Actor Jessie Buckley created a historic moment at the 98th Academy Awards after winning the Best Actress award for her performance in the film Hamnet. The ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre, marked a milestone as Buckley became the first Irish performer to win the Best Actress category in the history of the Oscars.
The awards ceremony was hosted by comedian and television personality Conan O’Brien, who returned to lead the show for a second consecutive year. Buckley’s win stood out as one of the evening’s most emotional moments, with the actor delivering a heartfelt acceptance speech that resonated with audiences.
Buckley earned the award for her portrayal of Agnes in Hamnet, a historical drama directed by filmmaker Chloé Zhao. The film is based on the acclaimed novel by author and screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell. The story explores themes of family, grief and creativity, focusing on the emotional impact of a tragic loss within the household of playwright William Shakespeare.
The Oscar win marked Buckley’s second Academy Award nomination. She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Lost Daughter. In the years since that nomination, Buckley has continued to build a reputation as one of the most versatile performers in contemporary cinema.
Jessie Buckley wins Best Actress in a Leading Role at #Oscars for “Hamnet” pic.twitter.com/mQXcFRrt09
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Heading into the ceremony, Buckley was widely considered a leading contender in the Best Actress race. Throughout the awards season, she had already received several major honours for her role in Hamnet. Her list of accolades included wins at the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Despite the strong expectations surrounding her victory, Buckley appeared visibly emotional as she walked on stage to accept the award. She began her speech by acknowledging the other nominees in the category, praising their work and expressing admiration for their performances.
The nominees included actors Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value and Emma Stone for Bugonia. Buckley thanked each of them, noting that their work inspired her and expressing hope that she might collaborate with them in the future.
During her speech, Buckley also turned her attention to her family, revealing that they had travelled from Ireland to attend the ceremony. She expressed gratitude to her parents for encouraging her to follow her dreams and for teaching her to pursue passion rather than expectations.
One of the most personal moments of the speech came when Buckley addressed her husband, Freddie Sorensen, who was present in the audience. She praised him as a supportive partner and devoted father, adding a lighthearted remark about wanting to have “20,000 more babies” together. The couple’s eight-month-old daughter did not attend the ceremony, but Buckley joked about what the infant might be doing at home while her mother stood on the Oscars stage.
Buckley also took time to recognise the creative collaborators who helped bring Hamnet to the screen. She thanked Zhao and O’Farrell for their work on the project and spoke about the impact of exploring the emotional depth of motherhood through the film.
The actor noted that the award carried special significance because the ceremony took place on Mother’s Day. She dedicated her win to mothers and to what she described as the “beautiful chaos” of a mother’s heart.
Hamnet tells the story of Agnes and her husband, a struggling Latin tutor named Shakespeare, portrayed in the film by Paul Mescal. The narrative follows the couple’s life in 16th-century England and the devastating loss of their son Hamnet during a plague outbreak.
The tragedy and the family’s experience of grief are central to the story, and the film suggests that the loss later influenced the creation of Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet. Buckley’s performance as Agnes, a mother navigating profound loss, became the emotional core of the film and ultimately earned her one of the highest honours in cinema.