“There is an irony in the best British film being Irish.” Kneecap triumph in seven categories at the British Independent Film Awards, with their self-titled biopic winning the top prize, Best British Independent Film
Kneecap‘s self-titled film has won seven British Independent Film Awards, including the evening’s most prestigious honour, Best British Independent Film.
Kneecap the movie, a ‘heightened reality’ tale of the Irish language-speaking West Belfast hip-hop trio’s rise to infamy, described by Louder as “the loudest, funniest, most provocative movie you’ll see in 2024″ also triumphed in the Best Debut Screenwriter category (Rich Peppiatt) and the Best Joint Lead category, honouring band members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh (Mo Chara), Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí).
The film had dominated the nominations at the awards, held at the Roundhouse in Camden last night, December 8, with 14 nominations.
Speaking to the BBC at the Awards, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, offered his thoughts on why the film has connected with audiences worldwide.
“There’s a lot of people who suffered under imperialism and colonialism and a lot of people see themselves in the story of it,” he said. “Minority languages, minority cultures getting their shake at the stake.”
The film has picked up a number of other awards in 2024, beginning with the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January.
The Irish Film & Television Academy has chosen Kneecap to represent Ireland in the International Feature Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards.
KNEECAP | Official Trailer (2024) – YouTube 
The group also scored a different type of victory last month, winning their court case against the British government.
A court in Belfast ruled that Kemi Badenoch, the former Secretary of State for Business and Trade who is now the Conservative Party leader, acted illegally in blocking an arts grant to which they were fully entitled.
The trio, vocal advocates for the reunification of Ireland, had applied for the UK’s Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) grant, funded by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, with support from the British Phonographic Industry, in order to offset costs of touring in the US.
In a statement delivered outside the courthouse, JJ Ó Dochartaigh told reporters, “Their own courts has now found in Kneecap’s favour, as we knew they would. They have tried to silence us and they have failed.”