THE award-winning Irish-language film Kneecap has missed out on nominations for this year’s Oscars.
Filmed across Belfast and Dundalk, the biopic, which is loosely based on the west Belfast rap group’s headline-grabbing origin story, had been shortlisted in two categories, Best International Feature Film and Best Original Song.
However, the film was not included in the nominations for either category when they were announced on Thursday afternoon.
It was hoped the film would become the second ever Irish language movie to be shortlisted in the International Feature category after An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) in 2022.
The group’s song Sick In the Head was the track from the film shortlisted for Best Original Song.
The Oscar disappointment for the band comes just one week after their movie, directed by Rich Peppiatt, picked up six nominations at the BAFTAs, including Best British Film.
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The band also dominated the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) in December, winning seven awards including Best Debut Screenwriter for Rich Peppiatt and Best Joint Lead for Kneecap members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh.
The rap trio, who go by the stage names Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvai, co-wrote the film with Rich Peppiatt. The cast also includes Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds, and Adam Best.
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The film opened in cinemas in August and had the biggest weekend opening for any homegrown film at the Irish box office since Martin McDonagh’s Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin in 2022.
The nominees for the 97th annual Academy Awards were announced on Thursday by actor-writer-comedians Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang, with Conan O’Brien now set to host the awards ceremony on March 2 in Los Angeles.
