Letitia Wright and Lakeith Stanfield land BAFTA Rising Star nominations

Letitia Wright, Lakeith Stanfield and Cynthia Erivo have been shortlisted for the EE Rising Star prize at the 2019 BAFTA Film Awards.
The British actress, who made her breakthrough playing fan favourite Shuri in Marvel movie Black Panther, was revealed as a contender for the only public-voted prize at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Film Awards on Thursday morning (03Jan19).
“It’s an incredible feeling to be chosen by BAFTA and the jury as a candidate for the EE Rising Star Award,” Letitia said in a statement. “It means a lot that my work has been recognised, especially in the country I’ve grown up in, and that I get to share this recognition with so many talented actors.”
She will compete against Lakeith, who is best known for his work on TV series Atlanta and films such as Get Out and Sorry to Bother You.
“I can’t begin to express my gratitude to BAFTA and the jury for this nomination,” he gushed. “The calibre of previous EE Rising Star Award winners and nominees is incredible, and I feel honoured to be counted among them. It’s a very proud moment indeed.”
British actress Cynthia, who has already achieved Tony, Emmy and Grammy Awards for her role in the stage revival of musical The Color Purple, lands on the shortlist after making her feature film debut in 2018 in both Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale.
The five-person category also features Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who is best known for his work in Dunkirk, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and American Animals, and Irish actress Jessie Buckley, who received acclaim for her performance in 2018 independent film Beast.
The winner will follow in the footsteps of 2018 winner Daniel Kaluuya as well the likes of previous winners James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Kristen Stewart and John Boyega.
The 2019 BAFTA Film Awards take place on 10 February at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The main nominees will be announced on 9 January.