Kneecap nominated for 6 BAFTA Awards
Date Posted: January 15, 2025
Rich Peppiatt’s KNEECAP has earned 6 nominations at the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, including recognition in the categories of Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer/Director or Producer (for Rich Peppiatt), Film Not In The English Language, Casting (Carla Stronge) & Editing (Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill).
The critically acclaimed Irish box office sensation will compete for these accolades at a ceremony attended by BAFTA president Prince William, set to take place on Sunday, 16th February at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in central London.
Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said; “On behalf of Northern Ireland Screen, I want to extend our huge congratulations to the entire team behind Kneecap on its incredible achievement of six BAFTA nominations. This well-deserved recognition celebrates the creativity, hard work, and dedication that went into bringing such a unique and powerful story to life. We are immensely proud of the filmmakers and the spotlight this shines on the remarkable talent and vibrant storytelling emerging from Northern Ireland.”
Peppiatt’s film stars the members of the West Belfast rap trio Kneecap (Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí) alongside an ensemble cast including Oscar® nominee Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds and Adam Best.
Set in West Belfast in 2019, when fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, the trio create their own genre of Irish punk rap, melding the Irish and English language with electrifying energy. Their writing and performance reimagine what rap can be as a creative and cultural force, rooted in community. Kneecap ultimately become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue, upending preconceptions about language and place and spearheading a cultural revival and interest from their legions of young followers.
The BAFTA nominations arrive hot on the heels of 17 IFTA nods announced yesterday, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Script, and an extraordinary triple Lead Actor recognition for Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh. Over the weekend, the film earned the prestigious FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor in an International Feature Film, awarded collectively to the Kneecap trio at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Additionally, it has been shortlisted for two Academy Awards®, including Best International Feature and Best Original Song for “Sick in the Head”. The Oscar® nominations will be announced on 23rd January.
KNEECAP premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, where it won the coveted NEXT Audience Award. Following its world debut, the film captivated audiences at major festivals like Sundance London, Karlovy Vary, Tallinn Black Nights, Tribeca, and SXSW. As the opening feature at the Galway Film Fleadh, it struck a chord with Irish audiences, earning three awards, including the Audience Award. Last month, the film dominated the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), taking home seven awards, including Best British Independent Film, Best Debut Screenwriter (Peppiatt), Best Joint Lead Performance, Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Original Music, and Best Music Supervision. It is also a contender for the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film was produced by Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling for Fine Point Films and Mother Tongues Films, with Patrick O’Neill at Wildcard acting as Co-Producer. Funding for the film was provided by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Coimisiún na Meán, TG4, Dias Feld and Kamila Serkebaeva, with backing from Great Point Media.
KNEECAP is currently available to rent or buy on DVD and Video on Demand platforms, and will be broadcast on TG4 in 2026.
