Anti-British hip-hop band Kneecap fume ‘f*** the Oscars’ and ‘Free Palestine’ as Belfast trio snubbed by Hollywood awards
Belfast rap trio Kneecap have responded defiantly to their Oscar nominations snub with a stark Instagram post declaring “F*** the Oscars. Free Palestine.”
The Irish-language film had been shortlisted in two categories for the 97th Academy Awards – Best International Feature Film and Best Original Song for Sick in the Head.
Dozens of fans, cast and crew gathered at Belfast’s Madden’s Bar to watch the full list of nominations be announced live, with groans of disappointment filling the room as the announcements were made.
The band members themselves watched the ceremony via live link from London.
The film chronicles a fictionalised story of how the west Belfast rap trio came together in 2019, leading them to “change the sound of Irish music forever.”
The movie stars the group’s members – Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Caireallain, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh – playing themselves alongside Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender.
Kneecap was aiming to become only the second Irish language film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best International Film, following The Quiet Girl’s nomination in 2023.
The film received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month, where it made history as the first Irish-language film to win the Audience Award in the festival’s NEXT strand.
Kneecap shot to notoriety in Britain due to their anti-British lyrics and political stances in their music as well as advocating for a united Irish republic. They’ve also faced accusations of “glorifying” the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and openly opposed British rule in Northern Ireland.
In the Best International Feature category, Kneecap lost out to I’m Still Here from Brazil, The Girl with the Needle from Denmark, Emilia Pérez from France, The Seed of the Sacred Fig from Germany and Flow from Latvia.
While there was disappointment for the Belfast trio, there was success for Irish production company Tailored Films, which secured two Academy Award nominations for The Apprentice.
Sebastian Stan received a nomination for Leading Actor in the Donald Trump biopic, while Jeremy Strong was nominated for Supporting Actor.
The film had also been shortlisted for Best Make-Up and Hairstyling but did not receive a nomination in that category.
Despite missing out on Oscar nominations, Kneecap has enjoyed significant success during awards season.
The film has earned Bafta nominations for Best Film not in the English Language, Best Casting, Best Editing, and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
At the British Independent Film Awards in December, it claimed Best British Independent Film for director Rich Peppiatt and producers Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling.
The film also secured wins for Best Debut Screenwriter, Best Joint Lead Performance, Best Casting, Best Editing, Best Music Supervision, and Best Original Music.
Overall, the movie has collected nearly 15 awards to date.
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And the nominees for Best Picture are… #Oscars pic.twitter.com/BRQeEVSKQI
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 23, 2025
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The event will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
The nominations were announced by Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang and US actress Rachel Sennott at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles.
The announcement had been postponed twice earlier this month due to wildfires in Los Angeles.
Musical crime comedy Emilia Pérez, epic The Brutalist, and musical Wicked received multiple nominations across several categories.