The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the 2022 IFTA Nominations for the Irish Academy Awards across 25 categories in Film and Drama.
Over the past few months, Irish Academy Members have been busy viewing, deliberating, and shortlisting the very best work from across great Irish films, dramas, performances, and craftsmanship.
Nominations have been shortlisted by Irish Academy Members alongside specialist Jury panels of industry experts from around the world.
What a spectacular line-up of Nominees that have been shortlisted for Irish Academy Awards this year, after a record-breaking production year for the Irish industry. The work being recognised this year showcases to the world what our talented industry has to offer.”“It’s an incredible reflection of the high calibre of Irish talent, filmmaking and storytelling that we have in this country, at world-class standards. The Irish Academy is proud to acknowledge and reward their great achievements.
Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive – IFTA
Best Film Nominees 2022
The Best Film Nominees this year, showcase one of the most diverse and exciting Film Line-ups in many years. Powerful films that are captivating audiences across Ireland and internationally, showcasing Comedy, period Drama, Philosophical Sci-Fi, Horror, Irish Language and LGBTQ+ coming-of-age and that’s not all.
Colm Bairéad’s debut An Cailín Ciúin, is a gorgeous and mesmerising story of a young girl’s summer break away from her dysfunctional family in 1980s Ireland, when she stays with a foster couple featuring new-comer Catherine Clinch and Carrie Crowley; Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, is the tender, personal and very humorous story of one boy’s childhood during the Troubles in 1960’s Belfast, featuring Caitriona Balfe, Ciarán Hinds, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill and Dame Judy Dench; Rachel Carey’s debut Deadly Cuts is the hit comedy about a group of inner-city Dublin hairstylists-turned-vigilantes, starring Angeline Ball; Swan Song, is the superb debut Sci-Fi feature from Oscar-winning Irish filmmaker Ben Cleary (Stutterer), featuring Oscar Winner Mahershala Ali who decides to clone himself in the hope of protecting his family when he’s gone; Graham Cantwell’s Who We Love, an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama that is funny and uplifting despite Lily having to navigate tough terrain starring Amy-Joyce Hastings and Dean Quinn; and Kate Dolan’s debut feature You Are Not My Mother, an Irish Folk-Horror following Char (Hazel Doupe) after her mother Angela (Carolyn Bracken) briefly goes missing, only to return with a radically changed personality.
The Best Drama Nominees 2021
The Best Drama Nominees are Hidden Assets in which a routine raid by the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau in Limerick turns up diamonds that are linked to a series of bombings in Belgium; Kin the story of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in gangland war and their secret weapon: The unbreakable bonds of blood and family; Smother whose second season continues the gripping tale of the Ahern family as they deal with an unwelcome visitor whose arrival in Lahinch shakes things up once again; and Vikings: Valhalla which picks up a hundred years after the hit series Vikings and follows a new generation of legendary heroes arising to forge their own destiny — and make history.
Lead Acting Categories
Across the Acting categories Irish Actresses have once again excelled in film and drama both at home and abroad. The Best Actress Film nominees feature Angeline Ball for her role as the matriarch to Deadly Cuts’ vigilante hair-stylists, newcomer Catherine Clinch in her breakout debut role as the titular ‘Quiet Girl’ in An Cailín Ciúin, Gemma-Leah Devereux for her courageous performance as a misanthropic stand-up whose life changes when she is diagnosed with breast cancer in The Bright Side; Hazel Doupe as the young girl Char whose missing mother returns drastically changed in the terrifying You Are Not My Mother; and Niamh Algar, who plays a film censor working during the ‘Video-Nasty’ scare of the 80’s whose life becomes a real horror film.
The Best Actress Drama category, meanwhile, sees Angeline Ball nominated for her role as a detective in the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau in Hidden Assets; Clare Dunne as Amanda Kinsella, the steely cartel queen in Kin; Last year’s IFTA-winning Lead Actress in a Drama, Dervla Kirwan, who reprises her role in season 2 of Smother; Niamh Algar who plays an undercover officer embroiled in a doomed ‘honeytrap’ operation in Channel 4’s Deceit; and Sinéad Keenan who plays the mother to a teenage daughter who she helps get a termination, leaving her to face the consequences of the law in Northern Ireland in Three Families..
