Jessie Buckley made history after becoming the first Irish woman to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
The 36-year-old star won the award for her role in Hamnet during the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Buckley led a record-breaking night for female winners across several major categories.
During her acceptance speech, the actress paid tribute to her Irish roots. She ended her speech in Gaelic by saying: “Go raibh maith agaibh, slán,” which translates to “Thank you very much, goodbye.”
Buckley beat strong competition in the category. Nominees included 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.
The film Hamnet tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after the death of their son during the plague in 16th-century England. Buckley stars alongside Paul Mescal, portraying the grieving parents as they struggle to cope with their loss. Buckley was not the only woman to break records during the ceremony.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman and first Black person to win Best Cinematography. She received the award for her work on Sinners. Meanwhile, Amy Madigan also made history. She won Best Supporting Actress for the horror film Weapons.
Her win marked the first time a woman has received the category’s award for a horror performance in nearly 60 years. Another milestone came in the newly introduced casting category. Cassandra Kulukundis won the first ever award for casting for the film One Battle After Another.
The ceremony also delivered one of the night’s biggest surprises.
Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners. His victory upset awards-season favourite Timothée Chalamet, who starred in Marty Supreme. Jordan received the award from previous winner Adrien Brody and appeared visibly shocked as he accepted the honour.
Elsewhere, Paul Thomas Anderson dominated the ceremony. His film One Battle After Another secured both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Sean Penn also won Best Supporting Actor for the same film, although he did not attend the ceremony to accept the award.
The night also celebrated success in animation and music. The Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature. Later in the ceremony, the film also won Best Original Song for the track Golden.
Overall, the 2026 Oscars highlighted major achievements for women across the film industry while celebrating several historic firsts.
For more updates on this news, follow London Pulse News.
