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20th January 2026
12:25pm GMT
The nominations for the 2026 Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Awards have just been announced, with Cork coming-of-age drama Christy and the Roy Keane-focused film Saipan securing the most nominations.
Not to be confused with the recent Sydney Sweeney boxing movie of the same name, director Brendan Canty's feature directorial debut Christy scored 14 nods, including in the Best Film category.
Written by Alan O'Gorman, the movie follows a 17-year-old Cork man (Daniel Power) seeking independence after leaving the foster system.
Christy will compete in the Best Film category against Saipan, the biographical sports drama focusing on Irish footballer Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke) and Ireland manager Mick McCarthy (Steve Coogan).
Depicting the pair's infamous bust-up on the eve of the FIFA World Cup in 2002, Saipan has proved to be a hit at the box office, having crossed the €500k mark in just its first week on release.
It seems the drama has also fared well with the IFTA Academy, earning 12 nominations. Check out JOE's review of Saipan here.
The movie that secured the third most nominations was Blue Moon, director Richard Linklater's biographical comedy-drama about Lorenz Tate (Ethan Hawke).
Tate was the American lyricist who, alongside Richard Rodgers (played in the film by Andrew Scott), was part of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart.
Shot on a soundstage in Dublin, which stood in for 1940s New York, Blue Moon scored eight nominations and is also expected to pick up some Academy Award nods later in the week.
Also at the 2026 IFTA Awards, seven women are nominated in directing categories, which is a record for the event often referred to as the "Irish Oscars".
These nominees include directors Aisling Walsh (Showkids), Megan K Fox (Video Nasty), Mia Mullarkey (Hidden Assets), Oonagh Kearney (The Au Pair) and Rachel Carey (Obituary) in the drama (TV) categories.
Debut feature director Myrid Carten (A Want in Her) also secured a nomination, along with Lisa Barros D’Sa, who co-directed Saipan with Glenn Leyburn.
In addition to the roster of Irish film and drama projects in contention, a significant number of Irish talent are nominated for their work on major international productions.
Irish writer Maggie O’Farrell received a nod with Chloé Zhao for writing the screenplay for Hamnet. A major contender at the Oscars as well, the movie was adapted from O’Farrell’s novel.
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are also nominated for their performances in the historical tragedy film, which also gained an IFTA nod in the International Film category.
The winners will be announced at the IFTA Awards ceremony taking place on Friday, 20 February 2026 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.
The event will be hosted for the second year running by comedian, actor and broadcaster Kevin McGahern.
You can see the full list of nominations below:
BEST FILM
Aontas
Blue Moon
Christy
Four Mothers
Saipan
Steve
DIRECTOR - FILM
Lisa Barros D'Sa, Glenn Leyburn - Saipan
Brendan Canty - Christy
Myrid Carten - A Want in Her
Lorcan Finnegan - The Surfer
Ruán Magan - Báite
Edwin Mullane, Adam O'Keeffe - Horseshoe
SCRIPT FILM
Sarah Gordon, Damian McCann - Aontas
Maggie O'Farrell, Chloé Zhao - Hamnet
Alan O'Gorman - Christy
Sheena Lambert - Báite
Darren Thornton, Colin Thornton - Four Mothers
Enda Walsh - Die My Love
LEAD ACTOR - FILM
Steve Coogan - Saipan
Daniel Day-Lewis - Anemone
Colin Farrell - Ballad of a Small Player
Éanna Hardwicke - Saipan
Cillian Murphy - Steve
Daniel Power - Christy
LEAD ACTRESS - FILM
Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
Carolyn Bracken - Horseshoe
Carrie Crowley - Aontas
Fionnula Flanagan - Four Mothers
Eleanor O’Brien - Báite
Fiona Shaw - Hot Milk
SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM
Liam Cunningham - Palestine 36
Jamie Forde - Christy
Paul Mescal - Hamnet
Diarmuid Noyes - Christy
