Emotional Jessie Buckley triumphs in Best Actress race at the 2026 Oscars as she dedicates Hamnet award to mothers

Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for the Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2026 Academy Awards on Sunday. 

She took home the golden statuette for her performance in the Shakespeare-inspired drama film and accepted the award with a touching speech about motherhood.

Anora star Mikey Madison, last year's winner in the same category, presented the award to Buckley. 

She was predicted to be the frontrunner to win the Oscar and proved that theory was right after racking up a slew of wins at earlier award ceremonies.

Her fellow nominees included Emma Stone for Bugonia, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value and Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.

After all, she received her flowers after her heartbreaking performance as Agnes, the wife of Shakespeare and the mother of the titular Hamnet, in the Chloe Zhao-directed film. 

With the Oscars being held on Sunday, the special day also marked Mother's Day in the United Kingdom. 

With that in mind, Buckley, who gave birth to a healthy baby girl last year, gave a heartfelt speech about 'the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart.' 

She thanked the 'incredible women that I stand beside' and gushed about her family for their support during her speech.

She also gave an adoring shoutout to her partner Fred and their eight-month-old daughter Isla.

Of her baby girl, she added that Isla 'has absolutely no idea what's going on and is probably dreaming of milk, but this is kind of a big deal, and I love you and I love being your mom, and I can't wait to discover life beside you.' 

She added about her character and motherhood: 'To get to know this incandescent woman and journey to understand the capacity of a mother's love is the greatest collision of my life.' 

Buckley said she wanted to dedicate her award to mothers all around the world. 

'I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart. We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds,' she said.

'Thank you for recognizing me in this role. This is the greatest honor. I can't even believe it.' 

The film was nominated in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Casting, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. 

Earlier during the awards season, she received her flowers at the Actor Awards (formerly known as SAG), the BAFTAs, the Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globes for her performance in the raw and emotional drama piece. 

She was previously nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Lost Daughter back in 2022. 

Last year, Zhao opened up about casting Buckley and lauded her performance as Agnes.

'I knew her work,' the Oscar-winning filmmaker told IndieWire in November 2025. 'I had a feeling that she wouldn't be afraid. There was no vanity in her, which is what Fran McDormand had.' 

Zhao continued: 'I'm neurodivergent, and when there's dissonance, I can't function. I can't look at the person. So I need that authenticity, and vanity is the number-one enemy of authenticity. 

'Actors, their greatest blessing they can give to the world is their authenticity and their humanness.' 

The 98th Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 15, with Conan O’Brien returning as host. 

The ceremony was broadcast live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.