Kneecap has been shortlisted for two Oscars – Best International Feature and Best Original Song.
The comedy biopic, which focuses on the rise of the Belfast hip-hop group, has been included among 15 films shortlisted for the International Feature category and 14 others for Best Original Song.
Band members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh star in the film, which is based on a semi-fictionalised account of how the west Belfast rap group was formed.
The Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) selected the film for Ireland’s official submission. Nominations for the 2025 Oscars will be announced January 17, ahead of the awards ceremony which is set to take place on March 2 in Los Angeles.
NME caught up with Kneecap at Reading and Leeds Festival in August to speak about meeting Noel Gallagher and Paul Mescal at Glastonbury and what a potential Oscar nomination would mean to them. At the time of the interview, the group knew they would be on the longlist of nominations from the IFTA, but were hopeful to make it further in the process and get shortlisted.
“I’d be very surprised, hopefully, bribery works!” they joked at the time. “The fact that the film had been in hundreds of cinemas in America, it’s coming out here, in Australia, all around Europe – it’s just a bonus to us.
“We just made that film because we thought it was a cool story to tell, it was our story in the Irish language in Belfast. The fact it resonates with people from other cultures and other Indigenous languages is a bonus for us…considering every 40 days there’s an Indigenous language lost. The more languages we lose, the less perspectives we have on life.”
NME described Kneecap as “arguably one of the best music biopics of all time” in our five-star review, naming it as our best film of 2024.
“Unapologetically ballsy and brave, Kneecap has no business being as good as it is – not only one of the standout films of 2024, but arguably one of the best music biopics of all time,” wrote NME‘s Andrew Trendell. “So, with much thought and time to percolate, here’s your full analysis: Holy shit, fuck me, what a film.”
Earlier this month Kneecap took home seven wins at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), including a joint lead accolade for its stars.
The group were also one of NME’s cover stars earlier this year. Speaking in the interview, the band reflected on how they had helped to raise nearly £100,000 for a volunteer gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in Palestine, broadcast their message during high-profile TV appearances, and joined the boycott of SXSW this year due to it being sponsored by The Army.
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