Brendan Canty’s Christy, the hard-edged social realist tale from Cork, has scored a chart-topping 14 nominations for the upcoming Irish Film & Television Academy Awards (Iftas).
The well-reviewed title, which a year ago won top prize in the Generation 14plus category at Berlin International Film Festival, is up for best film, best director and, for its breakout star Daniel Power, best actor.
“Once in a lifetime you come across the right group of people,” Canty says of his young, often non-professional cast. “It’s something you can’t force.”
Just behind, in second place with 12 Ifta nominations, is Saipan, Lisa Barros D’sa and Glenn Leyburn’s study of the tensions between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy before the 2002 Fifa World Cup in Japan. Éanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan, who play, respectively, footballer and coach, compete against Canty in an unusually starry best-actor line-up: Daniel Day-Lewis for Anemone, Colin Farrell for Ballad of a Small Player, and Cillian Murphy for Steve complete the six nominations.
Jessie Buckley, unbackable favourite at the Oscars, will surely enter the Ifta best-actress race at even slimmer odds. The Kerry woman, star of the searing Hamnet, faces up against such veteran talents as Fiona Shaw, for Hot Milk, and Carrie Crowley, strong in the Irish-language Aontas, at the home derby.
Hamnet competes in best international film against fellow Oscar hopefuls such as One Battle After Another, Sinners and Sentimental Value.
“What a superb line-up of nominees this year,” Áine Moriarty, Ifta’s chief executive, says of the line-up, which honours Irish talent and Irish productions. “This incredible showcase of work reinforces the fact that Irish talent is truly amongst the best in the world, working both in front and behind the camera across the globe. We look forward to rewarding their work and achievements at the ceremony in February.”
There is also a strong showing for Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon. Largely shot in Dublin, and co-produced by Wild Atlantic Pictures, the film details the decline of Lorenz Hart, the legendary lyricist, as his former colleague Richard Rodgers, the composer, soaks up applause for the first night of Oklahoma! Andrew Scott, who plays Rodgers, competes against Paul Mescal, Buckley’s costar in Hamnet, in a tasty best-supporting-actor category.
[ Jessie Buckley profile: From TV talent show runner-up to Golden Globes winnerOpens in new window ]
In a slightly eccentric arrangement, the Iftas, now in their 23rd year, announce TV drama nominations on the same day as their film shortlists. Among the shows competing for best drama are the cop series Blue Lights, the Marian Keyes adaptation The Walsh Sisters and the Netflix comedy-horror romp Wednesday, which was shot in Ireland.
Ciarán Hinds, among the nation’s most admired actors, will receive this year’s lifetime-achievement award. “I am deeply grateful to Ifta for this recognition,” the Belfast man says. “Their support for the cinematic and televisual arts over the past 20 years and more has been immense, and I am truly honoured to receive it. Thank you.”
This year’s Ifta awards take place at Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Friday, February 20th. The comedian, actor and broadcaster Kevin McGahern returns as host.
Iftas 2026: Film nomineesBest 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
Iftas 20206: Drama nomineesBest drama
- Blue Lights
- Leonard and Hungry Paul
- Trespasses
- The Walsh Sisters
- Wednesday
- 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
- Caitríona 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
Iftas 2026: International nominees International film
- 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
Iftas 2026: Documentary and short-film nomineesGeorge 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
Iftas 2026: Craft nomineesCinematography
- 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 and 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