Jessie Buckley dedicates Oscar win to all mothers

Irish star Jessie Buckley dedicated her first-ever Oscar victory to all mothers this weekend. The 36-year-old actor and singer won her maiden Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet at the 98th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Because the awards ceremony fell on Mothering Sunday—Mother’s Day in the UK—the actress felt moved to dedicate her win to mothers worldwide. “It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” she said gently.

The Bride! star continued, “Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside. I’m inspired by your art and your hearts, and I want to work with every single one of you.”

Buckley also gave her parents and husband, Freddie Sorensen, a heartfelt shout-out on stage. “Fred, I love you, man. You’re the most incredible dad, and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you,” she exclaimed with delight. During her speech, she also mentioned her eight-month-old daughter: “And Isla, my little girl, who has absolutely no idea what’s going on and is probably dreaming of milk—but this is kind of a big deal. I love you, I love being your mom, and I can’t wait to discover life beside you.”

The cast of Chloé Zhao’s 2025 historical drama Hamnet features Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn. The film depicts the family life of renowned English playwright William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, as they navigate the loss of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet.