Van Morrison is slated to represent Ireland at this year's Academy Awards, having nabbed an Oscar nomination in the 'Best Original Song' category today.

With Belfast among the front-runners for this year's ceremony, Irish interest in the awards show has heated up. Van Morrison's sonic contribution to the new Kenneth Branagh semi-autobiographical film, titled 'Down To Joy', has officially scored an Oscar nomination.

Ciarán Hinds has also been honoured in the Best Supporting Actor category, while Jessie Buckley has been recognised in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in The Lost Daughter.

Kenneth Branagh has also been nominated for Best Director, while Belfast has nabbed a Best Picture nod. The film will compete against CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog and West Side Story.

'Down To Joy' will compete against 'Be Alive' (King Richard Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson); 'Dos Oruguitas' (Encanto, Lin-Manuel Miranda); 'No Time to Die' (No Time to Die, Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell) and 'Somehow You Do' (Four Good Days, Diane Warren).

'Down To Joy' was nominated for a Golden Globe award in the same grouping, but lost out to Billie Eilish and Finneas' Bond theme 'No Time To Die'.

U2 have missed out on their chance of a third Oscar nomination for 'Your Song Saved My Life' from new animated film Sing 2.

The Dublin band were previously nominated in 2003 for 'The Hands That Built America' for Martin Scorsese's film Gangs Of New York, but lost out to 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem on that occasion. The rock quartet were also nominated in 2014 for 'Ordinary Love' for the Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk To Freedom, but 'Let It Go' from Frozen took home the gong.

H.E.R. was the winner in the 'Best Original Song' category in 2021 for her song 'Fight For You' from the film Judas And The Black Messiah. The R&B star made this year's Oscar shortlist with her song 'Automatic Woman' from Halle Berry's directorial debut Bruised

The 94th annual Academy Awards will be on March 27 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. The in-person ceremony will be televised on ABC.