Jessie Buckley gave one of the most touching moments at the 98th Academy Awards when she won the Best Actress Oscar for her powerful role in the film Hamnet.
Her moving speech quickly stood out as a ceremony highlight, dedicating the award to mothers and generations of women who keep creating and inspiring despite challenges.
With this win, Buckley became the first Irish woman to take home the Academy Award for Best Actress, a historic moment for Irish cinema.
She played Agnes Shakespeare, William Shakespeare’s wife, with emotional depth and intensity. The film, directed by Chloé Zhao, is based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel.
Buckley was the favourite going into the Oscars, having already won major awards this season like the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Critics’ Choice Awards.
In her acceptance speech, Buckley began by recognizing the other nominees, praising their talent and admiring their work.
She then thanked her husband Freddie and spoke warmly about her young daughter, Isla, sharing how motherhood had changed her life.
The speech’s most powerful moment was when Buckley dedicated the award to mothers everywhere.
“It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today,” she said. “So I want to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
Her words struck a chord with audiences as she spoke about the strength and creativity of women through the generations.
Buckley also showed deep gratitude to the team behind Hamnet, especially director Chloé Zhao and author Maggie O’Farrell.
She said playing Agnes and exploring motherhood’s emotional journey was one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.
Buckley said that understanding a mother’s deep love was the most powerful part of bringing the character to life.
She ended her speech with a short phrase in Irish Gaelic, saying “Go raibh maith agaibh, slán,” which means “Thank you all, goodbye.”
This moment added a personal and cultural touch to an already emotional speech.
The Oscar win is a big milestone in Buckley’s career. She had been nominated before for The Lost Daughter, but this is her first win.
Her role in Hamnet has been praised as one of the most powerful portrayals of motherhood in recent films.
With her historic win and heartfelt speech, Jessie Buckley not only celebrated a personal achievement but also gave one of the most memorable moments of the 2026 Oscars.
