"Labour will always capitulate rather than defend UK interests," her spokesperson added.

The band applied for the grant, which was allocated to support UK-registered artists in global markets in 2023, BBC News reports. Their lawyer called the Badenoch's decision to have it revoked "unlawful and procedurally unfair." After they won the suit, the band said she and her department "tried to silence us and they have failed."

Then, the band experienced another major win just three weeks later, last Thursday, when a biopic about them entitled "Kneecap" won Best Irish Feature of 2024. The three members played themselves in the partially fictionalized film that portrays the group's origins and how they mastered incorporating the original Irish language into their lyrics. They starred alongside Oscar-nominated Michal Fassbender, who played Naoise's father. The film had also won an audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it premiered as the first Irish language film to be submitted.

As for the grant money, the group said it will split it between two Belfast charities, Glór Na Móna in Ballymurphy and RCity Belfast on the Shankill Road. The charities focus on local and international programs with an emphasis on youth, art and culture.