IFTA Awards 2026 winners announced

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced the winners of the IFTA Awards 2026, which took place tonight in Dublin and will air on Saturday night on RTÉ One. The 23^rd anniversary of the IFTA Awards was a star-studded affair with host Kevin McGahern at the helm. 

The ceremony took place at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre and will be broadcast on RTE One this Saturday 21^st February at 10.50pm.

The evening featured appearances by high-profile talent, including Jessie Buckley, Cillian Murphy, Steve Coogan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anthony Boyle, Niamh Algar, Aidan Quinn and Alison Oliver, among many others.

Cork-based drama Christy won a number of the top awards including Best Film, with director Brendan Canty taking home Director – Film, Allyn Quigley winning for Editing and Amy Rowan winning for Casting. Christy, starring Daniel Power and Diarmuid Noyes, follows a young Cork man who leaves the foster system and seeks independence as he discovers his calling as a hairdresser. 

Jessie Buckley won Lead Actress for her performance in Hamnet, for which she is also nominated at the upcoming Oscars and BAFTAs, while Chloé Zhao’s film also won Best Supporting Actor for Paul Mescal, International Film and Script Film (shared between Irish author Maggie O’Farrell and Zhao).

Cork actor Éanna Harwicke took home the Award for Actor in a Lead Role for his performance as Roy Keane in Saipan, while Kerry Condon won Actress in a Supporting Role for her role opposite Brad Pitt in F1.

On the TV Drama side, Belfast police drama Blue Lights won Best Drama for its third season, with Rachel Carey winning Best Director – Drama for Obituary and Ailbhe Keogan winning Best Script – Drama for Trespasses.

Last year’s Rising Star Winner, Anthony Boyle, won Lead Actor in a Drama for House of Guinness, while Lola Petticrew won Lead Actress in a Drama for Trespasses. Alison Oliver, star of Wuthering Heights, won Supporting Actress in a Drama for HBO crime series Task, while Chris Walley won Supporting Actor in a Drama for the fourth season of The Young Offenders.

Iconic Irish actor Ciarán Hinds was presented with the Irish Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award, for his outstanding contribution to the Irish and international screen industry, across both film and television.

Louisa Harland, star of The Walsh Sisters and Derry Girls, was announced as the 2025 Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland IFTA Rising Star.

International Actress went to Emma Stone in Bugonia, produced by Ireland’s Element Pictures, and International Actor went to Leonardo Di Caprio in One Battle After Another.

The George Morrison Feature Documentary Award went to A Want in Her, with Best Cinematography awarded to Seamus McGarvey for his work on Die My Love. 

Best Live Action Short Film was awarded to Nostalgie, while Retirement Plan won Best Animated Short.

Eoin O’Sullivan and David Sewell won VFX for House of Guinness, with Natalie Reid winning Hair & Makeup for her work on Trespasses.

The award for Original Music went to Eimear Noone and Craig Stuart Garfinkle for Báite, and Consolata Boyle won Costume Design for Blue Moon, while Philip Murphy (Production Designer) and Neville Gaynor (Set Decorator) won in the Production Design category for the Ireland-shot second season of Netflix’s Wednesday; and Steve Fanagan and Stevie Haywood won Best Bound for Anemone.

The Irish Academy Awards are funded by Screen Ireland and Coimisiún na Meán.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Ciarán Hinds

SCREEN IRELAND - IFTA RISING STAR

Louisa Harland

FILM CATEGORIES

 

BEST FILM

Christy

DIRECTOR - FILM

Brendan Canty – Christy

SCRIPT - FILM

Maggie O’Farrell, Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

LEAD ACTOR - FILM

Éanna Hardwicke – Saipan

LEAD ACTRESS - FILM

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

SUPPORTING ACTOR -  FILM

Paul Mescal – Hamnet

SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM

Kerry Condon – F1

DRAMA CATEGORIES

COIMISIÚN NA MEÁN BEST DRAMA

Blue Lights

DIRECTOR - DRAMA

Rachel Carey – Obituary

SCRIPT - DRAMA

Ailbhe Keogan – Trespasses

LEAD ACTOR - DRAMA

Anthony Boyle – House of Guinness

LEAD ACTRESS - DRAMA

Lola Petticrew – Trespasses

SUPPORTING ACTOR - DRAMA

Chris Walley – The Young Offenders

SUPPORTING ACTRESS - DRAMA

Alison Oliver – Task

INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD CATEGORIES 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Hamnet

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR

Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS

Emma Stone - Bugonia

OTHER AWARD CATEGORIES

GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

A Want in Her

Redbreast Unhidden SHORT FILM

Nostalgie

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Retirement Plan

CRAFT CATEGORIES

CASTING

Christy – Amy Rowan

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Die My Love – Seamus McGarvey

COSTUME DESIGN

Blue Moon – Consolata Boyle 

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Wednesday – Philip Murphy, Neville Gaynor

Sculpted by Aimee MAKEUP & HAIR

Trespasses – Natalie Reid

SOUND

Anemone – Steve Fanagan, Stevie Haywood

ORIGINAL MUSIC

Báite – Eimear Noone, Craig Stuart Garfinkle

EDITING

Christy – Allyn Quigley

VFX

House of Guinness - Eoin O’Sullivan, David Sewell