2006: James McAvoy

Scottish actor James was up against international talent for the inaugural Rising Star award, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gael García Bernal [5], Rachel McAdams [6], and Michelle Williams [7].

He started out on the stage and in TV, in shows such as Shameless and State of Play. His profile got a boost when he starred in 2005 movies The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Starter for 10.

After his Rising Star win, his career got bigger and bigger with 2006's Academy Award-winning The Last King of Scotland, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, and he went on to star in Atonement, Wanted, and as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise.

2007: Eva Green

In a starry list of acting talent, the other nominees in Eva's year were Emily Blunt [8], Naomie Harris, Cillian Murphy, and Ben Whishaw.

The French actress started out in theatre before making her film debut in 2003's The Dreamers, and coming to international attention in Ridley Scott's 2005 Kingdom of Heaven. Her Bond girl role in 2006's Casino Royale led to her 2007 Rising Star award.

After that, Eva starred in independent films Cracks, Womb, and Perfect Sense, before 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. She's also been a frequent collaborator with director Tim Burton, in Dark Shadows, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and 2019's Dumbo. Eva's also had big TV roles in Camelot and Penny Dreadful.

2008: Shia LaBeouf

Shia fought off competition from Sienna Miller [9], Ellen Page, Sam Riley, and Tang Wei to win in 2008. The American actor started out in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, and his film career really took off in 2007, when he starred in Disturbia, Surf's Up, and the Transformers franchise.

After his Rising Star win, Shia continued in the Transformers films, as well as movies such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Lawless, and Borg vs McEnroe.

Since 2014, he's also been involved in many public performance art projects.

2009: Noel Clarke

Noel beat Michael Cera [10], Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Hall [11], and Toby Kebbell to be named Rising Star in 2009. Before his win, the British actor was on stage and in TV shows Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Doctor Who. In 2005, he began his writing career with the film Kidulthood. He also directed and starred in the 2008 sequel Adulthood.

Since his 2009 Rising Star win, he continued his film career in big movies like Star Trek Into Darkness. He's also continued to write movies like 4.3.2.1. and TV episodes for Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood and BBC Three's West 10 LDN. In 2016 he wrote and starred in the third installment of his 'hood films, Brotherhood.

2010: Kristen Stewart

Kristen was nominated alongside Jesse Eisenberg, Nicholas Hoult, Carey Mulligan [12], and Tahar Rahim in 2010. The American actress's star was rising fast at that point, thanks to her role as Bella Swan in The Twilight [13] Saga franchise.

Kristen started out as a child actor in 1999, with her profile rising considerably when she played Jodie Foster [14]'s daughter in the 2002 thriller Panic Room. She starred in a few more films, most notably 2007's Into the Wild, before Twilight came along.

After her Rising Star win, she starred in the remaining Twilight movies and 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman, and then went down the independent film route in Camp X-Ray, Still Alice, and Equals. She won awards for Clouds of Sils Maria, earned critical acclaim for Personal Shopper, and made her directorial debut with 2017 short film Come Swim.

In 2019 Kristen is back in mainstream cinema with Underwater and Charlie's Angels.

2011: Tom Hardy

Tom was victorious over Gemma Arterton, Andrew Garfield, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Emma Stone [15] to win the 2011 Rising Star award. Before that, the British actor had won stage awards and starred in movies Black Hawk Down, Star Trek: Nemesis, RocknRolla and Bronson, a role for which he beefed up considerably. Tom also had TV roles in the likes of Band of Brothers, The Virgin Queen, Oliver Twist, Wuthering Heights, and The Take.

Since his win, Tom has starred in several films, from Warrior and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to Lawless, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Venom. He played both Kray twins in Legend, got an Oscars nomination for The Revenant, and became one of director Christopher Nolan's frequent collaborators in Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Dunkirk.

Tom also returned to TV in the BBC's Peaky Blinders plus he created, co-produced, and had the lead role in historical fiction series Taboo. He was given a CBE in the Queen's 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

2012: Adam Deacon

Adam was the surprise winner at the 2012 ceremony [16], beating Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris O'Dowd, and Eddie Redmayne.

Leading up to his win, the British actor had gained acclaim for his lead role in 2009 Rising Star winner Noel Clarke's films Kidulthood and Adulthood and worked with Noel on 4.3.2.1. and West 10 LDN too, before the pair acrimoniously went their separate ways. He'd also co-written, co-directed, and played the lead role in the parody Anuvahood and recorded hip-hop singles with Paloma Faith and Professor Green.

