Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 IFTA Awards
Posted: 23rd February 2026
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) announced the winners of the IFTA Awards 2026 last weekend in Dublin. The event, which was hosted by Kevin McGahern, was funded by Screen Ireland and Coimisiún na Meán.
The Screen Ireland supported 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.
Other wins for Screen Ireland supported projects included Cork actor Éanna Harwicke, who took home the Award for Actor in a Lead Role for his performance as Roy Keane in Saipan, Rachel Carey winning Best Director – Drama for Obituary, Myrid Carten's A Want in Her winning the George Morrison Feature Documentary Award, Eimear Noone and Craig Stuart Garfinkle winning Original Music for their work on Báite and John Kelly's Retirement Plan winning Best Animated Short.
Louisa Harland, star of The Walsh Sisters and Derry Girls, was announced as the 2025 Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland IFTA Rising Star, while 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.
Jessie Buckley won Lead Actress for her performance in Hamnet, for which she is also nominated at the upcoming Oscars. The actress made history last night as the first Irish woman to win the BAFTA for Lead Actress.
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