Jessie Buckley takes home Best Actress for Hamnet at 2026 Critics Choice Awards

Jessie Buckley celebrated a major win at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards!

The 36-year-old actress was named Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet during the ceremony held at the Barker Hangar in California on Sunday, January 4.

After receiving the accolade from Jeff Goldblum , Jessie Buckle delivered a heartfelt and playful acceptance speech, where she also gave a shout-out to her Hamnet costar Paul Mescal.

“Paul, I bloody love you, man. And I know loads of other women do in this room too, but tough s—. I could drink you like water working with you every single day. You’re a giant of the heart and thank you so much for making me a little more human,” the actress gushed.

Buckley also gave shout out to her other co-stars including Emily Watson and the child actors Jacobi Jupe, Olivia Lynes and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal shared screen in Hamnet as William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. The films – adapted by Zhao from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel – follows the Shakespeare family’s life and the death of their son Hamnet, which inspires him to write the iconic play Hamlet.

Her fellow nominees at this year’s Critics Choice Awards included Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee) and Emma Stone (Bugonia).