Irish Actors too have reached audiences the world over with their leading roles in film and television. The Best Actor Film Category sees Redemption of a Rogue’s Aaron Monaghan who plays Jimmy as he seeks redemption after returning to his hometown in the Cavan-set black comedy; Dónall Ó Héalai who plays naïve recluse John Cunliffe who is suddenly propelled into manhood at 28 in Irish-Language Feature Foscadh which was Ireland’s entry for the Oscars’ International Feature Category; newcomer Jude Hill who was picked out of 300 hopefuls to play Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast; and Moe Dunford whose performance in Nightride saw him deliver a powerful performance in a single 90-minute take while driving in Stephen Fingleton’s one-take crime thriller.
Aidan Gillen and Sam Keeley are both nominated for their powerful performances in Kin where they play Frank Kinsella and Eric ‘Viking’ Kinsella respectively; Jimmy Nesbitt is nominated for his role as Detective Broome in the Global Netflix smash Stay Close; and Liam Cunningham for his role as Livius in Sky Atlantic’s Roman Epic Domina.
Supporting Acting Categories
The Supporting Actress Film Category sees Amy-Joyce Hastings nominated for her role as Oonagh in the LGBTQ Drama Who We Love, which she reprises from the IFTA-nominated short film Lily; Caitríona Balfe for her standout role as a mother struggling to negotiate the politics of late 60’s Belfast; Carrie Crowley who plays Eibhlín Cinnsealach, foster-parent to Catherine Clinch’s Cáit in An Cailín Ciúin; Jessie Buckley for her role in The Lost Daughter where she plays the past version of Olivia Colman’s Leda; and Ruth Negga for her role as Clare, a fair-skinned Black woman who moves through life as a white woman, in Passing.
In the Supporting Actress Drama Category Hidden Assets stars Cathy Belton and Simone Kirby are nominated for their roles as forensic accountant Norah Dillon and wealthy business woman Bibi Melnick respectively; Justine Mitchell for reprising her role as Elaine Lynch in RTE’s hit thriller Smother; Lola Petticrew for her role as Orla who is faced with legal repercussions following an abortion in Northern Ireland; and Maria Doyle-Kennedy who plays Bridget ‘Bridy’ Collins the Kinsella Crime Cartel’s “defacto mam” in Kin.
In the Supporting Actor Film Category both Ciarán Hinds and Jamie Dornan are nominated for their Father and Son roles in Belfast; Cillian O’Gairbhí for his role as the troublesome Dave in Foscadh; Dean Quinn for his funny and moving performance as Lily’s best Friend Simon in Who We Love; And Tom Vaughan-Lawlor for his sensitive portrayal of a grieving pharmacist / fly-fishing advocate in The Bright Side.
The Supporting Actor Drama Category sees IFTA-Winner Andrew Scott nominated for his role as Lord Merlin in BBC’s hit series The Pursuit of Love; Ciarán Hinds and Emmett J Scanlan for their respective roles as Eamon Cunningham and Jimmy Kinsella in Kin; Owen McDonnell for his role as step-father Mark in Three Families; and Peter Coonan for his role as Fionn Brannigan in Hidden Assets.
George Morrison Feature Documentary Award
The nominees for the George Morrison Feature Documentary Awards are Castro’s Spies which tells the incredible story of an elite group of Cuban spies sent undercover to the US in the 1990s; Love Yourself Today which centres around the music of Irish singer songwriter Damien Dempsey and his fans in an emotive celebration of modern spirituality and the power of music to heal; Lyra an emotive, intimate portrait of the life and death of Belfast journalist Lyra Mckee; Pure Grit which is both a thrilling tale of extreme bareback horse racing, and an intimate love story, chronicling three years in the life of a young Native American racer; The Dance about the creation, rehearsal and debut of Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Mám; and Young Plato which charts the dream of a Headmaster his dedicated, visionary team illustrating how critical thinking and pastoral care can empower & encourage children to see beyond the limitations of their own community.
