Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessie Buckley Among Irish Film & TV Award Nominees; Cork Drama ‘Christy’ Leads Feature Categories – Full List

Nominations are out for the 2026 Irish Film & Television Awards, with Brendan Canty’s Cork-set drama Christy heading up the film noms with 14 nominations. Scroll down for the full list of nominees. 

Christy’s nominations haul included debut feature director Canty, first-time screenplay nominee Alan O’Gorman, and first-time acting nominees Daniel Power, Emma Willis, and Jamie Forde.

The film follows two estranged brothers with chequered childhoods in the care system who suddenly find themselves living under the same roof. They must now reconcile with their pasts and make decisions about the future.

Christy is trailed by Saipan, the biopic of Roy Keane’s bust-up with Irish manager Mick McCarthy ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The film has 12 nominations. 

Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon landed 8 nominations, and the international category includes Bugonia, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Palestine ’36, Sentimental Value, and Sinners. 

In the acting categories, Daniel Day-Lewis landed a nomination for Anemone, and Jessie Buckley is nominated for Hamnet. 

As previously announced, Ciarán Hinds has been set to receive the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

IFTA CEO, Áine Moriarty, commented: “What a superb lineup of Nominees this year shortlisted for Irish Academy Awards. 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 20th.”

Full list of nominees:

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