Lashana Lynch, Paapa Essiedu and Russell Tovey will sit on the jury that selects this year's BAFTA Rising Star Award nominees, the British Academy has confirmed. The trio joins a panel tasked with identifying five performers on the cusp of major careers, continuing a tradition that has become one of the most closely watched moments of the annual film awards season.
The Rising Star Award is unusual among BAFTA honors in that the winner is decided by public vote, but the shortlist itself is drawn up by a professional jury. That structure gives jury members like Lynch, Essiedu and Tovey considerable influence over which emerging talents get the national spotlight that a BAFTA nomination brings. Their choices will shape a conversation that typically dominates British entertainment coverage for weeks.
A jury with range and credibility
The three additions bring a mix of perspectives. Lynch is a BAFTA-nominated actress whose profile has risen sharply in recent years, with roles in major international franchises as well as smaller British productions. Essiedu, a stage-trained performer known for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and for leading television roles, has built a reputation as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Tovey, meanwhile, has moved between cult television comedy, prestige drama and the West End over a career spanning more than two decades.
Their participation is likely to be read as a statement about the kind of talent BAFTA hopes to elevate. All three are actors who have built careers across stage, television and film rather than through a single breakout vehicle, and their judging instincts could favor performers with similarly varied trajectories.
The Academy has not disclosed the full jury lineup or how many members will ultimately sit on the panel. In previous cycles, the Rising Star jury has combined actors, directors, producers and casting professionals, with the mix intended to give nominees a fair hearing across different corners of the industry.
Why the Rising Star shortlist matters
The award, sponsored for years by EE, has become a reliable launchpad. Past nominees and winners include some of the biggest names in contemporary British screen acting, and a place on the shortlist often brings international attention well beyond the UK market. For performers still building momentum, the nomination itself can be as valuable as the trophy.
That is why the composition of the jury draws scrutiny each year. The panel's taste and priorities effectively define what "rising star" means for the season, whether that means championing fresh faces from independent film, performers breaking through in television, or actors emerging from theater and streaming projects.
Criticism occasionally surfaces that the shortlist skews toward performers with established agents and high-profile campaigns, and BAFTA has faced questions in the past about whether the process is transparent enough. The Academy has generally defended the jury model, arguing that a professional panel is better placed than the wider public to identify genuine promise before the vote is handed over.
Timing and next steps
The jury will now begin the work of reviewing candidates, a process that in past years has included screenings, performances and discussions among members. BAFTA has not confirmed exactly when the shortlist will be revealed, though announcements have historically arrived in the early part of the year, ahead of the main film awards ceremony.
Each year, voters select the winner online, and the category has often produced the most-discussed moments of the ceremony. Presenters and winners have used the platform to speak directly to audiences beyond the ceremony, adding to the award's reputation as a bellwether for where British talent is heading.
For Lynch, Essiedu and Tovey, jury duty is a low-key but significant assignment. None of the three has publicly commented on their appointment, and BAFTA has not released statements from the individual jurors. Their decisions will nonetheless help define which five names join the roll call of Rising Star contenders this season, and by extension, which careers move to the next level in the months that follow.
Source: Hollywood Reporter