Rappers Kneecap among Irish talent shortlisted for Oscars

Kneecap members Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap attend the UK premiere of Kneecap, the opening film of the Sundance London Film Festival, at the Picturehouse Central Cinema, London, in June. Picture: Ian West/PA

Irish language rap trio Kneecap are among a host of talent from the island to be shortlisted for the Oscars.

The film Kneecap has been shortlisted in the best international feature film category and for best original song for 'Sick In The Head'.

The comedy movie, which also stars actor Michael Fassbender, follows the Belfast group on their mission to save their mother tongue through music, and is directed by Rich Peppiatt.

Members of Kneecap holding aloft director Rich Peppiatt attending the British Independent Film Awards ceremony at London’s Roundhouse in December (Yui Mok/PA)

It comes after the group won their discrimination court battle against Britain's Leader of the Opposition and former business secretary Kemi Badenoch, after the British Government conceded it was “unlawful” to refuse them a £14,250 (€17,215) Music Export Growth Scheme funding award.

Earlier this month, Kneecap scooped seven gongs at the British Independent Film Awards, including best British independent film.

Meanwhile The Apprentice, produced by Irish production company Tailored Films, has been shortlisted in the best makeup and hairstyling category, and Room Taken, a short film funded under Screen Ireland’s flagship Focus Shorts scheme and directed by TJ O’Grady-Peyton, is shortlisted for best live action short.

Nominations voting begins on January 8 and is set to conclude on January 12 ahead of the announcement of nominations on January 17 and the glitzy awards ceremony in March.

Peppiatt described a rollercoaster journey.

“If someone had walked into the pub in 2019 — back when me and Kneecap were still dreaming up what this movie could be — and they told us five years later we’d be in the running for Oscars, we’d probably have asked for a blast on whatever they were smoking,” he said.

This is the second time in history that a film in the Irish language has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature film — and to have three films shortlisted across various categories is an incredible achievement for Irish cinema

“It’s been a rollercoaster journey marked by a huge amount of hard graft and plenty good fun, and making it to that hallowed Hollywood red carpet would certainly be a grand way to finish it all off.”

Desiree Finnegan, chief executive of Screen Ireland, congratulated the creative teams behind Kneecap, The Apprentice and Room Taken on the shortlist announcements.

“This is the second time in history that a film in the Irish language has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature film — and to have three films shortlisted across various categories is an incredible achievement for Irish cinema,” she said.

The 97th Oscars will be held on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.