Since then, he's spoken about his struggles after the win [17] and the lack of services for people with mental health issues, after being sectioned himself and diagnosed as bipolar. He works closely with mental health charity Mind to help young people to communicate their issues. He's acting again too, in the film The Bromley Boys and play The Retreat.

2013: Juno Temple

At the 2013 BAFTAs [18] — which saw the sponsorship (and therefore the colour of the statuette) change from Orange to EE — Juno was up against Elizabeth Olsen, Andrea Riseborough, Suraj Sharma, and Alicia Vikander.

The British actress steadily built up her film career before winning the Rising Star award. With a producer mother and director father, she was a child actress, and had supporting roles in movies such as Notes on a Scandal and Atonement. She also acted in the St Trinian's films, The Other Boleyn Girl, Year One, The Three Musketeers, Killer Joe, The Dark Knight Rises, and Magic Magic.

Since her 2013 win, she has had supporting roles in Maleficent, Far from the Madding Crowd, Black Mass, and in the 2016 HBO series Vinyl.

2014: Will Poulter

Will beat Dane DeHaan, George MacKay, Lupita Nyong'o, and Léa Seydoux in 2014. Before his win, he's been on TV in Channel 4's School of Comedy and BBC Three's The Fades. He'd also starred in films Son of Rambow, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and We're the Millers, which brought him mainstream recognition.

Since then, the British actor has starred in The Maze Runner films, The Revenant, Detroit, and was recently seen in the interactive Netflix film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch [19].

2015: Jack O'Connell

In 2015 Jack was chosen as Rising Star [20] over Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Margot Robbie, Miles Teller, and Shailene Woodley.

Before his win, the British actor found fame as Cook in E4's Skins. Further TV roles followed in Dive and United. He made his film debut in This Is England and got his movie breakthrough in 2013's Starred Up and 2014's '71, the same year he got his first major Hollywood movie with Angelina Jolie [21]'s Unbroken.

Since his win, he's co-starred with George Clooney [22] and Julia Roberts [23] in 2016's Money Monster and in the 2017 Netflix Western Godless. On World Refugee Day in 2016 he was featured in the award-winning Home, a United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR film to help raise awareness of the refugee crisis.

2016: John Boyega

At the 2016 BAFTAs [24] John scooped the prize from Taron Egerton, Dakota Johnson [25], Brie Larson, and Bel Powley. The British actor started out acting on stage and TV, in series like Becoming Human and 24: Live Another Day. He started his film career in 2011's Attack the Block and went on to star in Half of a Yellow Sun.

It was his role of Finn in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens that catapulted John to international attention. Since his 2016 Rising Star win he's gone on to star in 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Detroit, and Pacific Rim Uprising, which his own production company co-produced.

2017: Tom Holland

Tom snapped up the award at the 2017 BAFTAs [26], where he was up against Laia Costa, Lucas Hedges, Ruth Negga, and Anya Taylor-Joy. The British actor started out in the West End playing the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008.

He made his feature film debut in 2012's The Impossible and in 2015 starred in In the Heart of the Sea and BBC Two's TV series Wolf Hall. 2016 was a big year, as Tom appeared in The Lost City of Z and started his role as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War.

Since the Rising Star award in 2017, Tom has starred as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in four more films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Spider-Man: Homecoming; Avengers: Infinity War; and 2019's Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Tom's other major films include The Current War and 2019's Chaos Walking.

2018: Daniel Kaluuya

In 2018 Daniel thanked his mum [27] in his acceptance speech at the BAFTAs, having beaten Florence Pugh, Josh O'Connor, Tessa Thompson, and Timothée Chalamet [28].

The British actor started his career in TV, as Posh Kenneth in the original cast of Skins [29], and also as a contributing writer, progressing to head writer for two episodes. He went on to star in lots of TV shows like Silent Witness, Doctor Who, FM, Psychoville, The Fades, and comedy sketch shows. He won awards for his stage acting and starred in short films.

It was thanks to his role in Black Mirror that Daniel got his big break in 2017 horror movie Get Out, for which he was nominated for major awards. He followed that up with 2018's Black Panther [30] and Widows, and of course his Rising Star award.

2019: Letitia Wright

In 2019, Letitia had the audience close to tears as she described a low moment when she considered quitting acting, until BAFTA invited her to become part of its Breakthrough Brits program in 2015. Less than 4 years later, she is a global superstar thanks in no small part to her work as Shuri in Black Panther [31] and Avengers: Infinity War.

Letitia's breakout role was in Urban Hymn, and she's also starred in a number of British TV shows like Doctor Who, Humans, and Black Mirror, for which she received an Emmy nomination. She also starred in Ready Player One.