22nd Irish Film & Television Awards

22nd IFTA Film & Drama Awards
22nd IFTA Film & Drama Awards
Date	20 February 2026
Site	Dublin Royal Convention Centre
Hosted by	Kevin McGahern
Highlights
Best Film	Christy
Best Direction	Brendan Canty; Christy
Best Actor	Éanna Hardwicke; Saipan
Best Actress	Jessie Buckley; Hamnet
Most awards	Film: Christy / Hamnet (4); Television: Trespasses (3);
Most nominations	Film: Christy (14); Television: Video Nasty (7);
Television coverage
Channel	RTÉ One / RTÉ Player

The 22nd Irish Film & Television Academy Awards, also called the 23rd Anniversary IFTA Awards, took place on 20 February 2026.^[1]^[2]^[3] The ceremony was held at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre for the third consecutive year, hosted by Kevin McGahern for the second consecutive year.^[4] It honoured Irish films and television drama released between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.

The nominations were announced on 20 January 2026.^[4] For the film categories, the Brendan Canty drama Christy led the nominations with fourteen, followed by sports drama Saipan with twelve. On the television side, BBC Northern Ireland comedy horror series Video Nasty received the most nominations with seven, followed by RTÉ One crime drama Hidden Assets with six.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Nominees for the Rising Star Award were announced on 9 February 2026.^[7] Irish actor Ciarán Hinds was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his "outstanding Irish and international acting achievements, and contribution to the screen industry across fifty years".^[8]

In regards to the nominations, Academy CEO Áine Moriarty said: "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."^[4]

Highlights from the ceremony were broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on 21 February 2026.^[1]

Winners and nominees

Maggie O'Farrell and Chloé Zhao, Best Script – Film winners

Film

Best Film	Best Director
Christy Aontas Blue Moon Four Mothers Saipan Steve	Brendan Canty – Christy Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn – Saipan Myrid Carten – A Want in Her Lorcan Finnegan – The Surfer Ruán Magan – Báite Edwin Mullane and Adam O'Keeffe – Horseshoe
Best Lead Actor	Best Lead Actress
*Éanna Hardwicke – Saipan* as Roy Keane** Steve Coogan – Saipan as Mick McCarthy Daniel Day-Lewis – Anemone as Ray Stoker Colin Farrell – Ballad of a Small Player as Brendan Reilly / Lord Doyle Cillian Murphy – Steve as Steve Daniel Power – Christy as Christy	*Jessie Buckley – Hamnet* as Agnes Shakespeare** Carolyn Bracken – Horseshoe as Cass Canavan Carrie Crowley – Aontas as Mairead Fionnula Flanagan – Four Mothers as Alma Eleanor O'Brien – Báite as Peggy Casey Fiona Shaw – Hot Milk as Rose
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
*Paul Mescal – Hamnet* as William Shakespeare** Liam Cunningham – Palestine 36 as Charles Tegart Jamie Forde – Christy as Robot Diarmuid Noyes – Christy as Shane Seán T. Ó Meallaigh – Aontas as Colly Andrew Scott – Blue Moon as Richard Rodgers	Kerry Condon – F1 as Kate McKenna Bríd Brennan – Aontas as Cáit Kerry Condon – Train Dreams as Claire Thompson Sarah Greene – Trad as Mother Dearbhla Molloy – Four Mothers as Jean Emma Willis – Christy as Stacey
Best Script	George Morrison Award for Best Feature Documentary
Maggie O'Farrell and Chloé Zhao – Hamnet Sarah Gordon and Damian McCann – Aontas Sheena Lambert – Báite Alan O'Gorman – Christy Colin Thornton and Darren Thornton – Four Mothers Enda Walsh – Die My Love	A Want in Her The Essence of Eva Listen to the Land Speak Sanatorium Testimony Útoipe Cheilteach
Best Short Film	Best Animated Short
Nostalgie The Ban No Mean City No Time Wasters Punt Three Keenings	Retirement Plan Éiru Inside, The Valley Sings Rerooted

Television

Best Drama	Best Director
Blue Lights Leonard and Hungry Paul Trespasses The Walsh Sisters Wednesday The Young Offenders	Rachel Carey – Obituary Megan K Fox – Video Nasty Oonagh Kearney – The Au Pair Mia Mullarkey – Hidden Assets Hugh O'Conor – Showkids Aisling Walsh – Miss Austen
Best Lead Actor	Best Lead Actress
*Anthony Boyle – House of Guinness* as Arthur Guinness** Pierce Brosnan – MobLand as Conrad Harrigan Domhnall Gleeson – The Paper as Ned Sampson Martin McCann – Blue Lights as Stevie Neill Aaron Monaghan – Hidden Assets as Sean Prendergast Alex Murphy – The Young Offenders as Conor MacSweeney	*Lola Petticrew – Trespasses* as Cushla Lavery** Niamh Algar – The Iris Affair as Iris Nixon Caitríona Balfe – Outlander as Claire Fraser Siobhán Cullen – Obituary as Elvira Clancy Louisa Harland – The Walsh Sisters as Anna Walsh Nora-Jane Noone – Hidden Assets as Claire Wallace
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
*Chris Walley – The Young Offenders* as Jock O'Keeffe** Jack Gleeson – House of Guinness as Byron Hedges Cal O'Driscoll – Video Nasty as Con Dónall Ó Héalai – Hidden Assets as Liam Boylan Fionn O'Shea – House of Guinness as Benjamin Guinness Aidan Quinn – The Walsh Sisters as Daddy Walsh	*Alison Oliver – Task* as Lizzie Stover** Cathy Belton – Hidden Assets as Norah Dillon Ruth Bradley – Slow Horses as Emma Flyte Katherine Devlin – Blue Lights as Annie Conlon Danielle Galligan – House of Guinness as Lady Olivia Hedges Genevieve O'Reilly – Andor as Mon Mothma
Best Script
Ailbhe Keogan – Trespasses Peter Foott – The Young Offenders Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson – Blue Lights Cara Loftus – Hidden Assets Stefanie Preissner – The Walsh Sisters Hugh Travers – Video Nasty

