Jessie Buckley made history at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15, 2026, for being the first Irish actress to win Best Actress for her role in Hamnet.

Buckley starred as Agnes Shakespeare, the wife of the iconic playwright William Shakespeare, in Hamnet. The film explores grief as Agnes and William mourn the 1596 death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. In turn, William created the infamous play Hamlet, which was inspired by the playwright’s personal tragedy.

“This is really something,” Buckley exclaimed during her acceptance speech before thanking her family. After the actress thanked her parents for traveling to support her from Ireland, she expressed her gratitude to her husband. She also spoke about her eight-month-old daughter, stating that she loves being her mom and that she couldn’t wait to watch her grow up. Additionally, she credited Hamnet for understanding the complexities of motherhood.

My Irish family, they are all here! Mum, dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and never be defined by expectation but to carve from your own passion. [To my husband] Fred, I love you, man. You are the most incredible dad, you’re my best friend and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you! Isla, my little girl who is eight months and has absolutely no idea what’s going on and is probably dreaming of milk, this is kind of a big deal. I love you and I love being your mum and I can’t wait to discover life beside you.

Buckley also took the time to praise the other women nominated in the category, including Emma Stone (Bugonia), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), and Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value). “Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside,” Buckley said. “I am inspired by your heart, and your art and I want to work with every single one of you.”

The actress concluded her speech with a special shout-out to Hamnet director Chloé Zhao, author Maggie O’Farrell, from whose work the film is derived. She also mentioned that it was Mother’s Day in the UK and that she wanted to dedicate her Oscar to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”

Chloé and Maggie, to get to know this incandescent woman [in Agnes] and journey to understand the capacity of a mother’s love, is the greatest collision of my life. It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today. I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.

Buckley is no stranger to the Oscars, even though this is her first win. The Irish star was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Lost Daughter in 2022. Hamnet was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Casting, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design at this year’s Academy Awards.