The IFTA Award for Lead Actor – Film is an award presented annually by the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA). It has been presented since the 1st Irish Film & Television Awards ceremony in 2003 to an Irish actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a feature film.
The record for most wins is three, held by both Cillian Murphy and Michael Fassbender, while Moe Dunford has won the award twice. The record for most nominations is eleven, held by Colin Farrell, who has won the award once. Ciarán Hinds has the most nominations without winning, with four. Éanna Hardwicke is the award's most recent winner, for Saipan (2025).
Eligibility The award is exclusively open to Irish actors; there is a separate International award for non-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)
Winners and nominees 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.
+ Table key ‡ Indicates the winner
2000s Year Actor Film 2003(1st) Dead Bodies SWAT Spin the Bottle 28 Days Later Song for a Raggy Boy 2004(2nd) Omagh Adam & Paul Capital Letters 2005(3rd) Kinsey Wah-Wah Red Eye Return to Sender 2006(4th) Breakfast on Pluto Miami Vice Studs 2007(5th) Garage Jindabyne Kings Sunshine Eastern Promises 2008(6th) Hunger In Bruges 2009(7th) Ondine Savage Nothing Personal
2010s Year Actor Film 2010(8th) Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne Parked Perrier's Bounty Chloe 2011(9th) Shame Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Stella Days 2012(10th) What Richard Did Good Vibrations Seven Psychopaths Jump 2013(11th) Calvary About Time 2014(12th) Patrick's Day Miss Julie Frank Glassland 2015(13th) Steve Jobs Ex Machina Mammal 2016(14th) History's Future 2017(15th) Cardboard Gangsters Michael Inside Handsome Devil Maze 2018/19(16th) Rialto Finky Ordinary Love Arracht Extra Ordinary
2020s Year Actor Film 2020/21(17th) Death of a Ladies' Man Dating Amber Knuckledust Broken Law 2021/22(18th) Nightride Doineann Belfast Redemption of a Rogue Foscadh 2022/23(19th) Aftersun Lakelands Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Marlowe 2023(20th) Oppenheimer Saltburn All of Us Strangers That They May Face the Rising Sun Lies We Tell 2024(21st) Small Things Like These King Frankie Gladiator II Kneecap 2025(22nd) Saipan Anemone Ballad of a Small Player Saipan Steve Christy
Multiple awards and nominations The following individuals have received two or more Lead Actor awards: Wins Actor Nominations 3 Cillian Murphy 9 Michael Fassbender 5 2 Moe Dunford 4
The following individuals have received two or more Lead Actor nominations: Nominations Actor 11 Colin Farrell 9 Cillian Murphy 5 Michael Fassbender 4 Moe Dunford Brendan Gleeson Ciarán Hinds Liam Neeson 3 Gabriel Byrne Martin McCann Colm Meaney Andrew Scott 2 Pierce Brosnan Peter Coonan Domhnall Gleeson Éanna Hardwicke Barry Keoghan Paul Mescal Dónall Ó Héalai Fionn O'Shea Aidan Quinn Stephen Rea Jack Reynor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Barry Ward
References
External links IFTA.ie (official IFTA website)