International (Film)

Best International Film
Hamnet Bugonia One Battle After Another Palestine 36 Sentimental Value Sinners
Best International Actor	Best International Actress
*Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another* as Bob Ferguson** Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon as Lorenz Hart Michael B. Jordan – Sinners as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore James McArdle – Four Mothers as Edward Sean Penn – One Battle After Another as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw Jesse Plemons – Bugonia as Teddy Gatz	*Emma Stone – Bugonia* as Michelle Fuller** Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another as Willa Ferguson Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love as Grace Margaret Qualley – Blue Moon as Elizabeth Weiland Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value as Nora Borg Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another as Perfidia Beverly Hills

Craft (Film & Television)

Best Casting	Best Cinematography
Christy – Amy Rowan Four Mothers – Louise Kiely The Rainmaker – Emma Gunnery Ready or Not – Alison Crosbie and Maureen Hughes Saipan – Aine O'Sullivan	Die My Love – Seamus McGarvey Bugonia – Robbie Ryan Christy – Colm Hogan Saipan – Piers McGrail Severance – Suzie Lavelle
Best Costume Design	Best Editing
Blue Moon – Consolata Boyle Christy – Hannah Bury Four Mothers – Joan O'Clery Saipan – Lara Campbell Video Nasty – Joanne O'Brien	Christy – Allyn Quigley Blue Lights – Helen Sheridan House of Guinness – Ben Yeates Saipan – Gavin Buckley and John Murphy The Surfer – Tony Cranstoun
Best Make-Up & Hair	Best Original Music
Trespasses – Natalie Reid Blue Moon – Liz Byrne and Linda Gannon Christy – Edwina Kelly and Jennie Readman Saipan – Polly McKay Wednesday – Lynn Johnston	Báite – Craig Stuart Garfinkle and Eímear Noone Aontas – Daithí Ó Drónaí Christy – Daithí Ó Drónaí Saipan – David Holmes and Brian Irvine Video Nasty – Die Hexen
Best Production Design	Best Sound
Wednesday – Neville Gaynor and Philip Murphy Blue Moon – Susie Cullen and Kevin Downey Christy – Martin Goulding Saipan – John Leslie Video Nasty – Tara O'Reilly	Anemone – Steve Fanagan Blue Moon – Hugh Fox Saipan – Andrew Graham, Tim Harrison, and Paul Maynes The Surfer – Aza Hand Video Nasty – Patrick Downey
Best VFX
House of Guinness – Eoin O'Sullivan and David Sewell Anemone – Tom Fagan Foundation – Andrew Barry and Ed Bruce One Battle After Another – Amrei Bronnenmayer and Ed Bruce

Special

Rising Star

Louisa Harland (Actor – Derry Girls, The Walsh Sisters)
- Carolyn Bracken (Actor – Horseshoe, Oddity)
- Brendan Canty (Director – Christy, Gealtra)
- Myrid Carten (Director – A Want in Her)

Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement

Ciarán Hinds (for his outstanding Irish and international Acting achievements, and contribution to the screen industry across fifty years)^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b "IFTA Awards: Full List of Winners". RTÉ. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ Clarke, Donald (20 February 2026). "IFTAs 2026: Jessie Buckley, Ciarán Hinds, and Cork drama 'Christy' take prizes". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ Szalai, Georg (20 February 2026). "Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Paul Mescal, and Jessie Buckley Among Irish Film & TV Awards Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "2026 IFTA Nominations Announced". IFTA. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ Ntim, Zac (20 January 2026). "Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessie Buckley Among Irish Film & TV Award Nominees; Cork Drama 'Christy' Leads Feature Categories – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ Ritman, Alex (20 January 2026). "Jessie Buckley, Cillian Murphy, and Daniel Day-Lewis Nominated for Irish Academy Awards". Variety. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ "IFTA Rising Star Award Nominees Announced for 2026 ahead of February 20th Ceremony". Screen Ireland. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
^ ^a ^b "Iconic Actor Ciarán Hinds to receive IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award at February 20th Ceremony, hosted by Kevin McGahern". IFTA. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

External links

Awards at the Irish Film & Television Academy official website

[RTÉ-1] "IFTA Awards: Full List of Winners". RTÉ. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[2] Clarke, Donald (20 February 2026). "IFTAs 2026: Jessie Buckley, Ciarán Hinds, and Cork drama 'Christy' take prizes". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[3] Szalai, Georg (20 February 2026). "Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Paul Mescal, and Jessie Buckley Among Irish Film & TV Awards Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[Nominees-4] "2026 IFTA Nominations Announced". IFTA. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[5] Ntim, Zac (20 January 2026). "Daniel Day-Lewis, Jessie Buckley Among Irish Film & TV Award Nominees; Cork Drama 'Christy' Leads Feature Categories – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[6] Ritman, Alex (20 January 2026). "Jessie Buckley, Cillian Murphy, and Daniel Day-Lewis Nominated for Irish Academy Awards". Variety. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[7] "IFTA Rising Star Award Nominees Announced for 2026 ahead of February 20th Ceremony". Screen Ireland. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

[Ciarán-8] "Iconic Actor Ciarán Hinds to receive IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award at February 20th Ceremony, hosted by Kevin McGahern". IFTA. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.

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IFTA Film & Drama Awards
Irish Film & Television Academy
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