BAFTA 2025: Irish film ‘Kneecap’ makes history with record-tying debut nominations for Rich Peppiatt and hip-hop trio

Kneecap, a BAFTA-nominated Irish hip-hop biopic, makes history with six nominations, showcasing the Belfast rap trio's dynamic story.

Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap has stormed the 2025 BAFTA nominations, making history as one of the most celebrated debut films in the British Academy’s history. The Irish hip-hop biopic scored six nominations, earning Peppiatt a place alongside Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry as the most-nominated debut filmmaker in BAFTA history, with three individual nods.

Kneecap, a dynamic portrayal of the Belfast-based rap trio of the same name, showcases its stars—Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh—playing themselves. The film’s nominations include Outstanding British Film, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, and Best Casting for Carla Stronge. Peppiatt also received recognition for Best Film Not in the English Language and Original Screenplay, while Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill scored a nod for Best Editing.

Anna Higgs, chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, praised the film’s cross-border collaboration between Britain and Ireland, saying, “It shows that global nature of how we work across borders, and we tell stories that are really important, both personally and politically.”

The success of Kneecap comes on the heels of a clean sweep at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), where it won seven awards. Peppiatt credited the film’s success to risk-taking funders, remarking, “Films like Kneecap don’t get made without funders who are prepared to take a chance and probably not get their money back. Kneecap’s done alright — they might actually get their money back.”

Competing in a strong field, Kneecap joins Conclave, Blitz, and Gladiator II in the Outstanding British Film category, while Peppiatt faces off against emerging talents like Dev Patel and Sandhya Suri in the Outstanding Debut category.