs won by an actor.

Public Vote Process and Nomination Rules

Understanding how names land on the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list requires separating jury selection from fan coronation:

• Nomination phase: A BAFTA jury chaired by Film Committee leadership selects five performers from a longlist. Gender-neutral criteria apply; TV and film breakthroughs both qualify.
• Voting window: EE opens public voting via bafta.org, text messaging, and partner platforms weeks before the ceremony. Only the Rising Star category accepts fan ballots among all EE BAFTA Film Awards.
• Announcement: Previous Rising Star winners often present the trophy — James McAvoy and Letitia Wright handled the 2025 reveal for David Jonsson, continuing the alumni tradition.
• Sponsorship history: Orange UK sponsored 2006–2012; EE has sponsored since 2013, when the award entered its second decade.

That process explains why international fanbases can crown American or French winners while BAFTA’s peer-voted acting categories skew British and industry-insider. Compare voting mechanics across ceremonies in our BAFTA vs Oscar difference explained guide.

Records and Milestones on the BAFTA Rising Star Award Winners List

Key benchmarks readers bookmarking the BAFTA Rising Star Award winners list should know:

• First winner: James McAvoy (2006)
• First female winner: Eva Green (2007)
• International winners: Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf, Kristen Stewart — only non-British victors to date
• Youngest winner: Bukky Bakray (18, 2021)
• First Black British male winner: Adam Deacon (2012)
• Dual major win same night (2026): Robert Aramayo — Rising Star plus Leading Actor
• Later major BAFTA acting win: Daniel Kaluuya — Rising Star (2018) then Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah

The Rising Star Award does not stack — each performer can win only once, unlike cumulative BAFTA totals tracked in most BAFTAs won by an actor. Several honorees, however, went on to Oscar and SAG recognition in later seasons.

Explore More BAFTA and Awards Coverage

• Full 2026 ceremony: BAFTA Awards 2026 winners list
• Voting differences: BAFTA vs Oscar difference explained
• Career totals: most BAFTAs won by an actor
• Oscar parallel: Oscar winners 2026 full list
• Golden Globes: Golden Globes 2026 winners full list
• Calendar: Hollywood awards season guide
• Visit our Awards archive for ceremony history and records.