Press-Release: Kristen Stewart wins the Orange Rising Star Award

Orange is proud to announce that the public have voted in their tens of thousands to crown Kristen Stewart as 2010’s Orange Rising Star Award winner.

The Orange Rising Star Award is the only publicly voted award presented at the Orange British Academy Film Awards. Kristen was one of five international actors and actresses nominated for their exceptional talent and recognised as a star in the making. The other nominees were: Jesse Eisenberg, Nicholas Hoult, Carey Mulligan and Tahar Rahim.

Stewart was spotted by a casting agent at the age of eight and went on to star in her first feature film Panic Room in 2002. She has had an astronomical rise to fame since starring in the Twilight saga, in her role as protagonist Isabella ‘Bella’ Swan. A cultural phenomenon, the first of the Twilight saga was released in 2008 grossing $382 million at box offices worldwide and affirming Kristen Stewart as a true one to watch. In 2010, we will see her take on a new role as Joan Jett, lead singer of the first all-girl rock band, in Sundance hit The Runaways.

Hattie Magee, Head of Partnerships at Orange commented: “We are delighted that Kristen Stewart has been chosen as this year’s Orange Rising Star. The support for our award’s fifth year has been incredible with voting numbers at a record high. Kristen is an aspirational young actress with a remarkable future ahead of her.”

David Parfitt, Chairman of BAFTA and Chairman of the Orange Rising Star jury, said: “The Orange Rising Star Award celebrates the next generation of acting talent. My congratulations go out to Kristen Stewart who has won the hearts of the British public in what was a very strong field.”

The Orange Rising Star Award was created in honour of Mary Selway, the highly respected BAFTA-winning casting director whose career spanned three decades and over ninety films before she died in 2004. She worked with notable directors such as Steven Spielberg, Roman Polanski, Clint Eastwood and Ridley Scott, contributing to the creation of some of the silver screen's most memorable characters.

Unlike any other award at the Orange British Academy Film Awards, the Orange Rising Star Award was voted for by the British public via text message or on the Orange website.

Source: orange.co.uk  via kstewartfans