Belfast-set rap comedy Kneecap has emerged as the frontrunner in the British independent film awards, after it picked up 14 nominations to lead the field including best British independent film and best joint lead performance for its three main cast members Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh – AKA Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí. Kneecap, which was part funded by the British Film Institute and Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish language broadcast fund, features the Irish-language rappers alongside Michael Fassbender, and scored multiple nominations for its director Rich Peppiatt, who is up for best director and screenwriter as well as the debut versions of both categories. In second place with 12 nominations is Love Lies Bleeding, the bodybuilding noir from Saint Maud director Rose Glass, starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian; Glass is nominated for best director and screenwriter (along with co-writer Weronika Tofilska), while Stewart and O’Brian are up for best joint lead performance. The Outrun, the Orkney-set adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir, follows in third with nine nominations, including best lead performance for Saoirse Ronan. Some of the year’s higher-profile British independent films failed to register in a big way: Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, which is yet to release in the UK after premiering successfully at the Toronto film festival, scored two nominations (for best lead performance for Marianne Jean-Baptiste and supporting for Michele Austin), but was overlooked for the other major categories, including best director, while the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black saw Jack O’Connell nominated for best supporting performance (as Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil) and nods for music supervision and hair and make-up, but was also left out of the other major award categories. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 8 December. Full list of nominations Best British independent film Kneecap Love Lies Bleeding On Becoming a Guinea Fowl The Outrun Santosh Best international independent film All We Imagine as Light Anora La Chimera No Other Land The Seed of the Sacred Fig Best director Andrea Arnold, Bird Nora Fingscheidt, The Outrun Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap Best lead performance Radhika Apte, Sister Midnight Susan Chardy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths Elliot Page, Close to You Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun Alicia Vikander, The Assessment Best screenplay Nora Fingscheidt, Amy Liptrot, The Outrun Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska, Love Lies Bleeding Rungano Nyoni, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap Sandhya Suri, Santosh Best supporting performance Michele Austin, Hard Truths Elizabeth Chisela, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Barry Keoghan, Bird Jack O’Connell, Back to Black Franz Rogowski, Bird Hayley Squires, Hoard Best joint lead performance Joseph Quinn, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Hoard Katy O’Brian, Kristen Stewart, Love Lies Bleeding Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Kneecap Jason Patel, Ben Hardy, Unicorns The Douglas Hickox award for best debut director Christopher Andrews, Bring Them Down Luna Carmoon, Hoard James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns [also directed by Sally El Hosaini] Karan Kandhari, Sister Midnight Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap Breakthrough producer award Hollie Bryan and Lucy Meer, The Ceremony Balthazar De Ganay and James Bowsher, Santosh [also produced by Mike Goodridge and Alan McAlex] Jacob Swan Hyam, Bring Them Down [also produced by Julianne Ford, Ivana Mackinnon, Jean-Yves Roubin, Ruth Treacey and Cassandre Warnauts] Ben Toye, Treading Water Rebecca Wolff, Grand Theft Hamlet [also produced by Julia Ton] Breakthrough performance award Nykiya Adams, Bird Susan Chardy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Hoard Ruaridh Mollica, Sebastian Jason Patel, Unicorns Best debut screenwriter James Krishna Floyd, Unicorns Karan Kandhari, Sister Midnight Rich Peppiatt, Kneecap Sandhya Suri, Santosh Mrs & Mr Thomas, The Assessment [also written by John Donnelly] Best debut director for a feature documentary Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Grand Theft Hamlet Manon Ouimet, Jacob Perlmutter, Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other Rachel Ramsay, Copa 71 [also directed by James Erskine] Clair Titley, The Contestant Raindance Maverick award The Ceremony Grand Theft Hamlet Restless Satu – The Year of the Rabbit Witches Best feature documentary The Contestant Grand Theft Hamlet Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other Witches Best British short film Delivery Housewarming Meat Puppet A Move Wander to Wonder Best casting Hoard On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Bird Kneecap Love Lies Bleeding Best cinematography Lee Love Lies Bleeding Civil War The Outrun Kneecap Best costume design Kneecap Civil War Love Lies Bleeding Unicorns Firebrand Best editing The Outrun Bird Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger Civil War Kneecap Best effects Love Lies Bleeding Lee Civil War Best music supervision Back to Black Sister Midnight Kneecap Best makeup and hair design Love Lies Bleeding Back to Black The Outrun Unicorns Firebrand Best original music Kneecap Bird Unicorns The Outrun Love Lies Bleeding Best production design Hoard Love Lies Bleeding The Assessment Civil War Kneecap Best sound Kneecap Love Lies Bleeding Civil War The Outrun Lee