IFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor – Film

IFTA Award for Supporting Actor – Film
Awarded forBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
CountryIreland
Presented byIrish Film & Television Academy (IFTA)
First award2003
Most recent winnerBrían F. O'Byrne, Conclave (2025)
Websiteifta.ie

The IFTA Award for Supporting Actor – Film is an award presented annually by the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA). It has been presented since the 3rd Irish Film & Television Awards ceremony in 2005 to an Irish actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role in a feature film. For the first and second ceremonies, supporting performances for film and television were combined into one category.

Three actors — Liam Cunningham, Domhnall Gleeson and David Wilmot — have won the award twice. The record for most nominations is five, held by both Colin Farrell and Ciarán Hinds. The award's most recent winner is Brían F. O'Byrne, for Conclave (2024).

Eligibility

[edit]

The award is exclusively open to Irish actors. The rules define an Irish person as follows:

  • Born in Ireland (32 counties) or
  • Have Irish Citizenship or
  • Be full-time resident in Ireland (minimum of 3 years)[1]
Peter O'Toole won for Troy (2004).
Liam Cunningham won twice, for The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) and Hunger (2008).
Aidan Quinn won for The Eclipse (2009).
Pierce Brosnan won for The Ghost (2010).
Chris O'Dowd won for Bridesmaids (2011).
Domhnall Gleeson won twice, for Anna Karenina (2012) and Frank (2014).
Michael Fassbender won for 12 Years a Slave (2013).
Jack Reynor won for Sing Street (2016).
Jason O'Mara won for The Siege of Jadotville (2016).
Barry Keoghan won for The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017).
Barry Ward won for Dating Amber (2020).
Ciarán Hinds won for Belfast (2021).
Brendan Gleeson won for The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).
Paul Mescal won for All of Us Strangers (2023).

Winners and nominees

[edit]

In the following table, the years are listed as the year of film. The first three ceremonies were held at the end of the year, but since the 4th Irish Film & Television Awards the ceremonies have generally been held the following year. As there was no ceremony in 2019, the 16th Irish Film & Television Awards covered a period of two years.[2]

Table key
Indicates the winner

2000s

[edit]
Year Actor Film Ref.
2003[a]
(1st)
David Wilmot Intermission [3]
Colin Farrell Intermission
Ciarán Hinds Veronica Guerin
Gerard McSorley
2004[a]
(2nd)
Peter O'Toole Troy [4]
Ciarán Nolan Man About Dog
2005
(3rd)
David Kelly Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [5]
Seán McGinley On a Clear Day
Cillian Murphy Batman Begins
Tadgh Murphy Boy Eats Girl
2006
(4th)
Liam Cunningham The Wind That Shakes the Barley [6]
Pádraic Delaney The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Gerard McSorley Middletown
Stephen Rea Breakfast on Pluto
2007
(5th)
Brendan Conroy Kings [7]
Donal O'Kelly Kings
Conor J. Ryan Garage
Don Wycherley Speed Dating
2008
(6th)
Liam Cunningham Hunger [8]
Stuart Graham Hunger
Gerard McSorley Anton
Peter O'Toole Dean Spanley
2009
(7th)
Aidan Quinn The Eclipse [9]
Simon Delaney Happy Ever Afters
Michael Fassbender Fish Tank
Michael Gambon Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2010s

[edit]
Year Actor Film Ref.
2010
(8th)
Pierce Brosnan The Ghost Writer [10]
Colin Farrell The Way Back
Brendan Gleeson Perrier's Bounty
Cillian Murphy Inception
2011
(9th)
Chris O'Dowd Bridesmaids
Liam Cunningham The Guard
Brendan Gleeson Albert Nobbs
Ciarán Hinds The Debt
2012
(10th)
Domhnall Gleeson Anna Karenina [11]
Ciarán Hinds The Woman in Black
Michael McElhatton Death of a Superhero
David Wilmot Shadow Dancer
2013
(11th)
Michael Fassbender 12 Years a Slave [12]
Colin Farrell Saving Mr. Banks
Edward MacLiam Run & Jump
Peter McDonald The Stag
2014
(12th)
Domhnall Gleeson Frank [13]
Allen Leech The Imitation Game
James Nesbitt Gold
Andrew Scott Pride
2015
(13th)
Jack Reynor Sing Street [14]
Seán T. Ó Meallaigh The Callback Queen
Domhnall Gleeson Brooklyn
Owen Roe Pursuit
Michael Smiley My Name Is Emily
2016
(14th)
Jason O'Mara The Siege of Jadotville [15]
Colin Farrell Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Brendan Gleeson Trespass Against Us
Ciarán Hinds Bleed for This
Chris Walley The Young Offenders
2017
(15th)
Barry Keoghan The Killing of a Sacred Deer [16]
Jacob McCarthy The Drummer and The Keeper
Andrew Scott Handsome Devil
Fionn Walton Cardboard Gangsters
Barry Ward Maze
2018/19
(16th)
David Wilmot Ordinary Love [17]
Ian Lloyd Anderson Dublin Oldschool
Lorcan Cranitch The Dig
Dara Devaney Arracht
Barry Keoghan Calm with Horses
Stephen Rea Black '47

