Mikey Madison, Marisa Abela, and More Turn Out for VF’s BAFTA EE Rising Star Party

As the sun set over London’s Park Lane Wednesday night, the stars came out—flocking to Pavyllon at the Four Seasons to celebrate the 20th anniversary of BAFTA’s EE Rising Star Award. It was a party as glittering as model and activist Munroe Bergdorf’s silver dress, with Vanity Fair hosting an array of today’s most lauded talent from stage and screen.

The atmosphere was intimate, with a current of anticipation buzzing through the rooms. Heads turned as Anora’s Mikey Madison, in postbox red archival Armani, ascended the spiral staircase linking Pavyllon’s two bars. Anyone would be overwhelmed by the sheer plethora of nominations and attention she’s received this season—including an Oscar nod for best actress—but Madison maintained her signature composure.

“It’s amazing,” she said at the event. “I’m so happy to be here! I really like London, and my best friend”—actor Aurora Perrineau, known for her role as Eurydice in Netflix’s Kaos—“is filming here too, so we’ve been having sleepovers at mine.”

Madison’s fellow Rising Star nominees were just as excited to meet her as she was them. David Jonsson, of Alien: Romulus and Rye Lane, sipped a Don Julio 1942 with an eye out for Madison, excited to talk about an upcoming project that might see the two nominees onscreen together. “All my friends are other actors,” Madison said with a smile. “I’m so excited to be here, and I hope to make some new friends tonight.”

Since three out of the five Rising Star nominees are alumni of HBO’s Industry, the companionable vibe was perhaps to be expected. One of them, Marisa Abela, arrived to bright camera flashes in a brown leather dress that was as fitted as a glove. Soon after, she made a beeline for Jonsson, who left the drama after its second season.

The costars reunited in the Vanity Fair x Four Seasons portrait studio. Abela—also known for her 2024 turn as the late Amy Winehouse in Back to Black—flexed her muscles and teased Jonsson as he posed for the camera. Hugging and laughing, the pair chatted with Abela’s fiancé, actor and writer Jamie Bogyo. “Hate you,” Jonsson joked before heading back toward the partying crowds below, as Abela served face for photos, slim sunglasses balanced on her nose.

Downstairs, DJs Storm Mollison and Rose Gray took to the decks, quickly enticing Paul Forman from Emily in Paris and Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, to the dance floor. Exquisitely formed light bites from Pavyllon’s renowned chef, Yannick Alléno, were passed around. The delicate mini comté soufflés were named a particular favorite, only ever visible for a fleeting moment.

Mini brown bottles of Don Julio 1942 with gold metal straws proved a perfect party pairing, with guests sipping from them all night long. Bespoke cocktails in honor of each 2025 EE Rising Star nominee also kept the vibes strong; Jharrel Jerome’s “Unstoppable Collins” lived up to its name. Don Julio ambassador and 365 party girl Raven Smith ensured everyone in sight had what they needed as Charli XCX’s club classics bumped overhead.

This event was part of an ongoing series of Hollywood film-premiere parties, cast toasts, and entertainment-industry dinner conversations that Vanity Fair and Four Seasons are convening around the world in 2025, including in New York, Paris, London, and at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Amelia Dimoldenberg, darting across the room at the Rising Star party, was spotted scouting for her next Chicken Shop Date guest: “Vernon Kay!” she said delightedly, excited to introduce herself to the beloved British broadcaster. “Lolly Adefope and I were starstruck when we saw him.”

As the party continued, Nabhaan Rizwan, star of the British independent film In Camera, made a surprise DJ appearance. Just before his set, the Rising Star nominee spoke to both the importance of being selective with his choices and the pressures of the job, two themes he explores in his latest project. “All I care about is making good work that sets my heart on fire—and being the flyest actor there is,” he deadpanned. Decked out in round-lens Thames sunglasses and a Prada robot charm with music jacks as legs—“I love accessories”—he certainly succeeded last night, even in a hotly competitive field.

Elsewhere, Raff Law and Anaïs Gallagher caught up with friends around a curved corner sofa and glasses of Taittinger, and Dylan Llewellyn—who had claimed to be the early-in, early-out type of party guest—was spotted toward the end of the night, cutting a dashing figure through the crowd in his cream-and-blue pinstripe suit. Llewellyn’s favorite film of the season? “Smile 2,” he said. “I was terrified walking home from the cinema.”

On a less terrifying note, Yomi Adegoke shared her excitement about the process of adapting her spicy debut novel, The List, for HBO, BBC, and A24. “If I bumped into an HBO exec tonight and they immediately greenlit it, that would make this the greatest night of my life,” the author laughed, telling us she always loves a Vanity Fair party. “It’s glamorous, it’s chic—and a great way to people watch.”

The night’s affair was as elegant as expected, but this year was “elevated,” commented writer Henry Conway. The party promoter attributed that to the boost the UK’s film industry has seen of late, with big productions shooting in new studios like Shinfield in Reading. Whether that was the case, or whether it was the sheer wattage of homegrown star power that lit up that corner of Mayfair last night, 2025’s Vanity Fair BAFTA EE Rising Star party was clearly the place to be. And not just if you were looking for a mini comté soufflé.

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