Top Numbers – In FILM Categories:
Both An Cailín Ciúin and Belfast have 10 nominations, Deadly Cuts has 7 Nominations
Swan Song has 6 Nominations, Who We Love and You are Not My Mother have 5 Nominations.
4 of the 6 Best Films nominated are debut Feature Films – with An Cailín Ciúin, Deadly Cuts, Swan Song, and You are Not My Mother all marking the directorial Writer & Director from these talented new feature-filmmakers.
Top Numbers – In DRAMA Categories:
Drama Kin has received 13 Nominations, Vikings:Valhalla and Hidden Assets both earned 7 Nominations, Smother has 6 Nominations, and Three Families has 3 Nominations
In lead actor there are 2 nominations for Irish Speaking Roles with both Dónall Ó Héalai and Peter Coonan nominated for their roles in Foscadh and Doineann respectively. Coonan has also received 2 nominations himself, for Doineann in film and for Hidden Assets in drama, as does Ciarán Hinds for Kin and Belfast, while Angeline Ball also has 2 nominations for her roles in the film Deadly Cuts and drama Hidden Assets, and Niamh Algar for both the horror film Censor and drama series Deceit.
The 2022 IFTA Awards
This year, as we move out of restrictions and hopefully leave the Pandemic behind us, the Irish Academy will host both virtual & physical events. A Virtual Awards event in March which will be followed by a Physical industry gathering in April, for the presentation of Awards in Dublin.
The Virtual IFTA Awards show will be hosted by the talented Actress & Comedian Deirdre O’Kane and will be broadcast on Virgin Media One on Saturday, March 12th. Deirdre will host a line-up of international Stars joining in to celebrate the exceptional Irish talent being recognised and to introduce the Nominees, films & dramas on the night. Further details about the show and guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Academy will shortly announce details of the upcoming Physical Event taking place in April in Dublin, to celebrate the industry along with the Awards presentations, the venue, the guests and more.
IRISH ACADEMY AWARD – NOMINATIONS 2022 (IFTA AWARDS)
FILM CATEGORIES
BEST FILM
- An Cailín Ciúin
- Belfast
- Deadly Cuts
- Swan Song
- Who We Love
- You Are Not My Mother
DIRECTOR FILM
- Benjamin Cleary – Swan Song
- Colm Bairéad – An Cailín Ciúin
- Graham Cantwell – Who We Love
- Kate Dolan – You Are Not My Mother
- Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
SCRIPT FILM
- Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
- Philip Doherty – Redemption of a Rogue
- Benjamin Cleary – Swan Song
- Graham Cantwell & Katie McNeice – Who We Love
- Kate Dolan – You Are Not My Mother
LEAD ACTOR FILM
- Aaron Monaghan – Redemption of a Rogue
- Dónall Ó Héalai – Foscadh
- Jude Hill – Belfast
- Moe Dunford – Nightride
- Peter Coonan – Doineann
LEAD ACTRESS FILM
- Angeline Ball – Deadly Cuts
- Catherine Clinch – An Cailín Ciúin
- Gemma-Leah Devereux – The Bright Side
- Hazel Doupe – You Are Not My Mother
- Niamh Algar – Censor
SUPPORTING ACTOR FILM
- Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
- Cillian O Gairbhí – Foscadh
- Dean Quinn – Who We Love
- Jamie Dornan – Belfast
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor – The Bright Side
SUPPORTING ACTRESS FILM
- Amy-Joyce Hastings – Who We Love
