The 22nd Irish Film & Television Academy Awards, also called the 23rd Anniversary IFTA Awards, took place on 20 February 2026. The ceremony was held at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre for the third consecutive year, hosted by Kevin McGahern for the second consecutive year. It honoured Irish films and television drama released between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.
The nominations were announced on 20 January 2026. 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.
Nominees for the Rising Star Award were announced on 9 February 2026. 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".
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."
Highlights from the ceremony were broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on 21 February 2026.
Winners and nominees
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 |- ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Costume Design ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Editing |- | valign="top" | Blue Moon – Consolata Boyle Christy – Hannah Bury Four Mothers – Joan O'Clery Saipan – Lara Campbell Video Nasty – Joanne O'Brien | valign="top" | Christy – Allyn Quigley Blue Lights – Helen Sheridan House of Guinness – Ben Yeates Saipan – Gavin Buckley and John Murphy The Surfer – Tony Cranstoun |- ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Make-Up & Hair ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Original Music |- | valign="top" | Trespasses – Natalie Reid Blue Moon – Liz Byrne and Linda Gannon Christy – Edwina Kelly and Jennie Readman Saipan – Polly McKay Wednesday – Lynn Johnston | valign="top" | 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 |- ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Production Design ! style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best Sound |- | valign="top" | Wednesday – Neville Gaynor and Philip Murphy Blue Moon – Susie Cullen and Kevin Downey Christy – Martin Goulding Saipan – John Leslie Video Nasty – Tara O'Reilly | valign="top" | Anemone – Steve Fanagan Blue Moon – Hugh Fox Saipan – Andrew Graham, Tim Harrison, and Paul Maynes The Surfer – Aza Hand Video Nasty – Patrick Downey |- ! colspan="2" style="background:#BDB76B;" width:50%"| Best VFX |- | valign="top" colspan="2"| 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
See also 2025 in Irish television 79th British Academy Film Awards 2026 British Academy Television Awards
References
External links Awards at the Irish Film & Television Academy official website