The British Academy Film Awards nominations were just announced, and Irish talent scored big.
The nominations were announced by comedian Tom Allen and presenter AJ Ododu, and the pair called out several Irish stars during the ceremony.
Monaghan native Caitríona Balfe earned her first-ever BAFTA nomination. For her role as Ma in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
While it’s Caitríona’s first BAFTA nom, she is no stranger to prestigious awards. The actress has been nominated for several Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Irish Film & Television Awards in honour of her performance in Outlander.
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Caitríona’s Belfast co-star, Ciarán Hinds, also got his first-ever BAFTA nomination. For his role as Pop, Ciarán was recognised in the Best Supporting Actor category. While Belfast itself has been nominated for Best Film and Outstanding British Film.
Belfast’s writer and director, Kenneth Branagh, has also been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The director was delighted with the recognition saying the nominations are “an amazing tribute to a remarkable part of the world.”
Meanwhile, joining Caitríona in the Best Supporting Actress category is Ruth Negga. The Trinity alum received a nomination for her performance in Passing as Claire Kendry. This isn’t the Limerick woman’s first time being recognised by the BAFTAs. She was nominated for the Rising Star Award in 2016 for her performance in Loving as Mildred Loving.
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Also being honoured in the Best Supporting Actress category is Jessie Buckley. The Kerry native was nominated for her performance as Young Leda Caruso in The Lost Daughter. The actress has been recognised by the BAFTAs twice before. Earning a Rising Star Award nomination in 2019 and a Best Leading Actress nomination in 2020 for her role in Wild Rose.
This year’s BAFTA ceremony will be held on the 13th of March and marks the 75th anniversary of the awards. As usual, they will be available to watch on BBC One. This year they will be hosted by Australian actress Rebel Wilson at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Rebel is very excited about the hosting gig saying in a statement, “ So basically, I’ll just be there to hang out with Dame Judi Dench and together we’ll both try and bond with Daniel Craig. And yes, I do mean ‘bond’.
This show will be an anniversary celebration of some important British film franchises such as Harry Potter and not such as Cats. Everybody’s going to love it, I’m sure!”
Words by Slaine McKenna
