The British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance is an annual award given by the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). The award was first presented in the 1998 ceremony, until 2020 the category was presented as Most Promising Newcomer.

Actress Laila Morse was the first recipient of this award for her performance as Janet in Nil by Mouth. The category with a wider meaning of "newcomer", including new actors but also directors, cinematographers, editors, etc., since 2001 the category is directed towards only actors.

According to BIFA, the category is for "British performers taking their first significant role in a theatrical feature film", it also states that "eligibility of performers with significant theatre or TV credits will be determined by the Nomination Committee". The category includes both leading and supporting performances.

Winners and nominees

1990s Most Promising Newcomer YearRecipientFilmCharacter 1998 Laila Morse Nil by Mouth Janet Enda Hughes (director)Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll James Breese (director)My Funny Valentine Jim Pilkington (director)Pocket Simon Rumley (writer/director)Strong Language 1999 Lara Belmont The War Zone Jessie Keri Arnold The Darkest Light Catherine Simon Bowles (production designer)Lighthouse Alwin H. Küchler (cinematographer)Ratcatcher

2000s Best Newcomer (On Screen) YearPerformerFilmCharacter 2000 Jamie Bell Billy Elliot Billy Elliot Neil Fitzmaurice Going Off Big Time Mark Clayton Dina Korzun Last Resort Tanya Chris BeattiePurely Belter Gerry McCarten Greg McLane Sewell Lewis McKenzie There's Only One Jimmy Grimble Jimmy Grimble

Best Newcomer (Off Screen) YearRecipientFilm 2000 Justine Wright (film editor) One Day in September Damian Bromley (cinematographer) Going Off Big Time Alison Dominitz (production designer) Hotel Splendide Courtney Pine (composer) It Was an Accident Igor Jadue-Lillo (cinematographer) The Low Down

Most Promising Newcomer YearPerformerFilmCharacter 2001 Ben Whishaw My Brother Tom Tom Natalia Verbeke Jump Tomorrow Alicia Ingrid de Souza Princesa Fernanda Mark Letheren South West 9 Mitch 2002 Martin Compston Sweet Sixteen Liam Parminder Nagra Bend It Like Beckham Jesminder "Jess" Kaur Bhamra William Ruane Sweet Sixteen Pinball Kathleen McDermott Morvern Callar Lanna 2003 Harry Eden Pure Paul Chiwetel Ejiofor Dirty Pretty Things Okwe/Olatokumbo Fadipe Romola Garai I Capture the Castle Cassandra Mortmain Jamie Sives Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself Wilbur 2004 Ashley Walters Bullet Boy Ricky Atta Yaqub Ae Fond Kiss... Casim Khan Toby Kebbell Dead Man's Shoes Anthony Emily Blunt My Summer of Love Tamsin Nick Frost Shaun of the Dead Ed 2005 Emily Barclay In My Father's Den Celia Rupert Friend The Libertine Billy Downs Samina Awan Love + Hate NaseemaAlexander Nathan Etel Millions Damian Cunningham Thelma Barlow Mrs Henderson Presents Lady Margot Conway 2006 Thomas Turgoose This Is England Shaun Fields Rafi Gavron Breaking and Entering Mirsad "Miro" Simić Harry Treadaway, Luke Treadaway Brothers of the Head Tom Howe, Barry Howe Dominic CooperThe History Boys Stuart Dakin Samuel Barnett David Posner Jodie Whittaker Venus Jessie 2007 Sam Riley Control Ian Curtis Imogen Poots 28 Weeks Later Tammy Matthew Beard And When Did You Last See Your Father? Blake Bradley Cole Exhibit A Andy King Kierston Wareing It's a Free World... Angela 2008 Dev Patel Slumdog Millionaire Jamal Malik Asa Butterfield The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Bruno Ayush Mahesh Khedekar Slumdog Millionaire Jamal (toddler) Bill MilnerSon of Rambow Will Proudfoot Will Poulter Lee Carter 2009 Katie Jarvis Fish Tank Mia Williams George MacKay The Boys Are Back Harry Hilda Péter Katalin Varga Katalin Varga Christian McKay Me and Orson Welles Orson Welles Edward Hogg White Lightnin' Jesco White

