Belfast-set rap comedy Kneecap has emerged as the frontrunner in the British independent film awards, after it picked up 14 nominations to lead the field including best British independent film and best joint lead performance for its three main cast members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh – AKA Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.
Kneecap, which was part funded by the British Film Institute and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish language broadcast fund, features the Irish-language rappers alongside Michael Fassbender, and scored multiple nominations for its director Rich Peppiatt, who is up for best director and screenwriter as well as the debut versions of both categories.
In second place with 12 nominations is Love Lies Bleeding, the bodybuilding noir from Saint Maud director Rose Glass, starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian; Glass is nominated for best director and screenwriter (along with co-writer Weronika Tofilska), while Stewart and O’Brian are up for best joint lead performance. The Outrun, the Orkney-set adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir, follows in third with nine nominations, including best lead performance for Saoirse Ronan.
Some of the year’s higher-profile British independent films failed to register in a big way: Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, which is yet to release in the UK after premiering successfully at the Toronto film festival, scored two nominations (for best lead performance for Marianne Jean-Baptiste and supporting for Michele Austin), but was overlooked for the other major categories, including best director, while the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black saw Jack O’Connell nominated for best supporting performance (as Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil) and nods for music supervision and hair and make-up, but was also left out of the other major award categories.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 8 December.
Full list of nominations
Best British independent film
Kneecap
Love Lies Bleeding
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
The Outrun
Santosh
Best international independent film
All We Imagine as Light
Anora
La Chimera
No Other Land
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best director
Andrea Arnold, Bird
Nora Fingscheidt, The Outrun
Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding
Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap
Best lead performance
Radhika Apte, Sister Midnight
Susan Chardy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Elliot Page, Close to You
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun
Alicia Vikander, The Assessment
Best screenplay
Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot, The Outrun
Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Love Lies Bleeding
Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap
Sandhya Suri, Santosh
Best supporting performance
Michele Austin, Hard Truths
Elizabeth Chisela, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Barry Keoghan, Bird
Jack O’Connell, Back to Black
Franz Rogowski, Bird
Hayley Squires, Hoard
Best joint lead performance
Joseph Quinn, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Hoard
Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart, Love Lies Bleeding
Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Kneecap
Jason Patel, Ben Hardy, Unicorns
The Douglas Hickox award for best debut director
Christopher Andrews, Bring Them Down
Luna Carmoon, Hoard
James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns [also directed by Sally El Hosaini]
Karan Kandhari, Sister Midnight
Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap
Breakthrough producer award
Hollie Bryan and Lucy Meer, The Ceremony
Balthazar De Ganay and James Bowsher, Santosh [also produced by Mike Goodridge and Alan McAlex]
Jacob Swan Hyam, Bring Them Down [also produced by Julianne Ford, Ivana Mackinnon, Jean-Yves Roubin, Ruth Treacey and Cassandre Warnauts]
Ben Toye, Treading Water
Rebecca Wolff, Grand Theft Hamlet [also produced by Julia Ton]
Breakthrough performance award
Nykiya Adams, Bird
Susan Chardy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Hoard
Ruaridh Mollica, Sebastian
Jason Patel, Unicorns
Best debut screenwriter
James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns
Karan Kandhari, Sister Midnight
Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap
Sandhya Suri, Santosh
Mrs & Mr Thomas, The Assessment [also written by John Donnelly]
Best debut director for a feature documentary
Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Grand Theft Hamlet
Manon Ouimet, Jacob Perlmutter, Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
Rachel Ramsay, Copa 71 [also directed by James Erskine]
Clair Titley, The Contestant
Raindance Maverick award
The Ceremony
Grand Theft Hamlet
Restless
Satu – The Year of the Rabbit
Witches
Best feature documentary
The Contestant
Grand Theft Hamlet
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
Witches
Best British short film
Delivery
Housewarming
Meat Puppet
A Move
Wander to Wonder
Best casting
Hoard
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Bird
Kneecap
Love Lies Bleeding
Best cinematography
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
Civil War
The Outrun
Kneecap
Best costume design
Kneecap
Civil War
Love Lies Bleeding
Unicorns
Firebrand
Best editing
The Outrun
Bird
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
Civil War
Kneecap
Best effects
Love Lies Bleeding
Lee
Civil War
Best music supervision
Back to Black
Sister Midnight
Kneecap
Best makeup and hair design
Love Lies Bleeding
Back to Black
The Outrun
Unicorns
Firebrand
Best original music
Kneecap
Bird
Unicorns
The Outrun
Love Lies Bleeding
Best production design
Hoard
Love Lies Bleeding
The Assessment
Civil War
Kneecap
Best sound
Kneecap
Love Lies Bleeding
Civil War
The Outrun
Lee
