Ruth Negga nominated for Independent Spirit Award

The Ethiopian-born, Limerick-raised star has been nominated alongside Natalie Portman (Jackie), Annette Bening (20th Century Women), Isabelle Huppert (Elle) and Sasha Lane (American Honey).

Director Jeff Nichols also picked up a nomination in the Best Director category for his work on the film.

Negga has been generating much awards season buzz for her role in the movie, which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

The Independent Spirit Awards take place in Los Angeles on February 25, the night before the Academy Awards, where it is expected Negga will also be in the running for an honour.

It was recently announced that Negga will be the recipient of the prestigious Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January.

Loving tells the story of Mildred Jeter (Negga) and Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), an interracial couple living in Virginia in the 1950s who must fight for their right to marry. The couple eloped to Washington DC in 1958 but on their return home to Virginia they were arrested and sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for 25 years, on condition that they left Virginia.

Their case eventually reached the US Supreme Court, which in 1967 overturned the convictions and ruled that state laws against interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

Loving will be released in Irish cinemas in February 2017.