Irish Film & Television Awards 2023: The Banshees of Inisherin and Aisha top nominations

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin has received 11 nominations for the 20th-anniversary Irish Film & Television Awards. The team behind the black comedy, up for nine Oscars at this weekend’s ceremony, will not be surprised to have scored the most nods from the home academy. The film is, however, just one ahead of Frank Berry’s moving social-realist drama Aisha.

The four acting Oscar nominees from Banshees will also compete for Iftas at the ceremony on Sunday, May 7th. Colin Farrell is up for best actor. Barry Keoghan and Brendan Gleeson are nominated as best supporting actor. Kerry Condon is surely strong favourite in best supporting actress.

[ Oscar nominations 2023: Donald Clarke on an astonishing, record-shattering year for Irish film ]

Aisha, a well-received study of life under the direct-provision system for asylum seekers, competes in best film, best director, best script and seven other categories. Letitia Wright, who stars as a Nigerian refugee, is up for best international actress alongside Viola Davis, for The Woman King, and Cate Blanchett, for Tár, among other nominees.

Róise & Frank, a charming Irish-language comedy, and The Wonder, adapted from Emma Donoghue’s novel, both get six mentions.

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Celebrating the nominations, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Culture and Arts, said, “This is a really exciting time for the film and TV industry,” adding that Ifta awards night will be “a celebration of the incredible talent we are so lucky to have in this country”.

Fourteen nominations have gone the way of Irish productions or Irish talent at the imminent Academy Awards.

It is just under a year since Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin beat Kenneth Branagh’s hotly tipped Belfast on the way to eight Iftas. That result offered pointers towards the Irish-language film’s eventual Oscar nod for best international film. The last two ceremonies have been held virtually, but, for the 20th anniversary, Ifta goes back before audiences at Dublin Royal Convention Centre. RTÉ returns as broadcaster, and highlights will be distributed “over 120 news channels worldwide”.

“What an exciting time right now for the Irish screen industry,” Áine Moriarty, chief executive of the Irish Film & Television Academy, said. “This superb line-up of nominees in the running for Irish Academy Awards showcases to the world the high calibre of acting, film-making and storytelling we have in this country.”

In an unusual structure, Ifta presents the awards for TV drama and film at the same ceremony. Unsurprisingly, the big player on the small screen is the Apple TV+ production Bad Sisters, which has received 12 nominations. Sharon Horgan competes in both best screenplay and best lead actress for the hit comedy drama. The Dry has received eight nominations. Conversation with Friends, adapted from Sally Rooney’s first novel, has scored seven nominations.

IRISH FILM & TELEVISION AWARDS 2023: THE NOMINEES

FILM CATEGORIES

Best film

• Aisha
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• God’s Creatures
• Lakelands
• Róise & Frank
• The Wonder

Director – film

• Aisha – Frank Berry
• The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh
• It Is In Us All – Antonia Campbell Hughes
• Joyride – Emer Reynolds
• Let the Wrong One In – Conor McMahon
• Róise & Frank – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy

Script – film

• Aisha – Frank Berry
• The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh
• God’s Creatures – Shane Crowley
• Joyride – Ailbhe Keogan
• Let the Wrong One In – Conor McMahon
• Róise & Frank – Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy

Lead actor – film

• Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
• Daryl McCormack – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Éanna Hardwicke – Lakelands
• Liam Neeson – Marlowe
• Ollie West – The Sparrow
• Paul Mescal – Aftersun

Lead actress – film

• Alisha Weir – Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
• Bríd Ní Neachtain – Róise & Frank
• Danielle Galligan – Lakelands
• Kelly Gough – Tarrac
• Seána Kerslake – Ballywalter
• Zara Devlin – Ann

Supporting actor – film

• Andrew Scott – Catherine Called Birdy
• Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
• Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
• Colin Farrell – The Batman
• Paul Mescal – God’s Creatures
• Pierce Brosnan – Black Adam

Supporting actress – film

• Aisling Franciosi – God’s Creatures
• Eileen Walsh – Ann
• Elaine Cassidy – The Wonder
• Jessie Buckley – Women Talking
• Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
• Kíla Lord Cassidy – The Wonder

