The Banshees Of Inisherin and other Irish talent could win big at the Oscars, but face stiff competition from awards season juggernaut Everything Everywhere All At Once.
The sci-fi epic, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, swept top prizes at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, marking it out as a clear frontrunner at the Oscars.
The thriller, which sees a family torn apart by an interdimensional rift, heads into the Academy Awards ceremony with 11 nominations, including for lead actress Michelle Yeoh and supporting actor Ke Huy Quan.
Martin McDonagh’s dark Irish comedy has become the most Oscar-nominated Irish film ever, clocking up nine nominations ahead of Sunday’s show.
All four of the film’s main stars; Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon received top acting nods – alongside McDonagh for best director.
Farrell will face Elvis’ Austin Butler and The Whale star Brendan Fraser for best leading actor, along with veteran British actor Bill Nighy for Living, and Irish actor Paul Mescal for coming-of-age drama Aftersun.
#BansheesMovie has been nominated for NINE Academy Awards including BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR Martin McDonagh, BEST ACTOR Colin Farrell, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, and BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Kerry Condon! #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/xjyN0Gzzqc
— The Banshees of Inisherin (@Banshees_Movie) January 24, 2023
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Meanwhile, English actress Andrea Riseborough is up for best actress for her work in To Leslie, taking on frontrunners Cate Blanchett for Tar and Yeoh following a grassroots awards season campaign.
Riseborough’s surprise nomination in the category prompted an investigation by the Academy, which found the campaigning tactics used had “caused concern”, but not enough to rescind her nod.
Michelle Williams is also a contender for best actress, following a campaign to transfer her from best supporting role categories in recognition of her performance as Steven Spielberg’s mother in The Fabelmans.
In the coveted best picture category, All Quiet On The Western Front is up alongside The Fabelmans, Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Banshees Of Inisherin.
The German film recently scooped seven prizes at the Bafta film awards.
Other contenders include blockbuster sequels Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water, as well as Tar, Elvis, Women Talking, and Triangle Of Sadness.
US comedian Jimmy Kimmel will host the 95th annual ceremony on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
He previously joked that the decision to have a champagne-coloured carpet this year “shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed” – referencing Will Smith’s now-infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars.
The Academy’s chief executive Bill Kramer said previously that a “crisis team” would be introduced at this year’s show to mitigate “potential surprises”.
Throughout the night a slew of famous faces will take to the stage for presenting duties, including British stars Hugh Grant, Florence Pugh, Riz Ahmed and Emily Blunt.
Other presenters include Nicole Kidman, Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L Jackson, Michael B Jordan, Troy Kotsur, Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy and Dwayne Johnson.
Rihanna, who is pregnant with her second child, will perform her Oscar-nominated song Lift Me Up from Marvel’s blockbuster sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, while Grammy-winning US rock star Lenny Kravitz, will perform during the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment.