- Caitríona Balfe – Belfast
- Carrie Crowley – An Cailín Ciúin
- Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
- Ruth Negga – Passing
THE GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AWARD
- Castro’s Spies
- Love Yourself Today Lyra
- Pure Grit
- The Dance
- Young Plato
SHORT FILM
- A White Horse
- Best Foot Forward
- Debutante
- Harvest
- Nothing to Declare
- Scrap
- Ship of Souls
- Silence
- The Colour Between
- The Passion
SHORT ANIMATION
- Bardo
- Da
- Humbug
- Fall of the Ibis King
- Memento Mori
DRAMA CATEGORIES
BEST DRAMA
- Hidden Assets
- Kin
- Smother
- Vikings Valhalla
DIRECTOR DRAMA
- Ciaran Donnelly – The Wheel of Time
- Dathaí Keane – Smother
- Diarmuid Goggins – Kin
- Hannah Quinn – Vikings: Valhalla
- Lisa Mulcahy – Ridley Road
SCRIPT DRAMA
- Declan Croghan – Vikings: Valhalla
- Kate O’Riordan – Smother
- Morna Regan – Hidden Assets
- Peter McKenna – Hidden Assets
- Peter McKenna – Kin
LEAD ACTOR DRAMA
- Aidan Gillen – Kin
- Jimmy Nesbitt – Stay Close
- Liam Cunningham – Domina
- Sam Keeley – Kin
LEAD ACTRESS DRAMA
- Angeline Ball – Hidden Assets
- Clare Dunne – Kin
- Dervla Kirwan – Smother
- Niamh Algar – Deceit
- Sinead Keenan – Three Families
SUPPORTING ACTOR DRAMA
- Andrew Scott – The Pursuit of Love
- Ciaran Hinds – Kin
- Emmett J. Scanlan – Kin
- Owen McDonnell – Three Families
- Peter Coonan – Hidden Assets
SUPPORTING ACTRESS DRAMA
- Cathy Belton – Hidden Assets
- Justine Mitchell – Smother
- Lola Petticrew – Three Families
- Maria Doyle-Kennedy – Kin
- Simone Kirby – Hidden Assets
CRAFT CATEGORIES
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Burschi Wojnar – Redemption of a Rogue
- James Mather – Kin
- Kate McCullough – An Cailín Ciúin
- Narayan Van Maele – You Are Not My Mother
- Peter Robertson – Vikings: Valhalla
EDITING
- Dermot Diskin – Kin
- John Murphy – An Cailín Ciúin
- Nathan Nugent – Swan Song
- Tony Cranstoun – Zone 414
- Úna Ní Dhonghaíle – Belfast
PRODUCTION DESIGN
- Derek Wallace – Kin
- Emma Lowney – An Cailín Ciúin
- Joe Fallover – Wolf
- Tamara Conboy – Deadly Cuts
- Tom Conroy – Vikings: Valhalla
COSTUME DESIGN
- Eimear Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh – Foundation
- Kathy Strachan – Deadly Cuts
- Louise Stanton – An Cailín Ciúin
- Susan O’Connor Cave – Vikings: Valhalla
- Susan Scott – Zone 414
MAKEUP & HAIR
- Sian Wilson – Belfast
- Lyndsey Herron & Edwina Kelly – Deadly Cuts
- Linda Gannon &Clare Lambe – Foundation
- Eileen Buggy, Audrey Doyle, & Barrie Gower – The Green Knight
- Dee Corcoran, Joe Whelan, & Thomas McInerney – Vikings: Valhalla
SOUND
- Aza Hand & Alan Scully – Boys From County Hell
- John “Bob” Brennan, Fionan Higgins, Nikki Moss, Mark Henry, & Andrew Kirwan – Smother
- Karl Merren & Johnny Marshall – The Green Knight
- Steve Fanagan – Swan Song
- Steve Fanagan, John “Bob” Brennan, & Brendan Rehill – An Cailín Ciúin
ORIGINAL MUSIC
- David Holmes – Kin
- Die Hexen – You Are Not My Mother
- Joseph Conlan – Who We Love
- Stephen Rennicks – An Cailín Ciúin
- Van Morrison – Belfast
VFX
- Ed Bruce & Andrew Barry – Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Ed Bruce & Andrew Barry – The Nevers
- Ed Bruce & Manuel Martinez – Swan Song
- Ed Bruce & Sam Johnston – The Book of Boba Fett
- Kevin Cahill & Eric Saindon – The Green Knight