Lashana Lynch, Paapa Essiedu, Russell Tovey Join Jury for BAFTA’s Rising Star Award Nominees

Lashana Lynch, Paapa Essiedu and Russell Tovey have joined the panel of industry heavyweights deciding the next batch of EE BAFTA Film Awards Rising Star nominees.

The winner, voted for by the public, will pick up the honor at the Film Awards ceremony on Feb. 21. Past recipients include David Jonsson, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Letitia Wright, James McAvoy, Eva Green, Daniel Kaluuya, Kristen Stewart, Tom Hardy, Emma Mackey, Lynch herself, and, most recently, I Swear‘s Robert Aramayo.

Lynch is best known for roles in The Day of the Jackal and No Time to Die, while Essiedu will next be seen as Severus Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot. Tovey, of Years and Years fame, joined the group at The Savoy in London on Thursday to select the nominees, which will be announced in January.

Presided over by Anna Higgs, managing director of production company Character 7, the panel also included director Molly Manning Walker (How to Have Sex), casting director Lucy Bevan (Barbie, F1, The Batman), producer Nira Park (Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead) and We Are Parable creative director and BAFTA Film Committee deputy chair Anthony Andrews.

“Winning the EE Rising Star Award in 2022 was such a special moment in my career,” said Lynch, “so to now be on the other side of the table helping choose this year’s nominees feels like a real full-circle moment. I know first-hand how powerful it is to have people believe in your potential, and what excites me most is discovering performers who bring something completely their own to the screen. I’m incredibly proud to play a part in recognising this year’s rising stars.”

Essiedu added: “Every actor’s journey is different, and recognition at the right moment can be incredibly meaningful. What stood out during the judging process was the individuality and commitment each performer brought to their work. It was a privilege to help select five actors with such exciting potential, and I’m looking forward to seeing audiences champion them.”

Tovey, meanwhile, said the conversations around the table “showed just how much exciting talent is coming through.” He added: “I’m incredibly curious to learn who the public go for.”