2020s

[edit]
Year Actor Film Ref.
2020/21
(17th)
Barry Ward Dating Amber [18]
Brian Gleeson Death of a Ladies' Man
Colm Meaney Pixie
Conleth Hill Herself
Ned Dennehy Undergods
2021/22
(18th)
Ciarán Hinds Belfast [19]
Jamie Dornan Belfast
Cillian Ó Gairbhí Foscadh
Dean Quinn Who We Love
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor The Bright Side
2022/23
(19th)
Brendan Gleeson The Banshees of Inisherin [20]
Pierce Brosnan Black Adam
Colin Farrell The Batman
Barry Keoghan The Banshees of Inisherin
Paul Mescal God's Creatures
Andrew Scott Catherine Called Birdy
2023
(20th)
Paul Mescal All of Us Strangers [21]
Kenneth Branagh Oppenheimer
Liam Carney Sunlight
Diarmuid Noyes Double Blind
Lalor Roddy That They May Face The Rising Sun
Chris Walley Lies We Tell
2024
(21st)
Brían F. O'Byrne Conclave [22]
Peter Coonan Kathleen Is Here
Michael Fassbender Kneecap
Barry Keoghan Bird
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Baltimore
Steve Wall Oddity

Multiple awards and nominations

[edit]

The following individuals have received two or more Supporting Actor awards:

Wins Actor Nominations
2 Liam Cunningham 3
Domhnall Gleeson
David Wilmot

The following individuals have received two or more Supporting Actor nominations:

Nominations Actor
5 Colin Farrell
Ciarán Hinds
4 Brendan Gleeson
Barry Keoghan
3 Liam Cunningham
Michael Fassbender
Domhnall Gleeson
Gerard McSorley
Andrew Scott
David Wilmot
2 Pierce Brosnan
Paul Mescal
Cillian Murphy
Peter O'Toole
Stephen Rea
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
Chris Walley
Barry Ward

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b For the first two ceremonies, supporting performances for film and television were combined into one category. Only nominees from films are included in this list.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "IFTA Film & Drama Awards | Rules & Guidelines for Submissions" (PDF). Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA). p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  2. ^ "IFTA Film & Drama Awards 2020 | Rules & Guidelines for Submissions" (PDF). Irish Film & Television Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Winners of the 1st Annual Irish Film & Television Awards | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  4. ^ "Winners of the 2nd Annual Irish Film & Television Awards | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Winners of the 3rd Annual Irish Film & Television Awards | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  6. ^ "IFTA Winners Announced". Irish Film and Television Network. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Winners of the 5th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Winners of the 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Irish Film & Television Awards Winners Announced". Irish Film and Television Network. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  10. ^ "IFTA winners 2011 announced". RTÉ News. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  11. ^ "'What Richard Did' the Big Winner in Film at IFTA's". Screen Ireland. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  12. ^ Rosser, Michael (7 April 2014). "Calvary, Philomena, Byzantium each win three at IFTAs". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Frank, Patrick's Day and Noble Amongst the Winners at this Year's IFTA Awards Ceremony". Screen Ireland. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  14. ^ "IFTA 2016 Nominees and Winners". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  15. ^ "A Date for Mad Mary does a double at IFTAs". RTÉ News. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Saoirse Ronan among IFTA nominees". RTÉ News. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
    "Irish stars savour their IFTA wins". RTÉ News. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  17. ^ Clarke, Sophie (18 October 2020). "All the winners at the virtual IFTA Awards". Goss.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  18. ^ "IFTA Film & Drama Nominees and Winners 2021". Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  19. ^ Becker, Kendra (12 March 2022). "The full list of winners at the 2022 IFTA Film & Drama Awards". Goss.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  20. ^ Yossman, K.J. (9 May 2023). "Paul Mescal, Sharon Horgan Take Home Top Prizes at the Irish Film and Television Awards". Variety. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  21. ^ Szalai, George (20 April 2024). "Cillian Murphy, 'Kin' Season 2 Among Irish Film & Television Awards Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  22. ^ Frost, Caroline (15 February 2025). "Cillian Murphy, Demi Moore, Ralph Fiennes Winners At IFTA Awards (Complete Winners List)". Deadline. Retrieved 7 May 2025.