Seán T. Ó Meallaigh - Aontas
Andrew Scott - Blue Moon
SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM
Brid Brennan - Aontas
Kerry Condon - F1
Sarah Greene - Trad
Dearbhla Molloy - Four Mothers
Kerry Condon - Train Dreams
Emma Willis - Christy
Blue Lights
Leonard and Hungry Paul
Trespasses
The Walsh Sisters
Wednesday S2
The Young Offenders
DIRECTOR DRAMA
Rachel Carey - Obituary
Megan K Fox - Video Nasty
Oonagh Kearney - The Au Pair
Mia Mullarkey - Hidden Assets
Hugh O'Conor - Showkids
Aisling Walsh - Miss Austen
SCRIPT DRAMA
Peter Foott - The Young Offenders
Ailbhe Keogan - Trespasses
Declan Lawn, Adam Patterson - Blue Lights
Cara Loftus - Hidden Assets
Stefanie Preissner - The Walsh Sisters
Hugh Travers - Video Nasty
LEAD ACTOR - DRAMA
Anthony Boyle - House of Guinness
Pierce Brosnan - MobLand
Domhnall Gleeson - The Paper
Martin McCann - Blue Lights
Aaron Monaghan - Hidden Assets
Alex Murphy - The Young Offenders
LEAD ACTRESS - DRAMA
Niamh Algar - The Iris Affair
Caitriona Balfe - Outlander
Siobhán Cullen - Obituary
Louisa Harland - The Walsh Sisters
Nora-Jane Noone - Hidden Assets
Lola Petticrew - Trespasses
SUPPORTING ACTOR - DRAMA
Jack Gleeson - House of Guinness
Cal O'Driscoll - Video Nasty
Dónall Ó Héalai - Hidden Assets
Fionn O'Shea - House of Guinness
Aidan Quinn - The Walsh Sisters
Chris Walley - The Young Offenders
SUPPORTING ACTRESS - DRAMA
Cathy Belton - Hidden Assets
Ruth Bradley - Slow Horses
Katherine Devlin - Blue Lights
Danielle Galligan - House of Guinness
Alison Oliver - Task
Genevieve O'Reilly - Andor
Bugonia
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Palestine '36
Sentimental Value
Sinners
INTERNATIONAL ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
Michael B Jordan - Sinners
James McArdle - Four Mothers
Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
Jesse Plemons - Bugonia
INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS
Chase Infiniti - One Battle After Another
Jennifer Lawrence - Die My Love
Margaret Qualley - Blue Moon
Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
Emma Stone - Bugonia
Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another
DOCUMENTARY & SHORT FILM CATEGORIES GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
A Want in Her
The Essence of Eva
Listen To The Land Speak
Sanatorium
Testimony
Útoipe Cheilteach
Redbreast SHORT FILM AWARD
The Ban
No Mean City
No Time Wasters
Nostalgie
Punt
Three Keenings
ANIMATED SHORT
Éiru
Inside, The Valley Sings
Rerooted
Retirement Plan
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bugonia - Robbie Ryan
Christy - Colm Hogan
Die My Love - Seamus McGarvey
Saipan - Piers McGrail
Severance - Suzie Lavelle
CASTING
Christy - Amy Rowan
Four Mothers - Louise Kiely
The Rainmaker - Emma Gunnery
Ready Or Not - Maureen Hughes
Saipan - Aine O'Sullivan
COSTUME DESIGN
Blue Moon - Consolata Boyle
Christy - Hannah Bury
Four Mothers - Joan O'Cleary
Saipan - Lara Campbell
Video Nasty - Joanne O'Brien
EDITING
Blue Lights - Helen Sheridan
Christy - Allyn Quigley
House of Guinness - Ben Yeates
Saipan - John Murphy, Gavin Buckley
The Surfer - Tony Cranstoun
Sculpted by Aimee MAKE-UP & HAIR
Blue Moon - Linda Gannon, Liz Byrne
Christy - Jennie Readman, Edwina Kelly
Saipan - Polly McKay
Trespasses - Natalie Reid
Wednesday - Lynn Johnston
ORIGINAL MUSIC
Aontas - Daithí Ó Drónaí
Báite - Eimear Noone, Craig Stuart Garfinkle
Christy - Daithí Ó Drónaí
Saipan - David Holmes, Brian Irvine
Video Nasty - Die Hexen
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Blue Moon - Susie Cullen, Kevin Downey
Christy - Martin Goulding
Saipan - John Leslie
Wednesday - Philip Murphy, Neville Gaynor
Video Nasty - Tara O'Reilly
SOUND
Anemone - Steve Fanagan
Blue Moon - Hugh Fox
Saipan - Tim Harrison, Andrew Graham, Paul Maynes
The Surfer - Aza Hand
Video Nasty - Patrick Downey
VFX
Anemone - Tom Fagan
Foundation - Ed Bruce, Andrew Barry
House of Guinness - Eoin O’Sullivan, David Sewell
One Battle After Another - Ed Bruce, Amrei Bronnenmayer
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