2026 IFTA nominees announced, Christy and Saipan lead nominations

The Irish Film and Television Academy has released nominations for its 2026 IFTA Awards.

Christy leads the Film categories with 14 nominations, including Lead Actor - Film (Daniel Power) and Best Film. Set in Cork, Christy has been critically lauded, receiving honours at Galway Film Fleadh and Dingle Distillery International Film Festival.

Saipan follows close behind with 12 nominations, including two Lead Actor nods for Éanna Hardwicke and Steve Coogan. Read our review of Saipan here.

Both films are nominated in the Best Original Music category, which also includes Aontas, Báite, and Video Nasty.

Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, which won Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes earlier this month, is nominated for four IFTAs. Jessie Buckley, who took home the Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, is nominated once again for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare. Paul Mescal is a nominee in the Supporting Actor category.

Other notable acting nominees include Cillian Murphy (Steve), Daniel Day-Lewis (Anemone), Fiona Shaw (Hot Milk), and Andrew Scott (Blue Moon).

The directing categories are home to a record number of women nominees this year. These include Oonagh Kearney (The Au Pair), Myrid Carten (A Want in Her), Rachel Carey (Obituary), Megan K. Fox (Video Nasty), Aisling Walsh (Showkids), and Mia Mullarkey (Hidden Assets). Lisa Barros D’Sa, co-director of Saipan with Glenn Leyburn, also snagged a nomination.

“What a superb lineup of Nominees this year shortlisted for Irish Academy Awards,” said Áine Moriarty, Academy CEO. “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 on February 20^th.”

The Ceremony will be held Friday, February 20, at the Dublin Royal Convention Center.

Kevin McGahern will host the ceremony for a second time.

Read through the full list of 2026 IFTA nominees below: 

 

Film Categories:

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

 

Drama Categories:

Best Drama

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

 

International Categories:

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

 

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

 

Craft Categories:

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 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