Kneecap lead nominations for Irish film awards

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Members of the rap group Kneecap will compete against Hollywood superstar Cillian Murphy for a major honour at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) on Friday.

An Irish-language film about the group is nominated in 17 award categories.

The three members of the west Belfast rap group are each nominated in the lead actor in a film category.

The nominees for best film are Kathleen Is Here, King Frankie, Kneecap, Small Things Like These, Spilt Milk, and The Apprentice.

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Kneecap, which is based on a semi-fictionalised account of how the rap trio was formed, is nominated under several categories, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Script.

In December, the film won seven British Independent Film Awards, including the top honor - Best British Independent Film.

All three of the band members - Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap), JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí), and Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara) - are nominated in the lead actor in a film category.

Also nominated in this category is Peter Coonan for his role in King Frankie, Paul Mescal for Gladiator II and Cillian Murphy for Small Things Like These.

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Murphy, who last year picked up the IFTA, and the Oscar, for his role in Oppenheimer, was nominated as best lead actor in a film for his starring role in the adaption of Claire Keegan's novella.

Small Things Like These was also nominated for best film.

The lead actor in a drama nominees include Anthony Boyle (Say Nothing), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), Michael Fassbender (The Agency), Ciarán Hinds (The Dry), Andrew Scott (Ripley) and Aidan Turner (Rivals).

An IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the actor Colm Meaney.

IFTA said this year's nominees "reflect Ireland's unparalleled storytelling on the global stage."

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Disney drama Say Nothing, which is based on a book by Patrick Radden Keefe of the same title, is nominated in 10 categories.

It tells the stories of several people living in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

The series stars Lola Petticrew as Dolours Price and Hazel Doupe as Marian Price, young sisters who were prominent members of the IRA.

Among the stories featured in the series is that of Jean McConville, who was among those murdered and "disappeared" by the IRA during the conflict.

The series is represented in the director and script categories while Petticrew will compete against Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) and others in the lead actress in a drama category.

Other Northern Ireland based nominations include Blue Lights, a Belfast based police drama, which is up for best drama and best script.

The second season of the BBC drama follows a batch of newly-qualified officers navigating policing in a post-conflict Northern Ireland.

Irish language crime drama Crá, produced by Fíbín Media and Zoogon for BBC Gaeilge and TG4, is also nominated in the drama category.

The Outrun/Studio Canal

Elsewhere, Saoirse Ronan is nominated as best lead actress in a film for her performance in The Outrun.

Based on Amy Liptrot's award winning memoir, it's about a young woman returning to her home in Orkney to deal with her past, and her addictions.

Also nominated were Carolyn Bracken for Oddity, Jessie Buckley for Wicked Little Letters, Hazel Doupe for Kathleen Is Here, Eileen Walsh for Small Things Like These, and Alisha Weir for Abigail.

Kneecap stars Simone Kirby, Jessica Reynolds and Fionnuala Flaherty are all nominated in the best supporting actress in a film category.

They are joined by Saoirse Ronan for wartime drama Blitz, Clare Dunne for Kathleen Is Here and Zara Devlin for Small Things Like These.

Best International Film contenders include: Anora, Conclave, Dune Part Two, The Brutalist, The Outrun and The Substance.