British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance

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.

British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance
Awarded for	Best Performance by a Newcomer
Country	United Kingdom
Presented by	BIFA
First awarded	1998
Currently held by	Vivian Oparah for Rye Lane (2023)
Website	www.bifa.film

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".^[1] The category includes both leading and supporting performances.

Winners and nominees

1990s

Most Promising Newcomer

Year	Recipient	Film	Character
1998 (1st) [2]	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 (2nd) [3]	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)

Year	Performer	Film	Character
2000 (3rd) [4]	Jamie Bell	Billy Elliot	Billy Elliot
	Neil Fitzmaurice	Going Off Big Time	Mark Clayton
	Dina Korzun	Last Resort	Tanya
	Chris Beattie	Purely Belter	Gerry McCarten
	Greg McLane		Sewell
	Lewis McKenzie	There's Only One Jimmy Grimble	Jimmy Grimble

Best Newcomer (Off Screen)

Year	Recipient	Film
2000 (3rd) [4]	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

Year	Performer	Film	Character
2001 (4th) [5]	Ben Whishaw	My Brother Tom	Tom
	Natalia Verbeke	Jump Tomorrow	Alicia
	Ingrid de Souza	Princesa	Fernanda
	Mark Letheren	South West 9	Mitch
2002 (5th) [6][7]	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 (6th) [8][9]	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 (7th) [10]	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 (8th) [11]	Emily Barclay	In My Father's Den	Celia
	Rupert Friend	The Libertine	Billy Downs
	Samina Awan	Love + Hate	Naseema
	Alexander Nathan Etel	Millions	Damian Cunningham
	Thelma Barlow	Mrs Henderson Presents	Lady Margot Conway
2006 (9th) [12][13]	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 Cooper	The History Boys	Stuart Dakin
	Samuel Barnett		David Posner
	Jodie Whittaker	Venus	Jessie
2007 (10th) [14][15]	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 (11th) [16][17]	Dev Patel	Slumdog Millionaire	Jamal Malik
	Asa Butterfield	The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas	Bruno
	Ayush Mahesh Khedekar	Slumdog Millionaire	Jamal (toddler)
	Bill Milner	Son of Rambow	Will Proudfoot
	Will Poulter		Lee Carter
2009 (12th) [18][19]	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

Year	Performer	Film	Character
2010 (13th) [20][21]	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 (14th) [22][23]	Tom Cullen	Weekend	Russell
	Jessica Brown Findlay	Albatross	Emelia
	John Boyega	Attack the Block	Moses
	Craig Roberts	Submarine	Oliver Tate
	Yasmin Paige		Jordana Bevan
2012 (15th) [24][25]	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 (16th) [26][27]	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 (17th) [28][29]	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 (18th) [30][31]	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 (19th) [32][33]	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 (20th) [34][35]	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 (21st) [36][37]	Jessie Buckley	Beast	Moll
	Molly Wright	Apostasy	Alex
	Michaela Coel	Been So Long	Simone
	Liv Hill	Jellyfish	Sarah Taylor
	Marcus Rutherford	Obey	Leon
2019 (22nd) [38][39]	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

Year	Performer	Film	Character
2020 (23rd) [40][41]	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 (24th) [42]	Nell Barlow	Sweetheart	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 (25th) [43]	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 (25th) [44]	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

