BAFTA has unveiled the five nominees for its 2026 Rising Star Award, highlighting a new generation of screen talent drawn from both the UK and the US. The award, which is the only BAFTA film honour decided by a public vote, will be presented at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony on February 22 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
This year’s shortlist features Chase Infiniti for ‘One Battle After Another’ and Miles Caton for ‘Sinners’, alongside British actors Archie Madekwe for Lurker, Robert Aramayo for ‘I Swear’ and Posy Sterling for ‘Lollipop’. Several of the nominees have already gained significant awards attention.
Infiniti and Aramayo are also longlisted in BAFTA’s leading performance categories. Aramayo, known to television audiences for his role in ‘The Rings of Power’, recently won Best Leading Actor at the British Independent Film Awards, while Sterling picked up the Breakthrough Performance award at the same ceremony.
While the list includes two American actors, history suggests British performers often dominate the Rising Star category. Since the award was introduced in 2005, it has been won by a British actor every year since 2010.
Previous winners of the Rising Star Award include Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya, Emma Mackey, Will Poulter and Kristen Stewart, who remains the most recent American recipient, winning in 2009. Former winners and nominees frequently go on to major international success, reinforcing the award’s reputation as an early indicator of future stardom.
BAFTA will announce the full list of film award nominations on January 27. The public vote for the Rising Star Award is expected to open shortly, with the winner revealed at the ceremony in February.
