Iconic Actor Ciarán Hinds to receive IFTA Lifetime Achievement award at February 20th Ceremony hosted by Kevin McGahern

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has announced that iconic, Oscar-nominated Irish actor Ciarán Hinds will be honoured with the Irish Academy Award for his Lifetime Achievement, and for his outstanding Irish and international Acting achievements, and contribution to the screen industry across fifty years. 

Hinds will be presented with the Award in the presence of industry colleagues, family and friends at the upcoming 23rd Anniversary IFTA Awards Ceremony, which will take place on Friday, February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The Ceremony will be hosted by comedian and actor Kevin McGahern. 

Ciarán Hinds is an Oscar nominee, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee and a five-time IFTA winner. His career has seen him work with renowned filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh and John Boorman; and alongside actors such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Liam Neeson, Daniel Craig, Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Ralph Fiennes, Ryan Gosling, Colin Farrell, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Lawrence, Helen Mirren, Nicolas Cage and Florence Pugh, to name a few. 

Responding to the announcement, Ciarán Hinds said: 

“I am deeply grateful to IFTA for this recognition - their support for the cinematic and televisual arts over the past twenty years and more has been immense and I am truly honoured to receive it. Thank you.” 

Acknowledging Ciaran’s contributions to the Irish screen industry, IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty said: 

“Ciarán Hinds is a modest giant and gentleman of an actor, who has deservedly become one of the most highly-respected and versatile actors of his generation, working with world renowned filmmakers and storytellers. He is a performer of extraordinary depth, warmth and dignity, who commands the screen with his presence. Throughout his career, he has been a constant supporter of homegrown Irish productions, which is dear to his heart. The Irish Academy is honoured to pay tribute to Ciarán and to recognise his outstanding achievements.” 

Ciarán will be presented with the Award in the presence of industry colleagues, friends and family, at the upcoming IFTA Awards Ceremony, which will take place on Friday, February 20th at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. 

Previous recipients of IFTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Maureen O’Hara, Judi Dench, Jim Sheridan, Fionnula Flanagan, John Boorman, Neil Jordan, Gabriel Byrne, George Morrison, Stephen Rea, and former President Michael D Higgins. 

The 2026 IFTA Nominations will be announced next Tuesday, January 20th. 

This year’s IFTA Awards Ceremony will welcome Irish and International Guests from all around the world for a great gathering of industry peers, to mark the incredible achievements of the Irish screen industry, at home and abroad. Actors, Filmmakers and International Guest Presenters will join in the home celebration. 

Kevin McGahern will return as host for the second year running, fresh off a successful run as host of The Traitors Uncloaked, and bringing with him his witty and charming personality to lead proceedings. 

Kevin commented on the upcoming Ceremony: 

“It’s brilliant to be back as the host of the IFTA Awards again and wow, what an exciting year it’s been for Irish talent. It really does feel like a golden age for Ireland and I’m looking forward to the big gathering where we'll celebrate the industry’s achievements together on the biggest night of the year for the Irish screen industry!”

ABOUT CIARÁN HINDS 

Ciarán Hinds acting career has amassed an extraordinary and varied body of work across five decades and continues to be prolific: this year, in 2026, global audiences will see him in Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (with Will Arnett and Laura Dern), Midwinter Break (with Lesley Manville), and Netflix’s new adaptation of East of Eden (with Florence Pugh). 

Born in Belfast, Ciarán Hinds studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and began his professional acting career at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre in 1976. He appeared on stage with the Abbey Theatre, the Druid and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and made his film debut in John Boorman’s Excalibur, and played the title role in Sam Mendes’ RSC production of Richard III in 1993. 

He received an Oscar nomination in 2022 for his touching performance as Pop in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, which also secured him Golden Globe & BAFTA nominations while going on to win the IFTA Award that year. Since 2003, he has received four additional IFTA Awards for his roles in; The Mayor of Casterbridge, Rome, KIN and The Dry. 

Hinds has worked with countless iconic directors on projects including There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson), Munich (Steven Spielberg), Silence (Martin Scorsese), The Weight of Water (Kathryn Bigelow), Miami Vice (Michael Mann), In Bruges (Martin McDonagh), Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway) and many more. 

Other international roles include Julius Caesar on HBO’s Rome as well as key roles in blockbuster series Game of Thrones, The Terror, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Man in the Hat, Political Animals, Life During Wartime, First Man, Red Sparrow, The Phantom of the Opera, Lara Croft: The Circle of Life, Bleed for This, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, John Carter, Above Suspicion, The Woman in Black, The Debt, The Rite, Oscar and Lucinda, Margot at the Wedding, Race to Witch Mountain, Miss Petticrew Lives for a Day, Justice League; and lending his voice to the smash hit Frozen animated franchise. 

Closer to home, Hinds has appeared in Irish projects including The Eclipse, Veronica Guerin, The Sea, Some Mother’s Son, Circle of Friends, The Wonder, Mickybo and Me and The Tiger's Tail. In recent years, he has returned to Ireland to star in two award-winning TV series: as the ruthless gangland patriarch in KIN and as the loving but chaotic father in The Dry, with both of these roles winning him IFTA Awards.

Among his many acclaimed stage roles, including a long-time creative partnership with Conor McPherson, are productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (with Scarlett Johansson), Hamlet (with Benedict Cumberbatch), The Crucible (with Saoirse Ronan), Uncle Vanya, Juno and the Paycock, Translations, Girl from the North Country and The Night Alive. 

ABOUT KEVIN MCGAHERN 

Originally from Cavan, Kevin McGahern began his career in 2009, and was host of RTE’s Republic of Telly for 10 seasons. He has most recently been seen hosting The Traitors Uncloaked, the hugely popular aftershow for the RTE competition series. A talented writer and actor, Kevin has starred in projects including Redemption of a Rogue, Smother, Hardy Bucks, Video Nasty, The Bright Side, Northern Lights, Finding Joy, Bridget & Eamon, Nowhere Fast, The Dry and The Last Duel. He was nominated for IFTA’s TV Rising Star Award in 2016. 

He has hosted TV documentaries including Kevin McGahern’s Fast & Furious and Kevin McGahern’s America, as well as the RTE series Kevin Paints, Cheap European Homes and Clear History (co-hosted with Jason Byrne and Joanne McNally). He was also previously a contestant on RTE’s Dancing With The Stars.

As a comedian, he has performed on major stages including the Edinburgh Fringe, Vodafone Comedy Festival, Body and Soul, Electric Picnic, and Forbidden Fruit. He is also co-host of popular podcast The Lovely Show with fellow comedian Justine Stafford. 

The 2026 IFTA Nominations will be announced next Tuesday, January 20th. 

The IFTA Awards Ceremony will take place on February 20th and full details will soon be announced, including Guest Presenters and international guests.