See also

• BAFTA Rising Star Award

References

1. "Rules and Eligibility". British Independent Film Awards. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
2. "The Awards 1998". British Independent Film Awards. 24 October 1998. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
3. "The Awards 1999". British Independent Film Awards. 24 October 1999. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
4. "The Awards 2000". British Independent Film Awards. 24 October 2000. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
5. Frater, Patrick (October 24, 2001). "Sexy Beast scores at British indie film awards". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
6. "Morvern Callar leads British Independent Film Awards nominations". Screen Daily. September 17, 2002. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
7. Gibbons, Fiachra (October 31, 2002). "Sweet Sixteen named best of the independents". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
8. Dams, Tim (September 22, 2003). "Dirty Pretty Things leads BIFA nominations". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
9. "Dirty Pretty Things sweeps Brit indie awards". The Guardian. November 3, 2003. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
10. Dawtrey, Adam (November 30, 2004). "'Drake' takes the cake". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
11. "Constant Gardener wins UK awards". BBC News. December 1, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
12. "'Scotland' duo, 'Queen' pic among top BIFA nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
13. ""This is England" Takes Top Prize at British Independent Film Awards". Indiewire. November 30, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
14. "British Independent Film Awards nominations list". Variety. October 23, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
15. "Control takes over at British Independent Film Awards". CBC News. November 29, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
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17. Kemp, Stuart (December 1, 2008). "'Slumdog' wins big at British indie awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
18. Knegt, Peter (October 26, 2009). ""Fish Tank," "Moon" Lead British Indie Award Nods". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
19. Thompson, Anne (December 6, 2009). "British Independent Film Awards: Moon Wins Best Film". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
20. Child, Ben (November 2, 2010). "The King's Speech rings out in Bifa awards nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
21. Masters, Tim (December 6, 2010). "King's Speech reigns at British Independent Film awards". BBC News. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
22. Knegt, Peter (October 31, 2011). ""Shame," "Tyrannosaur" and "Tinker Tailor" Lead British Independent Film Award Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
23. Masters, Tim (December 5, 2011). "Tyrannosaur in triple win at British Independent Film Awards". BBC News. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
24. Child, Ben (November 6, 2012). "Broken fixed up with nine British independent film award nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
25. Mueller, Matt (December 9, 2012). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Broken' Takes Best Film, 'Berberian Sound Studio' and 'The Imposter' Big Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
26. "'Metro Manila' gets 5 nominations in British film awards". ABS-CBN News. November 13, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
27. Kemp, Stuart (December 8, 2013). "'Metro Manila' Wins Big at British Independent Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
28. Rosser, Michael (November 3, 2014). "'71, Pride lead BIFA nominations". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
29. "Pride wins best film at British Independent Film Awards". BBC News. December 7, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
30. Tartaglione, Nancy (November 3, 2015). "'The Lobster', '45 Years', 'Macbeth' Lead British Independent Film Award Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
31. Lee, Benjamin (December 7, 2015). "Ex Machina triumphs at British independent film awards". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
32. Evans, Alan (November 1, 2016). "I, Daniel Blake leads British independent film award nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
33. Barranclough, Leo (December 4, 2016). "'American Honey' Triumphs at British Independent Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
34. Clarke, Stewart (November 1, 2017). "'Lady Macbeth' Tops Nominations for British Independent Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
35. Nordine, Michael (December 10, 2017). "British Independent Film Awards: 'God's Own Country' and 'Lady Macbeth' Win Top Prizes". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
36. Brown, Mark (October 31, 2018). "The Favourite dominates British independent film award nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
37. Nordine, Michael (December 2, 2018). "'The Favourite' Wins 10 British Independent Film Awards, Living Up to Its Title". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
38. Sharf, Zack (October 30, 2019). "2019 British Indie Film Awards Nominations: 'David Copperfield,' Zellweger, and More". IndieWire. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
39. Ritman, Alex (December 1, 2019). "British Independent Film Awards: 'For Sama' Wins Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
40. Ramachandran, Naman (December 9, 2020). "'Saint Maud,' 'His House,' 'Rocks' Lead British Independent Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
41. Grater, Tom (February 18, 2021). "'Rocks' & 'His House' Win Big At British Independent Film Awards". Deadline. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
42. Ramachandran, Naman (November 3, 2021). "'Belfast,' 'Boiling Point' Lead BIFA Nominations". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
43. Szalai, Georg (4 November 2022). "British Independent Film Awards: Debut Movies 'Aftersun,' 'Blue Jean' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
44. "BIFA 2023 Winners Announced". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 2023-12-03. Retrieved 2024-05-28.

External links

• Official website