The five nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award 2025 were unveiled today at London's Savoy Hotel. The announcement was made by actor Jack O'Connell, a previous recipient of the award in 2015, during a ceremony attended by The Express and other media outlets, and hosted by film critic Ali Plumb.
This year's nominees include Marisa Abela, recognised for her portrayal of Amy Winehouse in Back to Black; Jharrel Jerome, nominated for his role as Anthony Robles in Unstoppable; David Jonsson, who played Andy in Alien: Romulus; Mikey Madison, lauded for her lead role as Ani in the critically acclaimed Anora; and Nabhaan Rizwan, nominated for his performance as Aden in the indie film In Camera.
British nominees Marisa, David, and Nabhaan were present at the announcement, while their American counterparts, Mikey and Jharrel, sent video messages from across the pond. Intriguingly, all three UK actors have previously shared the screen in the BBC drama Industry, a series that debuted in 2020.
The show, which is also broadcast on HBO, follows a group of young graduates vying for permanent roles at a prestigious London investment bank, Pierpoint and Co. In the series, Marisa plays Kara-Hanani, an ambitious, multilingual graduate assigned to the Foreign Exchange Sales desk at Pierpoint.
In the hit series, David takes on the role of Augustus 'Gus' Sackey, an Eton and Oxford alumnus who lands a coveted spot at the Investment Banking Division desk. Nabhaan Rizwan makes a brief appearance as Hari Dhar, a state-educated graduate from an Urdu-speaking immigrant family, also assigned to the IBD desk at Pierpoint, reports the Mirror.
During a panel discussion, the trio delved into their shared experiences, with Ali probing whether they felt a sense of "coming full circle". Nabhaan humorously dismissed the notion, pointing out his fleeting stint on Industry compared to Marisa's ongoing significant presence.
Marisa expressed her elation over her BAFTA Rising Star nomination at the announcement event, saying: "I am deeply honoured to be recognised by BAFTA and EE with a Rising Star nomination and just as grateful to be alongside this year's other incredibly talented nominees."
She continued: "Their impressive work is an inspiration for the next generation of actors coming up whom BAFTA and EE will celebrate in the years to come."
She added: "It's truly a privilege to be here today and to have this opportunity to celebrate my peers and our wonderful community of actors."
David chimed in with his own excitement, saying: "This is bonkers...Thank you BAFTA, EE and the wonderful jury for this nomination. As a young boy growing up in East London, I couldn't think of an honour that's more about the people, and proof that you can do it too. An absolute blessing and dream. Thank you, truly."
The coveted 2025 BAFTA Rising Star Award is set to be presented at the illustrious BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, scheduled for February 16 at the Royal Festival Hall. Last year's winner was Mia McKenna-Bruce, who bagged the prestigious accolade for her stellar performance as Tara in Molly Manning Walker's How to Have Sex.
She faced stiff competition from the likes of Phoebe Dynevor, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi and Sophie Wilde. This year's BAFTA Awards will see David Tennant return as host, with Emilia Perez and Conclave leading the nominations.
