Dublin, March 1, 2026
Irish Films and Animators Score Big with Academy Award Nominations
A wave of recognition for Irish talent is sweeping the film industry as several productions and creatives land nominations for the 98th Academy Awards®, set to take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
- Retirement Plan, Bugonia, and Blue Moon are among the Irish films recognized.
- Jessie Buckley and Richard Baneham received individual nominations for their performances and craft.
- Element Pictures’ Bugonia leads with four nominations, including Best Picture.
- The nominations highlight Ireland’s growing prominence as a global center for film and animation.
Ireland’s film and animation industries are celebrating a remarkable year, culminating in multiple nominations for the 98th Academy Awards®. The nominations span a diverse range of categories, from animated shorts to live-action features and visual effects, showcasing the breadth of Irish creative talent. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Animated Short and Acting Recognition
Dublin-based animator John Kelly’s poignant animated short, Retirement Plan, voiced by Domhnall Gleeson, has progressed to the final five contenders in the Best Animated Short Film category. The film, which previously won Best Animated Short Film – Ireland at the 2025 Irish Animation Awards, explores the dreams of Ray, a man longing for the joy he anticipates in retirement. The short is directed by Kelly, with a script co-written by Tara Lawall and Kelly, and produced by Julie Murnaghan and Andrew Freedman for Antidote Films, with funding from Frameworks, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, and RTÉ.
What makes a compelling animated short? According to Animation Ireland CEO Ronan McCabe, “Irish animation has a long track record in garnering Oscar nominations, reflecting Ireland’s position as a global centre of excellence in animation.”
Jessie Buckley has been recognized for her performance in Hamnet, while Irish VFX artist Richard Baneham is nominated in the Visual Effects category for his work on Avatar: Fire and Water. Wild Atlantic Pictures’ Blue Moon has also secured nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Ethan Hawke.
Bugonia Leads the Pack with Four Nominations
Element Pictures is enjoying a particularly successful awards season with Yorgos Lanthimos’ darkly comedic thriller, Bugonia. The film has received four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Emma Stone, Best Adapted Screenplay for Will Tracy, and Best Original Score for Jerskin Fendrix. Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, Bugonia follows two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO they believe is an alien. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2025 and has garnered recognition from the Golden Globe, Gotham, and Critics’ Choice awards.
Established in 2001 and headquartered on O’Connell Street in Dublin, Element Pictures has now amassed 30 Academy Award nominations and six wins, including four Oscars for Poor Things in 2024 – the most Academy Award wins for an Irish-produced film to date. The film’s cinematography was handled by Irish DoP Robbie Ryan, who was previously Oscar-nominated for Poor Things.
“We’re honoured that Bugonia has been nominated for four Academy Awards, and in these important categories,” said Element Pictures co-CEOs and founders Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. “We’re proud of everyone involved, and we’re delighted to see the film receiving such wonderful recognition.”
Industry Support and Future Investment
The Irish screen industry is receiving widespread praise for its recent successes. Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, stated, “These nominations represent a remarkable recognition of the artistic strength and range of Irish creative talent…Screen Ireland is particularly proud to have supported Retirement Plan.”
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan T.D. echoed this sentiment, congratulating Jessie Buckley and Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet, who is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay alongside director Chloe Zhao. He also highlighted the importance of continued investment in the Irish screen industries, stating, “Ireland’s ongoing international success…reflects Ireland’s investment in our screen industries. As Minister I will make sure that that investment is continued.”
Retirement Plan will compete against Florence Miailhe’s Butterfly, Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears’ Forevergreen, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski’s The Girl Who Cried Pearls, and Timur Kognov’s The Three Sisters for the Best Animated Short Film award. All eyes are now on the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on March 15, 2026.