2010s YearPerformerFilmCharacter 2010 Joanne Froggatt In Our Name Private Suzy Jackson Manjinder Virk The Arbor Lorraine Dunbar Andrea Riseborough Brighton Rock Rose Tom Hughes Cemetery Junction Bruce Pearson Conor McCarron Neds John McGill 2011 Tom Cullen Weekend Russell Jessica Brown Findlay Albatross Emelia John Boyega Attack the Block Moses Craig RobertsSubmarine Oliver Tate Yasmin Paige Jordana Bevan 2012 James Floyd My Brother the Devil Rashid Paul Brannigan The Angels' Share Robbie Eloise Laurence Broken Skunk Zawe Ashton Dreams of a Life Joyce Carol Vincent Elliot Tittensor Spike Island Tits 2013 Chloe Pirrie Shell Shell Harley Bird How I Live Now Piper Caity Lotz The Machine Ava/The Machine Jake Macapagal Metro Manila Oscar Ramirez Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas The Selfish Giant Arbor, Swifty 2014 Sameena Jabeen Ahmed Catch Me Daddy Leila Gugu Mbatha-Raw Belle Dido Elizabeth Belle Cara Delevingne The Face of an Angel Melanie Lliam Walpole The Goob "Goob" Taylor Ben Schnetzer Pride Mark Ashton 2015 Abigail Hardingham Nina Forever Holly Milo Parker Mr Holmes Roger Munro Bel Powley A Royal Night Out Princess Margaret Agyness Deyn Sunset Song Chris Guthrie Mia Goth The Survivalist Milja 2016 Hayley Squires I, Daniel Blake Katie Morgan Sennia Nanua The Girl with All the Gifts Melanie Dave Johns I, Daniel Blake Daniel Blake Steve Brandon My Feral Heart Luke Letitia Wright Urban Hymn Jamie Harrison 2017 Naomi Ackie Lady Macbeth Anna Harry Michell Chubby Funny Oscar Harry Gilby Just Charlie Charlie Lyndsay Cosmo Jarvis Lady Macbeth Sebastian Lily Newmark Pin Cushion Iona 2018 Jessie Buckley Beast Moll Molly Wright Apostasy Alex Michaela Coel Been So Long Simone Liv Hill Jellyfish Sarah Taylor Marcus Rutherford Obey Leon 2019 Samuel Adewunmi The Last Tree Femi Lorn Macdonald Beats Spanner Vicky Knight Dirty God Jade Nugent Roxanne Scrimshaw Lynn + Lucy Lynn Honor Swinton Byrne The Souvenir Julie

2020s YearPerformerFilmCharacter 2020 Kosar Ali Rocks Sumaya Niamh Algar Calm with Horses Ursula Conrad Khan County Lines Taylor Frankie Box Perfect 10 Leigh Bukky Bakray Rocks Olushola "Rocks" Omotoso 2021 Nell BarlowSweetheart AJ Lauryn Ajufo Boiling Point Andrea Max Harwood Everybody's Talking About Jamie Jamie New / Mimi Me Jude Hill Belfast Buddy Ellora Torchia IN THE EⱯRTH Alma 2022 Safia Oakley-Green Out of Darkness Beyah Frankie Corio Aftersun Sophie Leo Long I Used to Be Famous Stevie Kíla Lord Cassidy The Wonder Anna O'Donnell Rosy McEwen Blue Jean Jean 2023 Vivian Oparah Rye Lane Yas Le'Shantey Bonsu Girl Ama Lola Campbell Scrapper Georgie Priya Kansara Polite Society Ria Khan Mia McKenna-Bruce How to Have Sex Tara 2024 Susan Chardy On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Shula Nykiya Adams Bird Bailey Saura Lightfoot-Leon Hoard Maria Ruaridh Mollica Sebastian Max Williamson Jason Patel Unicorns Aysha 2025 Posy Sterling Lollipop Molly Brown Scott Ellis Watson I Swear Young John Davidson Ebada Hassan Brides Doe Safiyya Ingar Muna Connor Tompkins The Son and the Sea Charlie

See also BAFTA Rising Star Award

References

External links Official website