The coveted Oscars have announced their nominees today, and there is (deservedly) tremendous buzz around Irish talent.

Belfast, the semi-autobiographical film focusing on a young boy and his family during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, has secured seven nominations, including Best Director, Best Picture and Best Original Song for Van Morrison's 'Down To Joy'.

Director Kenneth Branagh has been nominated for five Academy Awards since 1989, one of which was Best Director. He has yet to secure the title, though, with a sweep of seven nominations, Belfast could be the actor and directors ticket to the Dolby stage.

"Such a deeply personal film, it reads through ever shot in the movie," said professional film enthusiast Reese Feldman on the movie.

Branagh isn't the only one who could receive an Oscar for their part in Belfast. The movie has earned nominations for Ciaran Hinds as Best Supporting Actor, veteran English actress Dame Judi Dench for Best Supporting Actress, Best Sound and Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately, Caitriona Balfe has failed to gain recognition for her role as Buddy's mother in the Best Supporting Actress category.

This marks Ciaran Hinds first Oscar nomination, for the role of Buddy's beloved confidant Pop. The Belfast-born actor has previously won two Irish Film and Television Awards and a Dublin International Film Festival Award.

Speaking on Tuesday, Branagh - who has yet to win an Academy Award - said he was thinking of “my mother and father, and my grandparents - how proud they were to be Irish, how much this city meant to them. They would have been overwhelmed by this incredible honour - as am I. Given a story as personal as this one, it’s a hell of a day for my family, and the family of our film.”

Other Irish nominees include Jessie Buckley for Best Supporting Actress in Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut The Lost Daughter. Maynooth's own Paul Mescal co-starred, while Olivia Colman has secured another Best Leading Actress nomination for her role in the film. From Killarney, Buckley has secured wins from the IFTA, the Hollywood Critics Association and the Cannes Film Festival.

Leading the awards is Jane Campion's Montana-set flick The Power of the Dog with 12 nods and Dennis Villeneuve's Dune, who has received ten nominations - including Best Picture, Cinematography and Costume Design. King Richard follows with nine, including Best Picture.

Campion last won an Oscar in 1994 for The Piano, which began its journey in Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or. That film was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture but lost out to Schindler’s List, with Campion making do with best adapted screenplay. She now becomes the first female film-maker to have two Best Director nominations.

If The Power of the Dog triumphs, it will be the second consecutive year a woman has won Best Picture and Best Director, following Chloé Zhao’s run with Nomadland. The only other female director to have taken either prize is Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.

Olivia Colman and Kristen Stewart (Spencer) appear in the Best Leading Actress list alongside Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, Jessica Chastain in televangelist biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Penélope Cruz for her latest collaboration with Pedro Almodovar, Parallel Mothers. Lady Gaga (House of Gucci), Frances McDormand (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Rebecca Hall's Passing have been overlooked.

The Best Actor shortlist is rounded out by The Power of the Dog's Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Garfield, who plays Rent creator Jonathan Larson in Lin-Miranda Manuel’s tick, tick … boom!, Denzel Washington for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Javier Bardem for Being the Ricardos. Will Smith was also nominated for his role as the Williams' sisters' father in biopic King Richard.

The nominations were announced by Tracee Ellis Ross and comedian Leslie Jordan. The Oscars 2022 ceremony will take place on March 27th at the Dolby Theatre in LA.