The present invention provides an aqueous polymerization method for preparing graft copolymers, and copolymer compositions produced therefrom. The method of the present invention includes (a) forming a macromonomer aqueous emulsion containing water insoluble macromonomer particles; (b) forming a monomer composition containing at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer; and (c) combining at least a portion of the macromonomer aqueous emulsion and at least a portion of the monomer composition and polymerizing the resulting polymerization reaction mixture in the presence of an initiator to form a copolymer composition. The copolymer composition produced contains water insoluble particles of graft copolymer.