From Sinners to One Battle After Another: Meet this year’s BAFTA EE Rising Star nominees
Chase Infiniti, Archie Madekwe, Miles Caton, and Posy Sterling are 2026’s BAFTA EE Rising Star Award nominees. They join EE72 for a moment of reflection ahead of this year’s award ceremony.
Each year, a new vanguard of actors is ushered into the spotlight via some of cinema’s most compelling projects. That spotlight only glares brighter as the annual BAFTAs roll around. For over 20 years, The British Film and Television Awards has joined forces with EE to hand-pick a cohort of actors regarded as the next frontrunners on the screen, nominating them for the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award. Previous nominees include Hollywood residents Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Emma Stone, Lupita Nyong’o and Margot Robbie. Kristen Stewart, James McAvoy and Daniel Kaluuya are just some of the stars to emerge as winners. Now, at the award’s 79th instalment, a fresh group of actors, all on the precipice of stardom, are being honoured.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners has made history as the most-nominated film in Oscar history. Breakthrough star Miles Caton, who made his all-singing debut in the film, is first up. Elsewhere, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle Another gave Chase Infiniti her big break. She’s also nominated alongside Lurker and Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe, Lollipop’s Posy Sterling, and I Swear’s Robert Aramayo.
Ahead of Sunday’s award show, in which one of the actors will become a first-time BAFTA winner, Madekwe, Caton, Infiniti, and Sterling joined EE72 to discuss the projects and performances that inspire them, and how it feels to be honored on one of the world’s largest stages.
CHASE INFINITI IN ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, COURTESY OF WARNER BROS
CHASE INFINITI, 25
Where are you from and what do you do?
I was born and raised in Indianapolis, I’m currently living in Chicago, and I’m an actor.
What’s your favorite film or TV show, and how has it inspired you to be the actor you are today?
There are too many movies, from Catch Me If You Can to musicals like Chicago. I fell in love with performing through theater,and my love only grew stronger the more I watched.
Which project are you most proud of, and why?
I am most proud of all of my work. Each project I’ve worked on has had its own challenges. Whether it’s deepening the understanding of a situation or exploring something that feels scary, each character [I’ve played has allowed me to grow]. I am proud to have pushed myself in those moments.
How do you feel about being nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award?
It is such an incredible honor. Gratitude and joy have been two overwhelming, beautiful emotions I’ve felt. I feel so blessed to have been included amongst such an amazing group of talented actors who all inspire me in so many ways.
What are you most excited about in the future?
Getting to work with emerging artists and also seeing what new stories are being told.
Each project I’ve worked on has had its own challenges. Whether it’s deepening the understanding of a situation or exploring something that feels scary, each character [I’ve played has allowed me to grow]. I am proud to have pushed myself in those moments.
CHASE INFINITI
MILES CATON IN SINNERS, COURTESY OF WARNER BROS
MILES CATON, 20
Where are you from and what do you do?
I’m from Brooklyn, New York, and I’m an artist.
What’s your favourite film or TV show, and how has it inspired you to be the actor you are today?
Looking back on my childhood, I remember watching a lot of Disney Channel Original Shows. The Suite Life of Zach and Cody was my favorite one. Seeing kids be that successful, talented, and having fun on the screen always made me feel like I could do it too.
Which project are you most proud of, and why?
The piece of work that I’m most proud of is my acting debut in Sinners. The experience and opportunity was beyond what I ever saw for myself, but at the same time, there was a lot of preparation and work that went into getting ready to shoot the film. Every day was a learning experience, and I grew so much as a person.
How do you feel about being nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award?
It feels surreal to be nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. I feel honored to even be in the conversation and to be recognized by my mentors and peers.
What are you most excited about in the future?
What excites me most about the future is the thought of everything I’m going to accomplish. I have goals and, as long as I continue to work and remain consistent, I know that everything will work out.
It feels surreal to be nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. I feel honored to even be in the conversation and to be recognized by my mentors and peers
MILES CATON
POSY STERLING IN LOLLIPOP, COURTESY OF BBC FILM
POSY STERLING, 33
Where are you from and what do you do?
I’m Manchester-born, although I grew up between London and the East Midlands. I’m an actor and social impact storyteller.
What’s your favourite film or TV show, and how has it inspired you to be the actor you are today?
It’s hard to choose just one. For British cinema, Dead Man’s Shoes deeply inspired me in terms of filmmaking and emotional honesty. I was also hugely influenced by ensemble performances for women in ‘90s cinema, particularly Girl, Interrupted and Angelina Jolie’s performance, which showed me the power of raw, complex female storytelling.
Which project are you most proud of, and why?
Lollipop is the project I’m most proud of. It tells a story about resilience, motherhood and friendship, and it felt deeply meaningful to be part of something that reflects real women’s experiences with such care and integrity.
How do you feel about being nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award?
It’s incredibly surreal and humbling. To be recognized in this way feels like a huge encouragement and a reminder to keep trusting both the journey and the work. I feel very grateful.
What are you most excited about in the future?
Expanding and exploring creative work alongside acting, and continuing to make bold, emotionally honest projects that spark conversation and connection.
I was also hugely influenced by ensemble performances for women in ‘90s cinema, particularly Girl, Interrupted and Angelina Jolie’s performance, which showed me the power of raw, complex female storytelling.
Post Sterling
ARCHIE MADEKWE, 31
ARCHIE MADEKWE IN LURKER, COURTESY OF MUBI
Where are you from and what do you do?
I’m from South London, and I’m an actor.
What’s your favourite film or TV show, and how has it inspired you to be the actor you are today?
It’s impossible to give a definite favorite. I speak about La Vie en Rose a lot, but Marion Cotillard’s performance in that just unlocked something for me. It pushed the limit of what I knew we were capable of doing as actors.
Which project are you most proud of, and why?
I’m proud of my work in Lurker. It felt like such a collaborative effort. I can see all of our fingerprints on that film. It was my first producing credit, and I’m really proud of that.
How do you feel about being nominated for the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award?
It’s surreal. It’s an award I’ve always been aware of. So many of my favourite actors have been nominated for this award. To be included in that list is nothing short of surreal.
I speak about La Vie en Rose a lot, but Marion Cotillard’s performance in that just unlocked something for me. It pushed the limit of what I knew we were capable of doing as actors.
Archie Madekwe
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