TV DRAMA CATEGORIES

Best drama

• Bad Sisters
• Conversations with Friends
• Derry Girls: The Agreement (Extended Special)
• Smother
• The Dry
• Vikings: Valhalla

Director – drama

• Bad Sisters – Dearbhla Walsh
• Conversations with Friends – Lenny Abrahamson
• Maxine – Laura Way
• Severance – Aoife McArdle
• Smother – Dathaí Keane
• The Dry – Paddy Breathnach

Script – drama

• Bad Sisters – Sharon Horgan
• Conversations with Friends – Mark O’Halloran
• Derry Girls: The Agreement (Extended Special) – Lisa McGee
• Smother – Kate O’Riordan
• The Dry – Nancy Harris
• Top Boy – Ronan Bennett

Lead actor – drama

• Aidan Turner – The Suspect
• Conleth Hill – Holding
• Jason O’Mara – Smother
• Kerr Logan – North Sea Connection
• Stephen Rea – The English
• Vinnie McCabe – The Noble Call

Lead actress – drama

• Alison Oliver – Conversations with Friends
• Caitríona Balfe – Outlander
• Dervla Kirwan – Smother
• Róisín Gallagher – The Dry
• Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
• Siobhán McSweeney – Holding

Supporting actor – drama

• Brian Gleeson – Bad Sisters
• Ciarán Hinds – The Dry
• Daryl McCormack – Bad Sisters
• Michael Smiley – Bad Sisters
• Moe Dunford – The Dry
• Tommy Tiernan – Conversations with Friends

Supporting actress – drama

• Anne-Marie Duff – Bad Sisters
• Brenda Fricker – Holding
• Eva Birthistle – Bad Sisters
• Eve Hewson – Bad Sisters
• Genevieve O’Reilly – Andor
• Sarah Greene – Bad Sisters

OTHER AWARD CATEGORIES

George Morrison feature documentary

• The Artist & The Wall of Death
• The Ghost of Richard Harris
• How To Tell A Secret
• Million Dollar Pigeons
• North Circular
• Nothing Compares

Live-action short film

• An Irish Goodbye
• Call Me Mommy
• Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You
• Lamb
• Wednesday’s Child
• You’re Not Home

Animated short film

• Candlelight
• Dagda’s Harp
• Red Rabbit
• Soft Tissue

CRAFT CATEGORIES

Cinematography

• Conversations with Friends – Suzie Lavelle
• How to Tell a Secret – Eleanor Bowman
• It Is in Us All – Piers McGrail
• The Dry – Cathal Watters
• Vikings: Valhalla – Peter Robertson

Costume design

• Aisha – Kathy Strachan
• The Banshees of Inisherin – Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh
• Disenchanted – Joan Bergin
• Enola Holmes 2 – Consolata Boyle
• Vikings: Valhalla – Susan O’Connor Cave

Production design

• Aisha – Tamara Conboy
• Bad Sisters – Mark Geraghty
• Mr Malcolm’s List – Ray Ball
• Róise & Frank – Padraig O’Neill
• Vikings: Valhalla – Tom Conroy

Hair and make-up

• Aisha – Dumebi Anozie, Liz Byrne
• The Banshees of Inisherin – Orla Carroll, Lynn Johnston, Dan Martin
• Mr Malcolm’s List – Eileen Buggy, Sharon Doyle
• The Wonder – Lorri Ann King, Morna Ferguson
• Vikings: Valhalla – Joe Whelan, Tom McInerney

Sound

• Aisha
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Conversations with Friends
• The Sparrow
• The Wonder

Original music

• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – Stephen Rennicks
• Lakelands – Daithí
• Nothing Compares – Irene Buckley, Linda Buckley
• Róise & Frank – Colm Mac Con Iomaire
• The Dry – Sarah Lynch

Editing

• Aisha – Colin Campbell
• Elvis – Jonathan Redmond, Matt Villa
• Death on the Nile – Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
• Nocebo – Tony Cranstoun
• Nothing Compares – Mick Mahon

VFX

• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Marlowe
• Stranger Things
• The Woman King