KNEECAP HAS BEEN nominated for six awards at the BAFTA film awards including Outstanding British Film.

The film, starring the Northern Irish trio who rap as Gaeilge, received major critical and audience acclaim when it was released last year.

Musicians Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap agus DJ Próvaí made their acting debuts in the film which has already won several awards.

The film is nominated for the following BAFTAs: Outstanding British Film, Film not in the English Language, Original Screenplay, Casting and Editing. 

Rich Peppiatt, who directed Kneecap, is nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Funding for the film was provided by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the BFI, Coimisiún na Meán and TG4, with backing from Great Point Media.

Saoirse Ronan is nominated for Leading Actress for her role in The Outrun. This film is also nominated in the Outstanding British Film category. 

The Apprentice, which was produced by Irish production company Tailored Films, is nominated for three awards – Sebastian Stan for Leading Actor, Jeremy Strong for Supporting Actor, and Casting.

‘Fucking hilarious’

Reacting to the news, Kneecap said: “For long enough the British government has stolen Ireland’s treasures, and even our fucking food – there was no famine.

To be first-time actors and now get to hopefully go over and take a few bits back the other way is a nice change and long may it continue. Ireland taking British awards is fucking hilarious.

“This acting business is handy.”

Peppiatt added: “It’s a huge honour as a filmmaker to see your work recognised by some of the best in the business that make up BAFTA.

“And the idea of Prince William handing an award to Kneecap is already the best thing that could happen in 2025, and it’s only January.”

Papal thriller Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, received the most nominations with 12, followed by Spanish-language musical Emilia Perez which received 11 nods, and drama The Brutalist which is nominated in nine categories. 

The full list of nominations can be read here. 

Saoirse Ronan poses for photographers upon arrival for an 'In Conversation' event at the BFI Southbank in London on 18 December Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

• BIRD Andrea Arnold, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Lee Groombridge
• BLITZ Steve McQueen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anita Overland
• CONCLAVE Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Peter Straughan
• GLADIATOR II Ridley Scott, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, David Scarpa, Peter Craig
• HARD TRUTHS Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
• KNEECAP Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
• LEE Ellen Kuras, Kate Solomon, Kate Winslet, Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee, Lem Dobbs
• LOVE LIES BLEEDING Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman, Wereonika Tofilska
• THE OUTRUN Nora Fingscheidt, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Liptrot
• WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek, Mark Burton

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

• HOARD Luna Carmoon (Director, Writer)
• KNEECAP Rich Peppiatt (Director, Writer)
• MONKEY MAN Dev Patel (Director)
• SANTOSH Sandhya Suri (Director, Writer), James Bowsher (Producer), Balthazar de Ganay (Producer) [also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge]
• SISTER MIDNIGHT Karan Kandhari (Director, Writer)
• FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT Payal Kapadia, Thomas Hakim
• EMILIA PÉREZ Jacques Audiard, TBD
• I’M STILL HERE (AINDA ESTOU AQUI) Walter Salles, TBD
• KNEECAP Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney
• THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• ANORA Written by Sean Baker
• THE BRUTALIST Written by Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
• KNEECAP Writer Rich Peppiatt, Story by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
• A REAL PAIN Written by Jesse Eisenberg
• THE SUBSTANCE Written by Coralie Fargeat

CASTING

• ANORA Sean Baker, Samantha Quan
• THE APPRENTICE Stephanie Gorin, Carmen Cuba
• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN Yesi Ramirez
• CONCLAVE Nina Gold, Martin Ware
• KNEECAP Carla Stronge

EDITING

• ANORA Sean Baker
• CONCLAVE Nick Emerson
• DUNE: PART TWO Joe Walker
• EMILIA PÉREZ Juliette Welfling
• KNEECAP Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill

LEADING ACTRESS

• CYNTHIA ERIVO Wicked
• KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN Emilia Pérez
• MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE Hard Truths
• MIKEY MADISON Anora
• DEMI MOORE The Substance
• SAOIRSE RONAN The Outrun

LEADING ACTOR

• ADRIEN BRODY The Brutalist
• TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET A Complete Unknown
• COLMAN DOMINGO Sing Sing
• RALPH FIENNES Conclave
• HUGH GRANT Heretic
• SEBASTIAN STAN The Apprentice

The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, 16 February.